Autism Coaching
Life Coaching For Autism
AUTISM SUPPORT CREATED BY AUTISTS
Figure out what your goals are and work toward them.
Help complete tasks: Executive dysfunction can make it hard to complete tasks. a coach can help break down tasks into smaller steps and put them in the right order.
Understand yourself and autism: Understand yourself and how autism affects you. Identify your own needs and how to advocate for them.
How Coaching Works
You meet with a coach weekly for an hour. This can be done remotely via zoom or in person at the OurTism offices.
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You set the goals you want to work on. You could decide your goal is to figure out what your goals are.
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During the session the coach breaks down the goal into bite size pieces that you can achieve each week.
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During the rest of the week you can decide to work on things on your own- a coach may send you reading material or something to do or something to write depending on what your goal is.
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You meet with the coach the following week to discuss your progress and your next step and if you want to continue with your same goal
Goals Our Clients Have Worked On:
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Applying for college
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Planning a birthday party
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Creating a resume
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Creating a study guide
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Creating a morning routine
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Learning to use a calendar
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Changing habits
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Creating a wind down routine
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Setting up services
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Dealing with anxiety
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How to talk to a boyfriend to set boundaries
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Moving out independently
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Questions to ask a new therapist
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How to deal with a meltdown
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How to email a teacher
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Hanging paintings
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Learning a new skill
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Better communicating with the parents
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Dealing with a transition
Areas of Life Autism Coaching Applies To:
CAREER
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Job applications
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Job management
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Independent living
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Doing laundry
SOCIAL​
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Making and maintaining friends
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Setting healthy boundaries
ACADEMIC
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Navigating high school
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Applying for college
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Study skills
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Communicating to professors
MEETING NEEDS
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Sensory stimuli
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Nonverbal communication
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Emotional regulation
COMMUNICATION
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​Writing email
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Social media
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Talking to parents
PARENTS
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We also work with parents. We can work together with Autism Coaching/Parent Coaching.
Types of Coaching You Can Ask For:
PRACTICAL
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Hands-on problem solving and doing hands-on tasks, such as:
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Learning how to do laundry,
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Navigating building a study guide
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Planning an event.
INNER WORK​
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Learning about yourself and how autism affects you.
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Focusing on emotional regulation.
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Figuring out your values.
SPOON BUILDING​
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​Seeking validation from a coach and having someone you can info dump to.
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Doing something that brings you energy and joy.
SOCIAL
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Navigating relationships and learning to communicate.
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Planning out what to say.
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Problem solving social issues.
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Using the coach as a mediator during hard conversations.
Who Is Coaching For?
Coaching is for anyone who can sit for an hour independently from a parent or guardian and do the work themselves.
Coaching Values
Individualized coaching for each client
There is no set agenda any client has to follow. The client leads and the coaches follow.
Trust
We can’t get anywhere without trust. Autism Coaching normally involves getting into vulnerable topics. There has to trust and a sense of safety, lack of judgment, who hearted acceptance in order to move forward. Trust if our coaches number once goal to work toward with our client.
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Listening
We listen to what the client wants. Our coaches meet you where you are at and listen to your wants and needs. Our coaches never want a client o feel they can’t say what they need to say or feel they aren’t heard.
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Working at the client's pace
It is not about getting everything done as fast as we can. We follow the pace of the client. We move as fast or as slow as the client wants to. We never want to overwhelm by adding a ton of work to a client’s life. We are here to try and lessen the burden if we can.
FAQ- Frequently Asked Questions
Is an autism diagnosis needed: No diagnosis is needed. Self diagnosis is perfectly valid. If you think autism coaching is right for you and you aren’t autistic, we won’t turn you away.
Is there an age requirement: age 16+ autism coaching is for adults or those preparing for adulthood. No one is too old for coaching. Coaching is for those who are ready. We meet you where you are at.
I need help filling out the paperwork: We support you through the process of applying for our services. If you need any accommodations, just let us know and we will try our best to help you.
We work alongside therapists. Sometimes doing this work can get emotional. If you need to bring things we talked about in coaching to a therapist, that can help you navigate big emotions. We also can keep communication open between coach and therapist so that we are on the same page and not giving competing advice.
What Autism Coaching Clients Have Said:
“Let me thank you and your organization for connecting me to my Coach. She has absolutely helped me to achieve my goals and I am forever grateful!”
“I feel like this is the beginning of me being happier and I wanted to thank you for your insight and advice that helped me get to this point. So, thank you!”
“While going through one of the hardest times in my life, Chloe and the OurTism Team was there for me and helped me navigate through it. I couldn’t have done it without their support."
“Hey Lillian, Just wanted to thank you for your kind words to me last night. I was in a rather low place last night, and hearing your encouragement still gives me fresh energy even this afternoon. Know that your work is always appreciated, and you DO make a positive impact on people.”
Coaching Lesson- Let's Take A Closer Look
Jeff came into session saying that he was not getting enough things done in a day that he wanted to. He had a list of things and not enough was getting checked out. So we talked through what his day looked like. He said he woke up and made his bed.
Together with his coach, we figured out that making the bed was not a motivator to get Jeff to start his day and we built a better routine to get his day rolling.
Starting with yoga regulated Jeff and was a much more enjoyable task to begin his day. This small change had him moving and got him further along in his to do list. We went through his day and created a routine that worked much better for him.
We also decided on what things were optional and didn't have to happen everyday if he wasn't up for it.
Another client was struggling with putting together what her workload was.
She had to click around on her online portal to so many different places to locate her homework. She was supposed to receive clear written instructions as an accommodation, but her college hadn’t yet implemented these accommodations yet.
Together with her coach they located all her assignments she received each week and created a one page layout of what her week looked like. She now has the skills to do the same thing for future semesters.
