An Evolutionarily Oriented Therapy for Autistic Adolescents with Extraordinary Skills: A Two-Case Series

Recent studies have suggested that one in ten persons diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder have extraordinary skills. This condition, often described as savant syndrome, may be associated with high psychosocial distress. The goal of this cases series is to present a novel form of therapy for adolescents diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder—level 1 reporting extraordinary skills. Two female late adolescents were treated with an integrative form of psychotherapy (evolutionary systems therapy) that was previously tested on young adults with severe detachment even in presence of extraordinary skills. The primary outcome was a change in psychosocial distress. The secondary outcomes were changes in metacognition and self-soothing. All patients showed reliable changes in primary and secondary outcomes at the end of the 6-month intervention. Changes were maintained at one-month of follow-up. Further research is needed to confirm the feasibility and clinical utility of the proposed treatment.