Foundations of Neuro-Affirming Practice: Experiential Training for Working with High-Masking Autism, Burnout, PDA and More

Introduction to Neuro-Affirming Care    

• Why traditional therapy approaches can be problematic … and even harmful 

• Key principles of Neurodivergent-affirming therapy  

• Steps you can take now to shift away from a pathological approach and start providing affirming care  

Recognizing Late-Diagnosed Autism 

• Markers of high-masking Autism in adults   

• Gender differences, masking behaviors and other barriers to diagnosis 

• Self-diagnosis and the role of social media   

 Sensory Sensitivities and Nervous System Regulation   

• Understanding sensory overload and how it impacts therapy and daily life  

• Identifying sensory triggers and implementing sensory accommodations in session   

• Strategies for calming a dysregulated nervous system   

• Differentiating Autistic burnout from depression   

• Guided creation of a sensory-friendly therapy room checklist   

 Comorbidities and Co-Occurring Condition in Autistic Clients  

• Identifying and supporting Autistic clients with co-occurring conditions  

• The intersection of Autism with anxiety, OCD, and trauma   

• Interoception and its role in eating disorders   

• Addressing substance use and Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD)  

• Modifying interventions to honor Neurodivergent processing    

Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) Profile  

• Defining PDA and recognizing its presentations   

• Why traditional behavioral interventions fail with PDA clients   

• Tools for working with clients with a strong autonomy-driven profile   

• Implementing collaborative, low-demand approaches    

Autistic Burnout: Prevention, Recovery, and Support  

• Recognizing and supporting clients experiencing burnout  

• Developing an Autistic burnout recovery planning   

• Long-term strategies to minimize future burnout risk     

Ethical Considerations and Collaborative Care  

• Interdisciplinary collaboration for Neurodivergent clients 

• Avoiding therapeutic missteps    

• Working with clients who self-diagnose or seek healthcare advocacy  

• Creating resource lists for clients to navigate external care systems   

• Managing conflicting perspectives when collaborating with other providers  

• Risks and limitations   

Case Studies and Interactive Problem-Solving    

• Applying learned concepts to real-world clinical scenarios