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Abstract

Autism spectrum disorders are neurodevelopmental disorders, which are characterized by impairments of social interaction and communication. So-called high-functioning autism (HFA) is also characterized by these social difficulties, but in the absence of intellectual impairments. Individuals with HFA are not always diagnosed in childhood and adolescence, which might be due to compensatory strategies these individuals can develop, because of their intact intellectual capacities. In contrast to childhood and adolescence, very little is known about the effectiveness of psychotherapeutic treatment options for adults with HFA. Cognitive behavioral therapy suggests social competence training, but it is unclear whether this approach actually helps to change social interaction skills. In view of the promising findings on the effectiveness of schema therapy in various psychiatric disorders, we suggest that schema therapy-informed social interaction training (STISI) should be applied in patients with HFA. A fundamental idea is to reduce the complexity of social interactions by teaching patients with HFA to identify schema coping behavior in their non-autistic interaction partners and to learn ways of responding. It is hypothesized and first feedback from patients indicates that adults with HFA benefit from this strategy. It may help them to resolve interactional situations that could otherwise have negative consequences.