I discovered my passion for serving autistic clients while working at a day treatment program in Portland, OR. Mixed in among clients with trauma, mood disorders, anger problems, and anxiety were these few who appeared to operate on a completely different wavelength. And I witnessed them come up against the same issues with their peers, family, and even clinical staff over and over again. Staff would process these incidents with them, and I would later hear my co-workers’ frustration that the client just “didn’t get it.” It dawned on me that maybe it wasn’t just the client who “didn’t get it.”

When I took the time to try to understand how my clients on the spectrum perceived the world around them and interpreted things that happened, they started to make more sense to me than any of the other kids I saw at that program. Their responses to certain situations became predictable. I found they preferred the type of blunt feedback and direct guidance most people would bristle at. 

Before long I became known for my ability to get to the root of the problem with clients on the autism spectrum (he refused to wash his hands because liquid soap felt gross) and guide them to workable solutions (bar soap, duh!). While I still enjoy helping people with a range of mental health issues, assisting autistic clients navigate a world designed for neurotypicals feels like my calling as a therapist.