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Preliminary Outcomes of SFBT Preliminary results of using SFBT to varying degrees with clients are very encouraging indeed. As we explore coping skills and identify strengths which are already being used by the individual, very often they begin to sit up straighter and give better eye contact. We spend time practising how to imagine a future without the problems, and we spend some time using visual cues to help the person identify how they are feeling. We also practice identifying what the person will do, or what others will do with the person when they move one point up on a scale of 0 – 10. This concrete way of defining what needs to happen in order for things to get better appears to make sense to many, though of course not all, people with Asperger’s Syndrome or HFA. Individuals have commented that they feel the therapist is really listening to them, and this encourages them to try hard to help the therapist understand what things are like in their world. One individual in particular noted that other therapists “only half listened” to what he was saying, and “filled in the other half with what he thought was going on”. This individual especially liked the extra time taken to explore his interests and how the skills necessary to pursue his interest could also be used to achieve some of his wishes for the future. SFBT has also encouraged people to think in terms of how they will know when they are finished with therapy. We work at identifying what the individual will see, hear or feel when they have accomplished enough in therapy. We also wonder what comments others will make that will tell us we have worked well together. These are unusual and difficult questions to answer but clients and carers usually rise to the challenge. We also have noticed that individuals do not need or want to see a therapist every week, as is often the practice with other therapies. When given the option to choose the length of time between appointments, we find that it is often between 2 and 6 weeks. This means, from a pragmatic point of view, that we can see more individuals less frequently and still see some positive outcomes. We hope to produce some case studies and more detailed evaluations of how SFBT helps people with Asperger’s Syndrome and HFA, as well as their carers, as we become more practised in using the therapy. Ideally, we would be able to secure funding for substantial research into the application of SFBT principles with this population. At a minimum, there appear to be aspects of SFBT which help clients to establish respectful relationships with therapists, and which help therapists to see their clients as wonderful collections of competencies, creativity and strength. This seems to make for a happy and helpful relationship all around. |
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