Mindfulness for Autism

Objectives: An important complement to molecular treatments, psychological interventions for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are efficient and sustainable. The Western-influenced mindfulness concept is one such particularly powerful psychological construct with widespread benefits spanning health, education, and business spheres. By alleviating the difficulties inherent to certain rigid patterns of cognition and behavior, cognitively fluidifying mindfulness-based interventions anchored in training one’s attention to variability have emerged as promising for improving the well-being of individuals with ASD. The purpose of this paper is to review the evidence supporting these benefits and point to their potential underlying mechanisms. Methods: In this conceptual paper, we first review the broad evidence of the benefits of a range of Western-influenced mindfulness interventions for individuals with ASD, after which we deconstruct their underlying intra-individual processes and effects, and, finally, frame these psychological mechanisms in light of current core cognitive theories of ASD. Results: This paper highlights the established importance and continued promise of Western-influenced mindfulness training in understanding and improving the psychological health and overall well-being of individuals with ASD. As such, we hope to lay the foundation for avenues of future research on mindfulness-inspired interventions aimed at non-invasively improving the lives of individuals and families affected by ASD. Conclusions: This work provides a brief overview bridging Western-influenced mindfulness and cognitive theories of ASD. In so doing, it sheds light on this ripe intersection highly amenable to therapeutic intervention.