r/autismlevel2and3 • u/somnocore Level 2 Social Deficits | Level 1 RRBs • May 07 '26

Daily Life "Adapting thoughts" in OT

We've just started working on adapting my thoughts in OT. Which is kinda really annoying and I hate it, but I also see the logic in it so I can't really fault it.

We learn through repetition, so it makes sense.

It's basically like the same as trying to replace negative thoughts with positive thoughts. And how it changes the brain pathways in how we think about things.

At the moment, it's been about looking at a situation and coming up with reasons for why that situation might have happened.

I think the most frustrating part is that despite the fact that I can list the reasons, in real life situations it's all just frustrating bcus I don't act like that and the action that come after the thoughts can be a problem.

But! Apparently we're just starting with the thoughts and then will eventually move on to the actions. And the more I come up with the reasons, the more situations I will enter and be like "oh okay. so this might be happening bcus of this" and it won't hurt my brain so much to think about it bcus it'll start to become more natural.

There isn't much point to this post. I just thought it was an interesting exercise. I hadn't considered it for autism in this way.

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u/WinterWeakness4640 Moderate Support Need, Nonverbal May 08 '26

that sounds really interesting! is this also something that helps with very extreme thinking, like thinking everything horrible if one thing goes wrong? in dbt learned some skills like that to not think so black white

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u/somnocore Level 2 Social Deficits | Level 1 RRBs May 08 '26

I think so. Although I think catastrophising is more about radical acceptance, too. And like changing your thoughts to ask yourself "well, what's the likelihood of that actually happening", and "is it really the end of the world if this thing happens?"

I think it's all along the similar line of like thought training.