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.