What Autistic Clients Tell Us: Using Research and Client Feedback to Strengthen Therapeutic Outcomes

Effective treatment relies on feedback-informed practices that enable clinicians to continually refine and enhance the quality of care (Knaup et al., 2018). Yet, autistic and other neurodivergent clients have historically been presumed incompetent and too often excluded from meaningful collaboration in shaping their treatment experiences (Cunningham Abbott, 2019). This session will review current literature documenting both the successes and persistent challenges autistic clients encounter in clinical settings (Andberg et al., 2017; McMorris et al., 2019). Through case studies incorporating individual and aggregate client feedback from a neurodivergent-affirming, trauma-informed residential program, participants will gain insight into clients’ lived experiences and treatment needs. The session will conclude by identifying evidence-based strategies and feedback-informed techniques that can strengthen therapeutic relationships and improve outcomes for autistic clients (Maddox et al., 2020).