Skip to main content

Autism and Problematic Sexual Behavior (PSB): Where Can Concerned Parents Turn for Help?

By Stephen C. Schultz


I recently attended a meeting with Oxbow Academy, and it proved to be highly productive. Much of the discussion centered on the treatment of students who struggle with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). While Oxbow Academy specializes in working with students facing Problematic Sexual Behavior (PSB), it has become apparent over the years that a subset of teens requires special attention and a refined therapeutic approach.


Oxbow Academy offers a variety of therapeutic interventions, but this post will primarily focus on the treatment of students with ASD. Nearly 50% of the students we work with have a diagnosis of ASD, Nonverbal Learning Disorder (NLD), Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), or co-occurring conditions. Many also navigate sensitive adoption-related issues, including Attachment issues.

In our work with teens diagnosed with ASD, we use a variety of evidence-based treatment methods and tailor our approach to each client’s needs. Our therapeutic efforts are experiential in nature and relationship-based. Some of the approaches we employ include:

  • Relationship-based therapies
  • Behavior Therapy
  • Role-Playing (Oxbow Flag Board)
  • Psychoeducation: (Identifying emotions, self-awareness, awareness of others, and self-management)
  • Visual schedules/charts (Oxbow Flag Board)
  • Visual representation of abstract concepts (Sand Tray, Equine Therapy)
  • Bibliotherapy (Therapeutic Disclosure)
  • Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), modified for each client’s needs
  • Relaxation training and meditation
  • Social Stories (Carol Gray, 1998) (Personal Mission Statement)
  • Emotional Toolbox (Tony Attwood, 2007)
  • Visual Support (Carol Gray, 1994) (Personal Vision Board)
  • Self-Regulation Interventions (Baumeister & Vohs, 2017) (Oxbow Residential Living)

The challenge of ASD, compounded by Problematic Sexual Behavior (PSB), requires a high level of expertise that is sensitive to the student’s therapeutic needs as well as the emotions of their families, who has often experienced confusion, misunderstanding, and even embarrassment over the years.

For more information on these developmental concerns, visit Oxbow Academy’s website: https://oxbowacademy.net/hypersexuality-in-teens/autism/


Additional Resources:

Michelle Garcia Winner

  • Area of Expertise: Social Thinking and pragmatic language development

  • Key Work:

    • Social Thinking® Framework
      Michelle Garcia Winner developed the Social Thinking methodology, which focuses on helping individuals improve their social competencies by teaching how thoughts, emotions, and behaviors are interconnected in social contexts. This is particularly helpful for individuals with social learning challenges, such as those with autism spectrum disorders or ADHD.

    • Website: www.socialthinking.com
      The website offers numerous resources, curriculum materials, and training modules designed for educators, therapists, and families.

  • Relevance:
    Her work could provide structured, concept-based strategies to help students understand and improve their use of pragmatic language and overall social understanding in a more nuanced, teachable way.

Carol Gray

  • Area of Expertise: Social Stories for children with autism

  • Key Work:

    • The New Social Story Book, Revised and Expanded 10th Anniversary Edition (2010)
      This book contains over 150 Social Stories™ that model appropriate social behavior and help children understand how to respond in various everyday social situations. Social Stories are short narratives written from the perspective of the child, using clear, positive language to teach expected behaviors.

    • Website: www.thegraycenter.org
      The Gray Center provides resources, training, and examples for using Social Stories and promoting social learning.

  • Relevance:
    Social Stories could be a highly effective tool to concretely and visually teach students about specific social scenarios they encounter, helping them navigate them more confidently and appropriately.

Both Michelle Garcia Winner’s and Carol Gray’s approaches are widely respected and complementary of one another—one offering a broader cognitive framework (Social Thinking) and the other a practical, story-based tool (Social Stories). Together, they provide a well-rounded foundation for supporting children and teens in their social-emotional development.


Labels:
Location: United States

Comments

Tammy said…
Thanks for the info. My son is 13 and my husband and I will be dealing with this soon.
July 22, 2012 at 5:30 AM
Stephen C. Schultz said…
Thank you for your comment Tammy. I do hope you find this information helpful.
July 22, 2012 at 7:29 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Rocky Landscape of Teen Sexuality

 By Stephen C. Schultz (Editor's note: This is a very sensitive subject and may be uncomfortable to read. The information in this post is essentially focused on schools and therapeutic programs that have a residential component.) The chairs were all in a half-circle. There must have been over fifty, all filled with students. Banners from various colleges and universities hung from the rafters. The dull roar of multiple conversations, all happening simultaneously, cut through the air and echoed off the walls. I stood in front of the crowd and waited. The conversations and dull roar slowly faded, like a train disappearing into the distance. All eyes were now on me. I asked one question: “Who can tell me what grooming is?” I have spent my career working with families and teens through some very difficult times. I am a partner in a specialty care facility called Oxbow Academy. Oxbow specializes in treating teenage boys from across the globe who are burdened with the socially sensi...
5 comments
Read more

Lessons I learned from a childhood experience with bullying

By Stephen C. Schultz The dew around the window was starting to bead up. In a classic case of chaos theory, the little beads of water gave way to gravity and randomly bounced and bumped their way to the window sill like a steal marble in a pinball game. There was a small pool of water in the cracked and peeling beige paint. I sat facing the window, staring at the small engraved stone nestled in the flower beds. There weren’t many flowers at this time of year. Mostly rhododendrons and Oregon grapes reaching skyward from the damp bark mulch that covered the planter area.   The month of January in Eugene Oregon was filled with days and days of mist and fog.   In fact, pretty much from October through June was filled with fog, rain, mist, showers, freezing rain and occasionally snow. The local weathermen didn’t bother with predictions about the chance of precipitation; they took pride in developing new adjectives to describe the type of precipitation and how much you can...
10 comments
Read more

The Young Boy and the Rattlesnake

By Stephen C. Schultz (Editors note: This is a story used in a Wilderness Treatment Program. Many come to this program having struggled with depression, anxiety and substance use.)   Many years ago there was a young Native American who lived in the very land you are residing in. He decided to seek wisdom by journeying to the top of Indian Peak. As he approached the base of the mountain he came across a rattlesnake that slithered beside him. The snake coiled as if to strike and the young boy moved back quickly in fear of being struck by the snake’s deadly venom. At that instant the snake spoke to the boy saying, “Don’t be afraid of me, I mean you no harm. I come to you to ask a favor. I see that you are about to traverse to the top of Indian Peak and was hoping that you may be willing to place me in your satchel so that I don’t have to make the long journey alone.” The young boy surprised by the snake’s request quickly responded by turning down the offer, stating, ...
5 comments
Read more