Making EMDR therapy work with the many presenting colours of the spectrum

Autism is an often-invisible disability (with an estimated prevalence rate in New Zealand of at least 1-2% of the population), and autistic people’s experiences often make them probable candidates for EMDR. At least 60% of autistic children are bullied throughout their schooling (2-3 times per week), with over 40% to the point they develop PTSD-like symptoms. An autistic female is seven times more likely to be sexually assaulted than a neurotypical female. Twenty to thirty percent of people diagnosed with anorexia nervosa are also autistic. Nearly 78% of autistic children develop at least one mental health condition due to experiencing chronic stressors (little t’s) in their environment. And significant numbers of youth referred to clinics for gender identity reasons are autistic. Misdiagnosis often occurs, due to a widespread unfamiliarity with its symptoms. Autistic females are often misdiagnosed with many other mental health disorders such as panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, generalised anxiety disorder, borderline personality disorder, bipolar, or schizophrenia. Misdiagnosis then leads to incorrect or ineffective treatment for an autistic individual, and in some cases causes further deterioration of that individuals mental health. Clinicians who provide EMDR therapy are highly likely to end up treating a traumatised autistic client, and that client could well be undiagnosed and camouflaging their autistic traits. It is essential to be aware of this, both generally and particularly in the context of ACC sensitive claims work. In this presentation, Celia aims to increase awareness of how undiagnosed autism can present, and she will explain, in the context of a standard EMDR protocol and its phases, how additional strategies can be used to meet the needs of autistic clients (and suspected undiagnosed autistic clients). Celia will discuss basic screening recommended for history taking (phase one) and strategies to assist with a successful treatment plan. These additional strategies may also help with rapport, stabilisation, stuck processing, or keeping within a window of tolerance that, for autistic clients, is often narrower than for neurotypical clients. Celia will explain the traumatic experiences that autistic clients often suffer from and how to improve the likelihood of a successful outcome through EMDR.

Conference

English

Celia Falchi

Falchi, C., (2022, November). Making EMDR therapy work with the many presenting colours of the spectrum. Presentation at the Annual EMDRNZ Conference, Wellington, New Zealand