Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Group Treatment for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder Who Have Perpetrated a Sex Offense

Date of Award

Summer 8-22-2026

Document Type

Doctoral Research Paper

Degree Name

Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology

Organizational Unit

Graduate School of Professional Psychology

First Advisor

Laura Meyer

Second Advisor

Kyle Lucas

Third Advisor

Carrie Landin

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

All Rights Reserved
All Rights Reserved.

Keywords

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Sex offense, Group, Group curriculum, Autism, Group treatment, Disabilities, Sex offense treatment, Disability affirmative care

Abstract

There is a projected increase in prevalence of adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Western countries. These adults will likely need improved and targeted treatment options focused on symptoms and domains of impairment. Due to several factors that increase vulnerability, these individuals will likely be overrepresented within legal systems, including sex offense specific treatment programs. Mainstream treatment programs for sex offenses are limited for adults with disabilities, as traditional treatment programs mainly focus on cognitive behavioral therapy and have minimal knowledge on treatment outcomes, treatment benefits, and sexual recidivism rates for individuals with ASD. This paper developed an 8-week group curriculum based in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to meet the clinical and cognitive needs of adults with ASD and broaden treatment options for autistic individuals involved in sex offense-specific treatment. The curriculum utilized the core processes within ACT (cognitive defusion, acceptance, values, committed action, self-as-context, and present moment awareness) and current research on effective interventions for individuals with ASD to address core challenges they may experience. Skills discussed and utilized aim to develop psychological flexibility and emotional responsivity. The paper encourages both researchers and providers to consider utilizing this group curriculum to determine its effectiveness and expand current treatment programs, while being mindful of other factors such as empathy deficits within the ASD population, the use of systemic therapy, the types of risk assessments utilized, and cultural considerations.

Copyright Date

7-28-2026

Publication Statement

Copyright is held by the author. Permanently suppressed.

Rights Holder

Aislin Guajardo

Provenance

Received from Author

File Format

application/pdf

Language

English (eng)

Extent

50 pgs

File Size

615 KB

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