New association aims to expand autism therapy method

A new umbrella association will promote a therapy method for autistic people and support training for practitioners, ORF reports. The association was founded by Vorarlberg’s Institute for Social Services (ifs) and its partners.

The method, known as Multifunctional Development and Support Therapy (MFT) after Muchitsch, has been used at ifs for 13 years. It aims to understand the world from the perspective of autistic people and adapt support accordingly.

About 1% of people worldwide are affected by autism spectrum disorder, according to the report. In Vorarlberg, around 4,000 people are autistic, and ifs supports more than 80 people with different forms of the condition.

Clinical and health psychologist Elvira Muchitsch said education was key to helping autistic people live independently. This includes teaching language, reading and other skills that can help people manage a job and everyday life. The overall aim, she said, is to improve their quality of life.

Parents are closely involved in MFT and act as co-therapists in their children’s ongoing development. Muchitsch said it was important to understand autistic people’s logical and often rational way of thinking.

The method is also used in everyday settings, including at work. The head of ifs’s Integrative Work Structure department, Jürgen Feistenauer, said the institute had worked with some companies for years. He described the partnerships as beneficial to both employers and autistic employees.

The association aims to strengthen and develop the method and offer training courses. Its members include ifs, the Jupident Foundation, the MFT Centre in Vienna and three private individuals. It currently covers Vorarlberg and Tyrol, with the possibility of expanding to other regions.