Values clarification — identifying what matters most to you at the deepest level — is a cornerstone of ACT therapy for asperger's syndrome and provides direction when asperger's syndrome removes other navigational tools.
Why Values Matter for Asperger's Syndrome
Asperger's Syndrome often disconnects us from our values through avoidance, withdrawal, and reduced capacity. Reconnecting with values provides:
- Direction when asperger's syndrome has eliminated other motivation
- Meaning that persists even through difficult asperger's syndrome periods
- A basis for action independent of how asperger's syndrome makes you feel
Clarifying Your Values with Asperger's Syndrome
Ask yourself: 'If my asperger's syndrome were less present, what would I be doing more of? What kind of person would I be?'
Values are not goals (achievable and done) but ongoing directions: being a present parent, creating beauty, contributing to others.
Values-Based Action in Asperger's Syndrome
ACT therapy teaches: act according to values even when asperger's syndrome is present. Small values-aligned actions, despite asperger's syndrome, are more sustainable than waiting for asperger's syndrome to lift first.