Alexithymia, Inner Thinking Patterns, and Perceptions of Mental Health Therapy Strategies Among Autistic Adults.

The study was exploratory and correlational, so it cannot determine causality or directionality. Participants were recruited from SPARK, a research community, and may not represent the broader autistic population. The sample lacked racial and ethnic diversity and had a higher proportion of women than the general autism population. Data relied on retrospective self-report of therapy experiences, which may be affected by recall bias. The survey did not measure cognitive functioning, language abilities, or the timing and duration of therapy. Sample sizes varied across strategies because not all participants had received every type of therapy, reducing power for some analyses.

Do not assume that difficulty using a strategy predicts its effectiveness. The study found that while alexithymia and self-talk patterns predicted how easy cognitive strategies were to use, they did not predict whether those strategies were helpful. Patients may struggle with the mechanics of a therapy but still benefit from it.