Speech therapists are highly skilled people who can help an individual develop their speech and language. They go way beyond the physical skill of producing words and can be really helpful especially with slow talking youngsters.

Occupational therapists are also highly skilled and resourceful people who find ways to support people in dong things physically which they find impossible. They have a wonderful range of equipment (aids) and in my experience are interesting ‘can do’ people.

Play therapists seek to support people (usual children) in exploring and developing their hidden feelings and understandings by playing. Helpful in developing understanding and working though feelings, but could be blocked by repetitive patterns and in my opinion there is danger of over interpreting, so it would be best if the person was experienced with Asperger’s.

Counselling is a talking therapy which does not have a good track record with Asperger’s as it expects the client to make developments through releasing emotion and recognising patterns in their life. People with Asperger’s do not find this easy, and without specific experience of Asperger’s a counsellor can spend a lot of time going nowhere. Counselling may be more useful for stressed parent who are finding it difficult to accommodate their child with Asperger’s.

Psychotherapy is similar to counselling, but the level of knowledge and training is higher.

Hypnotism has its uses, particularly breaking of specific habits and addictions, but there is very little news of its applicability to Asperger’s in my experience. Some people with Asperger’s are suggestible, others are very strongly not – if may be that hypnotism has an application for the more suggestible people.

Shiatsu is an ancient Eastern technique using the same principles as acupuncture. In my experience it can have beneficial effects on people with Asperger’s in terms of helping them to become more grounded and relaxed and hence more aware of themselves and open to change.