Autistics and Co-occurring Therapies

While there is NO therapy for being Autistic, a natural valid human divergency of great importance, there may be for many co-occurring and downstream matters that arise or are due to poor-integration of being autistic or serious unmet needs.  Here we canvas those most likely to help not hurt, that are not coercive and manipulative.

Most Aligned Supports

Anxiety & Stress Regulation

Acceptance/Commitment Therapists, Autistic Mentors, Trauma Therapists, Movement Therapists, Art/Music/Drama Therapists

Drama, Music, and Art offer safe ways to externalize stress, reclaim agency, and build identity through expression, often reaching where words cannot.

Trauma / PTSD

Trauma Therapists, Narrative Therapists, Autistic Mentors, Art/Drama Therapists

Drama/Art/Music give a non-verbal pathway for healing, reintegration of identity, and re-storying of self without retraumatization.

Speech/Communication Differences

Speech & Language Therapists, Augmentative/Alternative Communication Therapists, Access & Agency Therapists, Autistic Mentors

Drama, Music, and Movement therapies help confidence and expressive communication; they empower authenticity rather than “normalization.”

Executive Function & Daily Living Barriers

Occupational Therapists, Teacher Aides, Autistic Mentors, Neuroaffirming Therapists

Drama and Art can be used as practice grounds for planning, sequencing, and self-direction, while OT supports practical structuring.

Sensory Processing Differences

Occupational Therapists, Auditory Processing Therapists, Movement Therapists, Equine/Hippo Therapists

Music, Art, and Drama can help reframe sensory input as a tool for joy and self-knowledge rather than a deficit.

Motor Coordination Challenges (Dyspraxia, etc.)

Physical Therapists, Movement Therapists, Equine/Hippo Therapists, Occupational Therapists

Dance/Drama/Art build self-confidence in movement; Equine therapy supports regulation and body awareness.

Identity & Self-Acceptance

Autistic Mentors, Narrative Therapists, Neuroaffirming Therapists, Art/Music/Drama Therapists

Expressive therapies uniquely support authenticity, agency, and self-narrative growth; they help people claim their story in creative ways.

Selective Mutism / Situational Communication Barriers

AAC Therapists, Speech/Language Therapists, Autistic Mentors, Drama/Music Therapists

Drama/Music bypass pressure to speak, allowing authentic communication to grow in supportive settings.

Depression / Burnout

Acceptance/Commitment Therapists, Trauma Therapists, Autistic Mentors, Art/Music/Drama Therapists

Creative therapies restore meaning, identity, and expression of self-worth; they offer confidence and renewal of agency.

Social Barriers (not skills, but access and belonging)

Access/Agency Therapists, Autistic Mentors, Drama Therapists, Teacher Aides

Drama in particular builds confidence, presence, and authentic interaction rather than rote “skills.”

Auditory Processing Disorder

Auditory Processing Therapists, Music Therapists, Speech/Language Therapists

Music therapy strengthens auditory discrimination in affirming ways; it fosters joy while supporting practical listening.

Learning Disabilities / Dyslexia / Dyscalculia

Teacher Aides, Narrative Therapists, Autistic Mentors, Occupational Therapists

Art/Drama externalize thinking; they empower problem-solving and identity beyond academic hurdles.

Emotional Regulation Challenges

Acceptance/Commitment Therapists, Movement Therapists, Equine/Hippo Therapists, Art/Music/Drama Therapists

Art, Drama, and Music are powerful here: they help transform emotion into expression, reclaiming agency and authenticity.

Special note on Expressive Therapies (Drama, Music, Art):

These don’t “fix” autism or force conformity. On the contrary. They nurture authenticity, creativity, confidence, autonomy, access, and agency — giving autistic people ways to express identity, reclaim space, and find growth that is self-directed.

They are often the most humanizing and expansive therapies, bridging personal expression with empowerment. Check that practitioners have earned their degree, and been supervised for two years after commencing... this is never the cheap, quick, or nasty option, more the safe, whole, and efficacious pro-autistic way.  Ask autistics who have experienced these true professionals.