New substance use treatment program designed for people with autism

Research suggests that people with autism spectrum disorders have an increased danger of substance use For people with ASD and additional diagnoses like attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder or intellectual disabilities the exposure increases Despite the research insufficient addiction-treatment providers understand how to meet the unique necessities of people with ASD declared Jessie Morriss who manages a new substance use disorder undertaking at Fraser a longtime Minnesota-based provider of ASD services There is a general lack of awareness and training for substance-use professionals about autism and addiction Morriss explained But she announced that Fraser s long focus on serving neurodiverse people means that staff at the nonprofit understand proven adaptations and approaches Related A slippery slope Long-established sober homes face changing attitudes about addiction medication That understanding inspired the launch in of Fraser s substance use disorder services a comprehensive addiction-treatment venture that serves people and older who have an SUD as well as autism or other neurodevelopmental requirements We built in the substance use piece to our offerings because we perpetually knew this was part of the struggle with people we are serving stated Aric Jensen Fraser s vice president for behavioral wellbeing We yearned to be able to serve our society in that way In recent days I spoke with Jensen and Morriss about autism addiction and what makes Fraser s SUD programs unique This interview has been edited for length and clarity MinnPost There are so multiple addiction rehabilitation programs in Minnesota Why did it feel central to start this one Were you seeing people with autism who were struggling in other types of programs Jessie Morriss All addiction medication programs in Minnesota take people with autism But the difficulty is that greater part of those programs don t know how to apply appropriate approaches to addiction healing for people with autism Jessie Morriss In our SUD undertaking we base the group s guidelines on what each client demands rather than having a standardized set of rules that group members are required to follow Chosen of the traditional addiction-treatment programs have it set up where sessions are offered either in-person or virtual but you can t take a hybrid approach We have it set up where clients can choose individual or virtual sessions based on their preference at that time We have clients who in the past may have had difficulties getting along with their peers or interacting with others or being in a group setting because of their autism And we get clients who struggle with anxiety leaving the house Being in groups can be triggering for them We have clients who find that using residents transportation isn t confident As long as they have access to the internet they can go to our groups in the comfort of their own home MP Can you go into more detail about specific approaches for people with ASD Aric Jensen Chosen of the solutions we endorsement participants include preparing them for participating in the group and implementing strategies like visuals that might help them engage better in the curriculum We are also able to take more time with folks to make sure they are getting what they need out of the groups we have We serve specific adults who might be under guardianship or have other limitations they might be experiencing to getting to groups on a day-to-day basis We are able to sponsorship them in addressing those blockades to make sure they can access addiction care We work with families or guardians in supporting clients in their goals and in getting the care they need JM Particular of our clients use fidgets If you are attending a group virtually you are only seeing part of a person so they would be able to use their fidgets without drawing attention to themselves This feels major to certain participants AJ What it comes down to is we are serious about creating a practices that normalizes people showing up in whatever way feels relaxed for them to be able to fully participate MP You don t require participants to be sober while taking part in your programs Why is that JM We talk about goal setting at the beginning of our programs For specific of our clients abstinence is the goal They may also have other goals like establishing boundaries and finding sober sponsorship Related What s behind rising autism rates A broader definition of autism and better screening AJ We have a harm-reduction approach We don t require abstinence We aim to meet people where they are Their medication goals might be abstinence and sobriety or they might be focused on healthy and safe use if they choose to not totally abstain from substances We ve exposed this approach works well for people on the autism spectrum and that several are literally able to reduce or stop their substance use in this manner MP Why do you think a harm-reduction approach is particularly helpful for people on the autism spectrum Aric Jensen Credit Chris Bohnhoff JM There s a lot more honesty more of being able to focus on all the parts of a person s life like expanding social relationships or boundary issues or family concerns and not just on their substance use AJ People appreciate the fact that we ve been able to modify the approaches based on their individual demands They tell us our approach and programs are more beneficial for people who are neurodiverse JM I ve been a licensed alcohol and drug counselor for years I ve also been a licensed therapist for two years I m years in recovery I ve worked in various settings from outpatient inpatient to locked facilities jails hospitals just about every type of setting When you are working with people with mental soundness issues including autism or anxiety it is laborious to connect with them especially when you try to get them to comply with what feels like limiting social norms Over the years the highest rate of unsuccessful discharges I saw were with people on the autism spectrum I d take on people who staff deemed complicated to work with They d join my groups I was able to focus on individual interventions instead of trying to fit them into a box We don t try to fit people into a box here The post New substance use therapy undertaking designed for people with autism appeared first on MinnPost