Autism Coaching and Therapy

At Possibilities, our Autism Coaching provides an option for therapy combined with coaching. All of our coaches are therapists with licensure in different fields like psychotherapy, psychology, OT, certified teachers etc. So if there are mental health concerns like anxiety or depression, or challenges with confidence, esteem, or motivation, therapeutic approaches like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy can be incorporated into the coaching work that targets executive functioning skills like getting tasks done. That’s why we highlight that Coaching and Therapy are available together.

Yes. Our Autism Coaching and Therapy service is available to children, teens, and adults covering a broad range of topics from school and work success, to emotional regulation and relationships. For younger children, coaching with the parents may be more effective. If you are concerned about your younger child, the Coach will discuss with you the format for coaching that might work best. It could be Parent Coaching, or some combined sessions where you and your child work together with the Coach to help achieve specific goals. For adult coaching topics, you’ll discuss with your Coach the extent to which you’ll need support from trusted allies outside the coaching sessions.

In Autism Coaching and Therapy, you or your child will work with a Coach collaboratively to identify strengths and meaningful goals. You’ll work towards those goals with the Coach collaboratively, too, to support their completion. Thoughts that may be creating internal barriers—and the feelings that go with them—will also be explored if they are thwarting progress. Generally, here’s what you or your child will do during a block of Autism Coaching and Therapy sessions:

• discuss personal strengths and values
• identify 3 to 4 meaningful goals 
• learn how to craft small, weekly goals or objectives that are manageable rather than too big or unrealistic
• identify steps to be taken over a specific period of time—usually a week or two—to accomplish specific goals
• anticipate barriers that could thwart efforts in between coaching sessions
• examine thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that compromise mental health and daily functioning
• develop critical problem-solving skills to address and overcome obstacles when they arise
• explore organizational tools to help stay on track with goals
• develop strategies to support mental health, esteem, and confidence 
• Identify effective strategies that can be applied to all areas of life

Goals that are covered in coaching will be those that are most meaningful to you or your child. Themes will vary across clients but here are some areas that may be relevant for you that require sensitive, compassionate, and collaborative support:

• unmasking and sharing strengths and traits with others
• supporting participation in family, peer, and dating relationships 
• maintaining collegial and professional interactions at work
• recognizing, expressing, and regulating emotions effectively
• understanding verbal and nonverbal communication
• making, supporting, and repairing friendships
• dealing with bullying at school or non-affirming interactions at work
• supporting focus and attention on non-preferred tasks requiring completion
• creating systems to support organization through daily tasks 
• enhancing confidence and self-esteem
• creating sensory smart environments  
• challenging unhelpful thoughts to reduce worry
• supporting academic achievement and work goals
• planning for transitions within a day, or across situations and life circumstances

Our coaches are licensed professionals offering therapy in a variety of modalities. For example, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), and Motivational Interviewing (MI), are offered by various members of our Autism Coaching and Therapy Team. We will work hard to match you with a Coach whose therapy approach will best suit your needs.

Our coaches recognize that parents can be great partners in Autism Coaching and Therapy for children and teens. When you know what goals are being targeted—and what steps and strategies your teen has discussed with the coach—you can better understand how to support your child between coaching sessions. Older teens may wish to assume more responsibility for task completion and mental health—relying more on their coach than their parents—which can be an important step in building independence. Our coaches will work with you and your family to determine what strategies, plans, and level and nature of parent involvement in coaching sessions, and in sessions with a more therapeutic focus, will work best for helping your child reach goals with greater independence and confidence.

At Possibilities, we recommend booking an initial block of 16 to 20 sessions, with a session happening once per week or once every two weeks. Usually it’s best to start at a once-a-week pace to support consistent reflection and practice right from the start. There is no requirement for upfront payment, and you can discontinue or cancel sessions at any point with sufficient notice to the team. Booking 16 to 20 sessions in advance ensures that consistent days and times with the same coach or therapist are reserved for you. Sessions can be adjusted and staggered as needed to best suit your schedule, and your coach or therapist will be available to support you with any scheduling questions or changes. Each session within the block builds upon the last, starting with a progress check from the previous week. Successes and challenges are reviewed, and new strategies are devised through collaborative discussion for future improvements. Structured sessions and blocks of reserved time will allow you to set clear goals and achieve them.

Yes! Certainly you can continue with additional sessions after your initial block of 16 to 20 appointments. The next steps in your treatment plan can be discussed with your coach or therapist towards the end of your first booking block.

Sessions typically happen once a week, every one to two weeks. More than two weeks between sessions will make it difficult to determine which weekly goals were met, and which ones need to be revised. Attending an appointment once a week, or once every two weeks, will help you to monitor change at a steady pace, and make adjustments relatively quickly so new habits can form with consistent reflection and practice.

In Autism Coaching and Therapy, we work collaboratively with clients and parents to increase their chances of reaching meaningful goals successfully while supporting mental health. We work hard to tailor goals, and the strategies needed to get there, while keeping in mind personal strengths that can be leveraged, and anticipating challenges likely to emerge along the way. If well-crafted steps are followed, work gets done, goals are met, and confidence improves then that’s success. And when your child learns through coaching how to approach new goals systematically, then that’s success, too! Many clients we see require ongoing support at work, or during the school year when deadlines are fast and furious, transitions are taking place, and social situations are becoming more complex. This decision marks success, too. It takes great insight to know when you or your child will feel swamped or discouraged and what is needed to thrive.

The cost of a 50-minute coaching session ranges from $200 to $280, depending on the clinician providing the service.

Autism Coaching and Therapy sessions are not delivered by medical doctors, so they are not covered by OHIP.  Our Coaches are allied health professionals like Psychotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Social Workers, and Teachers, all licensed in their professional fields. Please check with your insurance provider, or with provincial Autism funding agencies where applicable, to determine your eligibility for coverage.