Treating Trauma and PTSD in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): Unique Challenges Call for an Active Role in Psychotherapeutic Interventions— Case Report

Abstract

ABSTRACT Contemporary research shows that patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) suffer more traumatic experiences and more post-traumatic symptoms than neurotypical patients. Autistic children are more vulnerable to trauma due to their increased sensitivity to the environment and are more at risk of suffering mistreatment from caretakers and strangers. The unique symptoms of ASD of repetitiveness, memory biases, and increased emotion regulation difficulties may increase the risk of traumatic events, creating traumatic symptoms and making the psychotherapeutic intervention more challenging. The term “autistic traumatic memory object” is offered to describe the unique sensational, emotional, repetitive qualities of rumination. A case report will demonstrate the difficulties in a therapeutic change in a child with ASD. It will demonstrate adjustments and active role participant techniques during play therapy. These interventions relate and expand ideas from the active role of the therapist working with traumatized children with autism. Neither empathy nor interpretation appeared to affect the child’s repetitive, emotionally dissociative reenactments of trauma. Active resistance and empathic refusal to collaborate with the aggressor on the part of the therapist during play helped reconstruct and process the traumatic memory and achieve therapeutic change.