"The Psycho-Ecological Approach": What Does "Psycho-Ecological" Mean?

Dr. Shah describes her model as "psycho-ecological." Because this term is uncommon, I thought it would be worth discussing its meaning. Of course, the term "psycho-ecological" derives from two other terms: "psychological" and "ecological." 

The Shah model is a psycho-ecological approach. This is not a term I had encountered before, and I wanted to meditate a bit on this word. I found it comforting, but I wasn't exactly sure why. As part of my meditation, I turned to looking up these words in order to think more deeply about their meanings and connotations. There were a few details in those definitions that I want to mention here, as I found them helpful. What I've written here is not at all technical or scholarly; it is personal.

I found it useful to distinguish between the word ecological and its close synonym, environmental. In some branches of study, the word ecological is a subcategory of environmental. 

The word ecological is fundamentally about relationships and interactions between an organism (or a person) and an environment. How do we adapt? (Or, conversely, in what ways is our behavior maladaptive?) How do we interact? What helps us? What stresses or distresses us? 

I looked up the word ecology in one of my favorite dictionaries, the Collins dictionary. This dictionary focuses much more on how words are used (not just on their meanings). It's a great resource if you want to know about the connotations of a word. The definitions are also all given in the form of sentences, and they tend to use simple language. Here's what the Collins dictionary says about ecology:

1. "Ecology is the study of the relationships between plants, animals, people, and their environment, and the balances between these relationships." 

2. "When you talk about the ecology of a place, you are referring to the pattern and balance of relationships between plants, animals, people, and the environment in that place."  

I like these definitions for a few reasons, and I find them helpful in developing my own understanding of what psycho-ecological means to me, which is fundamentally a personal exercise.

First of all, I like the way that both of these definitions emphasize all forms of life, not just human life. Having healthy ecological awareness means stepping back a bit from an anthropocentric view of the world, and remembering the value of our relationships with nonhuman animals and even plants. It may mean decentering our obsession with human institutions, or with our view of society as purely and solely human. It means honoring and centering our relationships with the animals that live with us, with specific cherished outdoor places, with the plants and insects that we might be taking care of or taking a special interest in. For many autistic people (myself included), our nonhuman relationships are among our most important and healing relationships. I like that the term ecology gives us permission to elevate those relationships and that it makes room for them in our process of healing. 

Second, I love the emphasis on balance that appears in both of these definitions. Often, for me, thriving as an autistic person requires me to have my own sense of balance or equilibrium. At the same time, what balance looks like for me is very different from what it might look like for a neurotypical person--or even what it might mean for another autistic person. 

What does it mean for an autistic person to have a more balanced life? Balance may mean having enough time to participate in a special interest. Balance may mean having time, energy, and resources to visit a special beach, a swimming pool, a park, an arcade. Balance might mean freeing up time to spend in the nonhuman world--with nature, with beloved animals, with cherished insects or plants. For some, it may mean making time for intense exercise. For others, it may be spending enough time each day experiencing freedom from touch, lights, or intense noise. It usually means having the time and support to pursue human connection and freedom from loneliness--even while our forms of human connection may be different from others'. On the other hand, for autists, "balance" might not mean having the predictable, familiar "three square meals a day" at the family dining table, if our ARFID or light sensitivities make this goal impossible. It might not mean following a familiar round of schoolgoing, churchgoing, or activity attendance. It will always be intensely personal. 

At the same time, I find it very useful to ask the question, what things throw me off balance? What things cause disequilibrium in my life? How can I recognize those things at sources of profound burnout and eliminate them as much as possible--even if they would be valuable to other people? 

Third, I appreciate the emphasis on pattern that appears in these definitions of ecology. Patterns can be subtle. They are often formed by repetition. They may seem only to be part of the background of a picture. However, it is these background elements that can sometimes turn out to be most important. I find that the elements, which for most people simply fade into the background, can be for me the most challenging parts of an environment. One example is fluorescent lights. I have learned that there is often no point asking neurotypical people whether a particular room has fluorescent lights or not; they don't tend to notice or remember. Yet, fluorescent lights are at the top of my own list of things that can end my day early. They are only part of the background, but, for me, they are a major ecological challenge, especially when they make up part of the pattern of my activity--if I have to move from fluorescent setting to fluorescent setting, as in some workplaces and apartment buildings. Another example might be temperature. Many autistic people find it overwhelming and disabling when they have to move from hot, to cold, to hot, to cold again. This kind of pattern can make it very difficult to get ready in the morning, as getting ready sometimes requires getting hot (in the shower) and then getting cold (stepping out of the shower) and then getting warm again. To even out these temperature shifts, and get rid of the shock of getting out of the shower, some autistic people put a bathroom-safe space heater in the bathroom. For some, this small and unusual life hack can greatly eliminate stress in the morning. Ecological awareness means being aware of the various patterns--prominent or subtle--that make up our days. It means paying attention to backgrounds as well as foregrounds. 

In addition to reflecting on the term ecology, I've found it helpful to reflect on the term psychology. This term is quite a familiar word, but I looked it up anyway in order to consider its associations. The Collins says, "Psychology is the scientific study of the human mind and the reasons for people's behavior"; or, "The psychology of a person is the kind of mind that they have, which makes them think or behave in the way that they do." In her book, Dr. Shaw distinguishes between the science of psychology and that of psychiatry. Psychiatry is a branch of medicine, and often draws on a medical approach to illness. Psychiatrists, unlike psychologists, are able to prescribe medication, and they often use medication a great deal in their work. Psychiatrists are also trained to diagnose illness by giving patients very specific diagnoses. At times, this work requires the psychiatrist to choose a particular category for each patient, in order to determine a course of treatment. Dr. Shah's approach is psychological rather than psychiatric. That is, it does not rely on providing strict, categorical medical diagnoses. Likewise, it does not rely on prescribing medication. Instead, her model asks clinicians to look at autistic people in a more detailed and personalized way, rather than fitting them into categories. This psychological approach succeeds by focusing on understanding each person's unique profile, including their unique symptoms and challenges.