Transforming the Well-Being of Persons with Autism

The prospects for attaining well-being do not appear to be improving for most persons with Autism. We believe it is essential to understand the obstacles preventing persons from experiencing life satisfaction and optimism for the future. The current paper seeks to address this question and provide an alternate model that we believe can significantly increase the potential for autistic persons to achieve greater well-being. We first review recent findings concerning the well-being of autistic adults. Next, we present evidence supporting our belief that a significant factor suppressing autistic well-being is the failure to develop Dynamic Intelligence, the mental resources needed to function successfully in situations resembling Complex Dynamic Systems. This section includes a brief qualitative study of four young men with Autism who participated as children in Relationship Development Intervention (RDI). RDI is a family-based program where through careful assessment, support and training, RDI consultants provide parents with Autism a new opportunity to form and manage an Experience Guiding Relationship (EGR) with their autistic children. The Experience Guiding Relationship is the universal pathway for developing the mental resources needed to thrive in Complex, Dynamic environments. We provide strong evidence supporting our belief that due to a diverse range of early vulnerabilities, future Autistic infants and their parents cannot form this critical relationship. The final section offers recommendations for adapting intervention goals and methods for persons with Autism.