I go past labels and symptoms to the ingredients, the foundations, and what that means for the systems at work, the experiences of the person and their own natural motivations and distresses. This holistic way of working applies to people on the autism spectrum as much as it applies to those who are not. This can also be a great awakening for those struggling to understand themselves and may help professionals, families and partners feel they now really know and understand the person they are working with so much better.
I do several things as a consultant depending on what's called for.
Sometimes I simply troubleshoot, meaning you tell me the problem and I seek to work out which underlying causes are not at work and then help you decide which set of what's left is most likely. Then I tell you the available strategies for the range of particular underlying causes at work.
Other people want a full review of what's going on for a particular person regardless of the label they currently have. It is always my view that labels apply to a collection of combined issues so its like looking past the fruit bowl (the label) to getting a really clear understanding of the fruit salad (what's beyond that label) that's in that fruit bowl. I set out what this analysis of this 'fruit salad' what this means for refining/altering the current or planned approaches/treatments.
I can review the current situation for that person as well as previous and current approaches/treatments in view of a complete analysis of what's going on for the person in question on several combined levels:
Each of these levels will indicate different approaches and treatments which will differ from person to person. Without reviewing the particulars of where someone stands in these areas, approaches and 'treatments' will not be designed and refined specifically for that person so the results will be more hit and miss than they could be.
I have been approached by people interested in study skills, pre-employment and self employment skills, public speaking skills, writing and becoming published, starting their own clubs and groups, developing self-help programs for themselves or others, designing sensory or learning environments, designing alternative communication programs etc.
I have done counseling work with people with identity disorders and some personality disorders, counseled functionally non-verbal people who use typed communication, counseled parents on social isolation, identity and co-dependency issues, counseled people on grief and on relationships with and of people on the autism spectrum.