Understanding Emotional Intelligence in Neurodiversity

The Emotional Intelligence of Asperger’s Syndrome: Interventions to Achieve Social and Personal Success: A PESI Course by Timothy P. Kowalski, M.A., CCC-SLP

This PESI course offers a thoughtful and clinically grounded exploration of emotional intelligence (EQ) as it relates to Asperger’s Syndrome. “Asperger’s syndrome” is an outdated diagnostic term used to describe what’s known today as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It is still used by some today who feel more comfortable with that label than ASD.

Rather than framing emotional and social differences as simple skill deficits, the course breaks emotional intelligence into core components—self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social connection—and examines how each area may be uniquely impacted within a neurodiversity-affirming therapy framework.

A central theme throughout the course is that emotional intelligence is deeply influenced by stress, fear, and environmental overwhelm. Kowalski clearly illustrates how heightened stress can reduce emotional access, language, and problem-solving abilities—an experience often explored in emotional regulation and nervous system support work—even when someone appears outwardly calm. This perspective moves beyond surface-level social skills training and toward a more compassionate understanding of emotional experience.

Why it’s helpful:

• Reframes emotional intelligence with compassion
  Emotional and social challenges are understood as differences in processing and regulation rather than intentional behavior or lack of effort—an approach aligned with neurodiversity-affirming mental health care.

• Clarifies the role of stress and emotional overwhelm
  The course highlights how fear and pressure can significantly impair emotional functioning, reinforcing the importance of regulation before reasoning.

• Moves beyond scripted social skills
  Emphasis is placed on understanding the why behind behavior, not just the how, which mirrors the goals of trauma-informed and neurodiversity-affirming therapy.

• Offers practical, emotionally informed strategies
  Interventions focus on predictability, emotional language, and regulation strategies that support emotional safety and nervous system regulation.

Why this mattered to me

I work with neurodiverse clients and am committed to providing neurodiversity-affirming therapy that honors each person’s lived experience. While I am neurodiverse myself, I am deeply aware that my own experience does not give me full insight into how others experience the world.

This course mattered to me because it reinforced the importance of continued learning—especially around emotional regulation, stress response, and internal experience. Gaining skills and tools like these helps me better understand the inner worlds of my clients and validate that their experiences make sense within the context of how their nervous systems work.

Ultimately, this work allows me to show clients that they are not broken, not failing, and not alone. My goal is always to meet people with curiosity, humility, and compassion—and to keep learning how to do that better.