Autism Certification: Neurodiversity-Affirming, Relationship-Centered Support to Help Autistic Clients Thrive Across the Lifespan

1. Utilize a neurodiversity-affirming lens to recognize the lived experience of specific strengths and challenges faced by autistic clients 
2. Develop strategies for recognizing hidden sensory, executive functioning, and self-care needs.
3. Choose ways to make the intake process and therapy setting neurodiversity-friendly in terms of communication, sensory, and expressive adaptations 
4. Identify three neurological discoveries as these relate to autism and implications for care 
5. Evaluate common comorbidities and trauma-based reactions 
6. Identify common risk-factors and traumatic experiences faced by autistic clients 
7. Define double empathy and how it affects autistic individuals’ social experiences 
8. Examine constructs of social norms and social skills to assist autistic clients in building strategies to create meaningful social connections. 
9. Define autistic burnout and what is known of the phenomena 
10. Identify strategies for improving emotion identification and emotion regulation. 
11. Integrate Acceptance Commitment Therapy to improve psychological functioning. 
12. Apply Specific Techniques from CBT and DBT in a neuro-affirming way. 
13. Investigate common stereotypes and avoid mis-steps in understanding behaviors 
14. Develop problem-solving skills to partner with autistic clients and their families. 
15. Examine common triggers and intervention strategies for meltdowns/shutdowns (Mindstorms). 
16. Define monotropic thought process and how this relates to specific difficulties and strengths in autism. 
17. Identify new strategies for building upon client strengths. 
18. Identify common masking behaviors as well as techniques for exploring pros and cons of these behaviors. 
19. Examine autism across the lifespan and differences in presentations in men and women.

Part 1: Behind Autistic Eyes

Explore Neurodiversity-Affirming Frameworks

• Introduction to Neurodiversity
• Clinical Definitions of Autism
  • Levels
  • Assessment Process
  • Value of Multidisciplinary Assessment
  • Gaps and Limitations
  • A History of Neurodiversity Movement
  • Common Myths and Misunderstandings
  • Wellbeing in Autism
  • Strengths and Strengths Assessment
• Limitations of Research and Potential Risks

Develop a Neurodiversity-Affirming Practice

• Why eye contact may be difficult
• Known Neurological Alterations
• Corpus Collosum volume and sensory processing
• Introduction to Autistic Sensory Experience (Sensory Triggers/Disintegration)
• Functional connectivity
• Default Mode Network: What this means in terms of overwhelm
• Eye Tracking Research
• Challenges and strengths of routine, structure, and rule-governed thinking

Neurodevelopment & Assessment

• Autism and Cognition
  • Bottom-Up Processing Style
  • Monotropic Style
    • How this Lends to Intense/Restricted Interests
    • How this Lends to a Tendency Towards Obsession and Getting “Stuck”
  • Visual Thinking
  • Literal Thinking
  • Executive Functioning
  • Language and communication
• The Myth of Common Sense
  • Discussion of Theory of Mind Informed by New Findings Regarding Neurodiversity and Double Empathy
    • Different Minds: Different conclusions
    • Double Empathy
    • Why autistic social styles makes sense from a cognitive and neurological perspective
    • Activity: Autistic Social Norms for Neurotypical People

Presentation and Specialized Assessment

• Considerations
• Culture
• Gender
• Autism in Women
• Important Rule Out Diagnosis
• Camouflaged Autism Traits

Part 2: Autism Across the Lifespan: Clinical Tools for Every Stage

Early Childhood

• Language Development
• Sensory Needs
• Early Signs/How This Differs Across Levels
• Autistic Brain Development

Childhood

• Social Difficulties Common in Autistic Children
  • Strategies for Encouraging Friendships/Positive Social Development
  • Adaptations of Social Skills Training for Autistic Youth
  • Social Circle Groups and Role Play
• “Pathological Demand Avoidance”
  • What This Looks Like
  • An Introduction to Collaborative and Proactive Solutions
• Strict Focus on Rules/Rule Governed Thinking
  • “Rainbow Thinking” (Dialectical Thinking) to Build Mindstorms (Meltdowns)
    • Introduce Autistic Children to Sensory Soothing
    • Specific Activities to Build Distress Tolerance Skills in Children
    • Using a Behavior-Chain Analysis with Parents
• Common Comorbidities in Childhood: ADHD
  • ADHD in Autism
  • AuDHD
  • Executive Functioning Support for Autistic Children
• Autism as School
  • Strategies for Educators
  • Strategies for Parents

Adolescence

• The Teen Social Scene and Bullying
• Values Clarification in Relationships
• Introduce Interpersonal Effectiveness Skills
  • “How to Start a Conversation”
  • “How to Keep a conversation Going”
  • “Topics of Conversation”
  • DBT’s DEAR MAN, GIVE and the Dime Game Role Play
• Developments of Sense of Self
  • Explore Negative Beliefs About Self and Critical Self-Talk
  • Autism-Friendly Application of  Cognitive Restructuring
  • Build Defusion from Negative Thoughts
  • Self-as Context
• Executive Functioning Support for an Adolescent
• Autism in the Dating Scene
• Mindstorms (Meltdowns) in Adolescence
  • Coping Ahead Strategy (Mindstorm Plan)
  • Teach Self-Soothing to Adolescents (Sensory Soothing, DBT TIPP Skill)
  • “What do I need?”
• Alexithymia
  • Creative Expression
  • Body Awareness
  • Compassion Focused Interventions
• Masking
  • “Who am I if not the mask?”
  • Address Masking
• Autistic burnout in Adolescents
• Common Comorbidities in Adolescence: Depression, Anxiety and Psychosis
• Strategies for Parents

Adults

• Executive Functioning Difficulties in Adults
• Autistic Burnout/Address Autistic Burnout Dialectically
• Mindstorms (Meltdowns) in Adults
• Masking behaviors in Adults/Address Masking
• Relationship Health
  • Three Lights
  • Loneliness
  • Intimate Partner Violence Risk
• Autism at Work and in College
• Building Psychological Flexibility

Senior Citizens

• Impact of Late Diagnosis
• Coping With Changes
• Sensory Processing and Motor Realities and Needs
  • Common Misunderstandings
  • The Toll of Unmet Needs
  • Accommodating Self
  • Sensory Needs and Sensory Diet
  • Motor Functioning
  • Proprioceptive Support
  • Interoceptive Support
  • Gross Motor Functioning
  • Fine Motor Functioning

Part 3: More ACT, DBT & CBT Strategies to Support Awareness, Acceptance, Goals & Joy

Neurodiversity Affirming Acceptance Commitment Therapy Techniques

• Introduction to ACT
• Allowing
• Committed Action for Self-Care or Experiential Avoidance?
• Values Clarification
• Contact with the Present Moment
• Concrete Mindfulness Strategies for Autistic Individuals
• Self-as-Context: Autism, Masking and the Inner Self-Critic, Building Self-as-Context
• “Meeting Myself” Activity and Committed Action Towards Necessary Self-Care

Neurodiversity Techniques from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

• Introduction to CBT
• Why has CBT received pushback from the neurodiversity community?
• What YOU can do with CBT in your sessions
• Guided Discovery

Neurodiversity Affirming Techniques from Dialectical Behavioral Therapy

• Mindfulness
  • One-Mindedness
• Distress Tolerance
  • Coping Kit
• Emotion Regulation
  • Plan Positive Activities
  • Work Through Autistic Inertia
• Interpersonal Effectiveness
  • Rainbow Thinking (Dialectical Thinking) in Relationships
  • Code Switching
• Maintain Self

Pharmacy and Nutrition

• Know your role
• Medication must-knows
• Common nutrition interventions

• Counselors
• Social Workers
• Psychologists
• Psychotherapists
• Therapists
• Marriage & Family Therapists
• Addiction Counselors
• Case Managers
• Physicians
• Nurses
• School Counselor
• School Psychologist
• Other School-Based Professionals
• Occupational Therapist
• Speech and Language Pathologists
• Other Mental Health Professionals