AuCT- Autistic-Centered Therapy

A friend of mine, Amanda Bessinger, recently posted this, and I’m resharing:

What’s the deal with AuCT: Autistic-Centered Therapy?

Matt Lowry, LPP defines AuCT in an online piece titled “What is Autistic-Centered Therapy?”, first posted in 2022. In it, Matt says: “AuCT is basically equal parts trauma work, advocacy work, autistic interpersonal therapy, and automotive maintenance.”  In addition to the critical components of trauma work, advocacy work, and Autistic interpersonal therapy, Matt continues to explain “automotive maintenance” as a metaphor for interoceptive awareness and attunement, or a process of creating a schedule or “manual” on how to observe, maintain, and support our internal experiences in our Autistic bodies and minds.  In his description of AuCT, Matt outlines what this approach looks like in practice and exactly why it’s so vital for Autistic people.

While similar to, and in many ways informed by, other Neurodiversity-affirming practices, Autistic-Centered Therapy is unique to Autistic experiences.  AuCT creates a space for Autistics in the therapy world to define, explore, and celebrate the varied and beautiful ways we experience Autistic identity and culture and is defined by that collaborative practice.

AuCT practitioners believe healing happens in relationship and community. As with many other marginalized people, Autistics have had much of our identity, culture, and community taken from us to be rebranded, and commodified by our oppressors.  AuCT provides a way for Autistics to reclaim our bodies and minds together in a shared space where we can see ourselves reflected in each other. AuCT empowers Autistic ways of being in community with other Autistics by design. 

Who created AuCT?  Who owns AuCT?  

Autistic-Centered Therapy belongs to the Autistic community.  It is an explicitly non-gate-kept, evolving, dynamic practice. No one person owns Autistic-Centered Therapy.  Many Autistic therapists have collaborated, commiserated, and consulted together to cultivate and promote Autistic-Centered Therapy. 

Autistic-Centered Therapy became more established in the 2010s by Autistic therapists seeking equitable representation for Autistics in therapy spaces— both the physical ones and those that we might call the broader therapist communities.  

Many people still do not believe Autistic therapists exist. 

AuCT providers are here to say: we exist, we matter, and we are needed— and so are you. Nothing about us without us. 

Who can use AuCT?

While Autistic-Centered Therapy is deliberately not gate-kept (unlike the custom of our pathologizing Allistic overlords), it remains primarily practiced by Autistic providers…and there’s nothing wrong with that! Autistics have long been overlooked, spoken over, and denied agency and expertise on our own lived experiences. Allistic providers who capitalize on AuCT and deny opportunities for Autistic providers— who claim to train other providers in Autistic-Centered Therapy (AuCT), create and/or sell materials for Autistic-Centered Therapy (AuCT), or otherwise profit from or hold claim to Autistic-Centered Therapy (AuCT)— miss the fundamental spirit of the aptly-titled Autistic-Centered Therapy.  

The first question to ask any Allistic provider who claims to practice AuCT is how they maintain the Autistic-Centered nature of this approach. Do they regularly not only refer, but also defer, to Autistic colleagues?  Do they lift up the words of their Autistic colleagues, or do they speak over them?  Do they pass along training opportunities to Autistic providers?  How are they promoting accessibility for Autistics and advocating for the community?  Does their advocacy exist primarily to promote their own brand or legitimize their claims to understand Autistic experiences, or do they also advocate for Autistics quietly, privately… even at the expense of their own potential for commercial success?

What about therapists who aren’t Autistic?

Allistic (or non-Autistic) therapists still experience Allistic privilege.  

Yes, even if they are also Neurodivergent themselves.  Even if they care deeply about Autistic people or an Autistic loved one.  Even if they read all the books, attend all the trainings, and support all the advocates.  Sure, even if they collect Pokémon. 

Even— and maybe especially— if they think they are doing everything “right” for their Autistic clients and our community.  This is part of why AuCT is so necessary.

AuCT, by its very existence, demands neurohumility from our clinical peers.  Neurohumility, as credited to Rachel Kraus, LCSW-C, is like any other cultural humility practice but geared toward the rich diversity of our neurological wiring.  Neurohumility is a self-reflective process wherein a person maintains a genuine humbleness toward the lived experience of other body-minds.  Neurohumility is characterized not by achieving a standard of perceived competence, but rather a continual commitment, openness, and curiosity toward understanding the experiences of others. 

AuCT sets out to make neurohumility an expectation and standard within the profession.  Neurohumility is a fundamental component to the trajectory of wellbeing of the Autistic community, as it supports Allistics to listen to and learn from Actual Autistics.  Neurohumility supports our collective liberation by helping Allistics to challenge their biases, unlearn ableist assumptions, and avoid misinformation— while simultaneously reducing harm to Autistic clients and colleagues.

Allistic therapists can be allies to Autistic people by practicing neurohumility, seeking out Autistics for training and consultation, and signal boosting Autistic content and its creators.  Autistic therapists offer a unique and important benefit to Allistic professionals by educating via our lived experience— and often do so with tremendous openness, transparency, generosity, earnestness, and integrity.  Autistic therapists can also provide an incomparable reparative relationship to our Autistic clients who, like us, will always still have an intimate, personal understanding of what it means to be Autistic within the neuronormative world.

“Overlords?” Pokémon?  Really?  That’s a bit much. 

No. It is not a bit much.

Autistics are not a bit much.

Autistics are valid.Autistic experiences are valid.Autistic children are valid.Autistic adults are valid.Autistic families are valid.Autistic relationships are valid.Autistic social skills are valid.Autistic play is valid.Autistic love is valid.Autistic genders are valid.Autistic sexuality is valid.Autistic interests are valid.Autistic communication is valid.Autistic pain is valid.Autistic joy is valid.

Autistic therapy is valid.Autistic clients are valid.Autistic therapists are valid.

Autistic-Centered Therapy firmly pushes back against the norms of our oppression and continually challenges what we think we know about therapy— its methods, its goals, its purpose, its people.  This approach is inherently anti-oppressive and neuroqueer (as defined by foreparents of the Neurodiversity movement, Nick Walker, Athena Lynn Michaels-Dillon, and Remi Yergeau).

Autistic-Centered therapy celebrates and— yes— quite literally centers Autistic experience.  While Allistics can and will benefit from the effects of AuCT, by definition, it cannot be by or for Allistics, because it is in no way of them.

Autistic-Centered Therapy is Autistic-Centered.

We’re pretty straightforward like that.

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This content may be shared in its entirety with author attribution under the condition that it is made explicit that the ideas contained herein are not singularly created or owned by Amanda Besinger and that this content is a living document that may be updated with community feedback.This content was first generated on March 10, 2023 by Amanda Besinger via collaboration with Erin Findley, Rachel Kraus, Matt Lowry, Kade Sharp, and with love and gratitude to our fellow Autistic therapists.