Do you have therapists with specialties in autism?

Hi, and thank you for reaching out for assistance. 

I'm sure BetterHelp has therapists who specialize in clients with Autism Spectrum Disorder; you can request this when you sign up for services.   

You mentioned you have anxiety and I am curious if you have ever been evaluated for ADHD?  Many individuals on the spectrum have ADHD, which can look like anxiety.  There are different techniques one can use for both anxiety and ADHD in terms of trying to get school work or other work done in their life. You also mentioned you are hard on yourself, so you struggle to complete your studies.  Oftentimes, we set the bar for ourselves way too high, so it is unattainable; then we feel as though we have failed and we beat ourselves up!  

It is important to remember that perfectionism is not attainable for anyone.  The important thing is that you do your best.  In terms of the anxiety, I would suggest downloading an App that is self-hypnosis for anxiety or relaxation and listening to the App daily.  This will also help to lower your stress.  Additionally, I would like to suggest you use a planner for your daily assignments and tasks.  If you block out smaller portions of time for each of your tasks, taking a break in between, you may be more successful in completing your studies.   We call this the Pomodoro method, i.e., work for a designated amount of time, then take a break and get completely away from what you are doing for 5 or 10 minutes.  Then come back to the task or assignment and work another designated amount of time before taking another short break.  

It is also important to have "self-care" time each day; at least half hour to one hour of time to do whatever you find is relaxing and fun for you.  Getting enough sleep, eating nutritious meals, and staying hydrated with lots of water will also help you get through the day better.  

There is another technique you can try for relaxation; it is called "guided imagery."  Basically, you choose a place where you feel totally relaxed, carefree, and safe.  It might be the ocean, the forest, your bedroom, etc.   Then, you just close your eyes and go to your "safe place".  Actually feel yourself being there, noticing colors, scents, textures, and your relaxing feelings as you stay in this safe place. One can typically reduce their anxiety with this method within as little as 60 seconds.   You may stay there as long as you like, but it will definitely bring your anxiety down for you.

Another way to handle your stress, is to allow yourself 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes in the afternoon to "worry about your stress."  Set a timer, so you don't go over the time allotted. Then, sit and worry for 10 minutes; let yourself be flooded with the stress. When 10 minutes is up, imagine you have a drawer in your forehead and you are going to put all of the worries in the drawer, close it, and lock it, and you will not access it until the next 10 minute worry session.

I hope these techniques are helpful for you and please reach out for counseling for additional help.