Sean M. Inderbitzen

Historically, autism has been viewed as an immutable condition, and those who live with the diagnosis considered doomed to perpetually struggle to connect with others or develop flexibility. But with the advent of strengths–based approaches to autism, and the redefinition of the disorder as a spectrum of symptoms and manifestations, perspectives are changing. In this revolutionary self–care book, autist clinician Sean Inderbitzen presents exercises for the reader that focus on retraining the nervous system to more easily access a state of safety. These polyvagal–informed exercises draw on the intuitive wisdom of the autist body to increase the reader’s capacities for connection and flexibility, all while celebrating the inherent strengths of autists. Neurology, mindfulness, somatic resources, and other fields are tapped to create these powerful practices for a more joyful, easeful and connected autist experience.

By presenting the autism diagnosis through the lens of a disordered nervous system—that is, by applying Polyvagal Theory—this book opens new avenues for intervention and treatment, while challenging age-old assumptions of what autism means and how it presents itself. Here, Sean Inderbitzen—a therapist as well as someone living with autism—encourages clinicians to conceptualise their autistic clients’ difficulties with social interactions and cognitive flexibility through a polyvagal lens. Inderbitzen argues that individuals with autism can be thought of as having deficits in accessing their ventral vagal nervous system—the system which promotes flexibility and connection to others. The book explores strategies to address these challenges through familiar tools such as motivational interviewing, clinical social work pedagogy, sensorimotor psychotherapy, mindfulness, biofeedback, and cultivating a sense of safety. Autism in Polyvagal Terms is an essential new text for anyone who works with individuals on the autism spectrum.