Session Details

PRE-CONFERENCE SESSION

Presenters: Mikle South, Ph.D. & Kay Rodgers, M.S.
Description: Research has consistently demonstrated that atypical sensory processing and intolerance of uncertainty (IU) are central mechanisms driving anxiety in autism. However, traditional research approaches examining group averages have obscured critical individual differences—essentially creating interventions for a mythical "average" autistic person who doesn't actually exist. This presentation bridges established theory with innovative methodology to reveal how these transdiagnostic processes cluster in meaningful ways that can directly inform personalized treatment planning.
Our foundational work has shown that sensory sensitivities and difficulty tolerating uncertainty don't operate in isolation—they interact with executive functioning, emotion regulation, alexithymia, and camouflaging behaviors to create complex vulnerability profiles. The question facing clinicians isn't simply whether these factors matter, but rather: Which specific constellation of factors is most relevant for this individual client?
To answer this question, we partnered with Australian clinical researchers and machine learning researchers to analyze data from 811 autistic adults (ages 18-73) who completed comprehensive assessments spanning transdiagnostic processes, autistic traits, and mental health outcomes. Using sophisticated statistical tools, we identified eight distinct subgroups characterized by different combinations of sensory sensitivity, IU, executive functioning, emotion regulation, alexithymia, resilience, camouflaging, and repetitive behaviors.
The results challenge any notion of autism as a monolithic experience. We identified three broad vulnerability profiles: Low-distress clusters (25% of sample) showed lower camouflaging and sensory sensitivity paired with higher resilience, resulting in better mental health outcomes across the board. High-distress clusters (31%) exhibited elevated camouflaging, sensory sensitivity, alexithymia, and IU, alongside significantly higher anxiety, depression, and autistic burnout. Most intriguingly, moderate-distress clusters (44%) demonstrated multiple pathways to vulnerability—high camouflaging combined with variable patterns in emotional processing and sensory experiences.
The clinical implications are profound. Rather than applying one-size-fits-all interventions, these profiles enable clinicians to identify which transdiagnostic processes deserve primary focus for each individual. For someone in a high-distress cluster, simultaneously addressing IU and sensory sensitivities may be critical. For others in moderate-distress pathways, reducing camouflaging demands or building emotion regulation skills might be more impactful. This approach is therapeutic-orientation agnostic—whether using CBT, acceptance-based approaches, occupational therapy, or integrative models, these profiles help clinicians identify the most relevant treatment targets.
Attendees will leave with concrete tools for moving beyond standardized protocols toward truly individualized, mechanistically-informed intervention that respects diversity within the autistic community.
Learning Objectives: Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to:
1. Explain how atypical sensory processing and intolerance of uncertainty interact with other transdiagnostic processes (executive functioning, emotion regulation, alexithymia, camouflaging) to create distinct vulnerability pathways to anxiety in autistic adults.
2. Recognize the limitations of group-average approaches in heterogeneous populations and understand how data-driven clustering methods can reveal clinically meaningful subgroups that traditional research approaches obscure.
3. Identify distinct mental health and resilience profiles among autistic adults based on patterns of transdiagnostic risk and protective factors, and differentiate between low-distress, moderate-distress, and high-distress vulnerability pathways.
4. Apply profile-based assessment frameworks to individualize treatment target selection in clinical practice, regardless of therapeutic orientation, by identifying which transdiagnostic processes are most relevant for specific clients.

KEY NOTE

Presenter: Dr. Elizabeth Weir,
Description: Content Warning: This talk will describe difficult material, including discussion of trauma, mental health, physical health, premature death, and suicidality.
To date, autism research has focused on understanding and supporting autistic children. While this is important, autism is a lifelong condition and identity. Researchers, clinicians, educators, and policymakers must consider how we can provide the best support to autistic people across the lifespan—and all the transitions therein. Unfortunately, research from the last decade demonstrates that autistic people have higher risks of adverse life experiences, mental and physical health conditions, premature death, and suicidality than others. In addition, several studies now demonstrate that autistic people also have poorer outcomes for key social determinants of health, including education and employment.
While autism is a heterogeneous condition, many of the outcomes described above are common among autistic people, regardless of sociodemographics. The present talk will provide a summary of this research, including our ongoing work on physical health, multimorbidity (e.g., co-occurring diabetes and epilepsy), mental health, suicidality, and educational attainment. It will detail the latest research on the biological, environmental, and structural factors that may contribute to these outcomes, including trauma, diet, exercise, sleep, substance use, stigma, and healthcare quality.
Across all disciplines and specialties, clinicians must be aware of the diverse set of challenges that many autistic people face to provide high quality support that recognizes and addresses this complexity. In addition, the talk will explore the importance of understanding needs in the context of intersectional and minoritized identities across gender, sex, and sexual orientation. It will describe our findings on the healthcare quality of autistic people and provide clinicians with suggestions for practical improvements that can facilitate high quality healthcare interactions.
Learning Objectives:
1. Explain how population-level data across education, employment, health, and healthcare demonstrates that autistic adolescents and adults experience unacceptably poorer long-term outcomes than non-autistic people.
2. Describe the complex interactions between biological, environmental, and structural factors that contribute to risks of physical health conditions, mental health conditions, and suicidality among autistic people
3. Recognize the role of specific language choices in facilitating rapport with autistic people and their families, including those with intersectional, minoritized identities
4. Identify specific changes to individual clinical practice that can be applied to facilitate improved healthcare quality for autistic people across specialties and disciplines

SESSION 1

Presenter: Dr. Andres Griborio-Guzman
Description: Autistic individuals face a profound mortality gap, dying on average at least 16 years earlier than non-autistic peers, with cardiovascular disease (CVD) emerging as one of the leading causes of death. Population-based data show that people with autism have a 2–10-fold higher risk of premature mortality overall and about a 1.5-fold higher mortality from diseases of the circulatory system, which account for approximately 26% of deaths where a primary cause is known. This session synthesizes evidence from a review in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology, a large meta-analysis of 34 cohort studies (over 276,000 autistic and 7.7 million non-autistic participants), and related observational studies to describe the cardiometabolic profile of autistic individuals across the lifespan. Autistic people are at least 1.5 times more likely to develop diabetes, dyslipidemia, and atherosclerotic heart disease, with additional associations with atrial fibrillation, heart failure, valvular disease, and congenital heart disease. The presentation introduces a conceptual framework with four interacting layers of cardiovascular risk in autism: biological, behavioral, comorbidities or iatrogenic, and systemic. Attendees will leave with an understanding of autism–CVD interactions. Future research should give further practical, implementable approaches to reduce preventable cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in the autistic community.
Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the prevalence and clinical profile of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk among individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), including developmental and lifespan considerations.
2. Analyze biological, behavioral, comorbid, medication-related, and systemic factors contributing to elevated CVD risk in autistic individuals.
3. Develop advocacy-informed and culturally responsive strategies to promote autism-accessible cardiovascular screening, interdisciplinary coordination, and health management within counseling practice and community systems.
Presenter: Zachary Schafer, OT
Description: Compared to pediatric populations, research and practice guidelines for sensory processing challenges in adolescents are limited in quantity and methodological rigor. A common narrative suggests that because the brain is most “plastic” in early childhood, less emphasis should be placed on sensory-based interventions for adolescents. However, modern neuroscience indicates that neuroplasticity and sensory regulation remain possible throughout adolescence, especially when interventions are goal-directed and contextually meaningful.
With a clear gap in assessment and intervention strategies for adolescent sensory processing, and an increasing number of teens struggling with these challenges, professionals need practical guidance on how to apply current knowledge effectively. This presentation will review contemporary literature on neuroplasticity and sensory processing, provide real-world examples from everyday practice, and equip attendees with tools and strategies to support adolescents in achieving improved regulation, participation, and a greater sense of independence.
Learning Objectives:
1. Differentiate between early developmental plasticity and adolescent neuroplasticity, and explain how modern neuroscience informs realistic intervention expectations for sensory processing challenges in adolescents.
2. Apply evidence-informed sensory processing and regulation strategies to adolescent case scenarios, with a focus on functional participation, autonomy, and real-world contexts.
3. Integrate contemporary neuroscience concepts with existing theoretical frameworks (e.g., sensory integration, sensory processing models) to design developmentally appropriate, goal-directed interventions for adolescents.
Presenters: Elaine Morgan, Ed.M.
Description: Within the context of families navigating the needs of a loved one with Autism, this session informs organizational and professional practices, educating on the role of Parent Peer Support as a critical component of family services. Attendees will learn about the role Parent Peers Specialists including ethics and scope of practice. We will explore how Peer Parents collaborate with organizations, service providers and clinicians to enhance parent mental health, family wellbeing, shift outcomes and add measurable value, leading to positive impact on outcomes for autistic individuals.
Learning Objectives:
1. Define the role of a Peer Specialist and a Parent Peer Specialist, including core functions within behavioral health systems of care.
2. Identify the values, ethical standards, qualifications, certification requirements, scope of practice, and professional boundaries associated with the Parent Peer Specialist role.
3. Evaluate the impact of parent peer support services on family engagement, service utilization, and measurable outcomes for families of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
4. Develop an implementation and quality assurance framework to support effective Peer–Practitioner collaboration aimed at improving functional and family-centered outcomes in ASD care.
Presenter: Dr. Tyler Whitney, Psy.D.
Description: Autism spectrum disorders are developmental disorders. Individuals with autism
spectrum disorders develop differently. These differences are usually present in social interaction, communication, and sensory processing, and become visible through a wide variety of behavioral responses that differ from individuals without autism spectrum disorders. Since behavioral addiction and ASD share common characteristics, individuals with ASD requiring level 1 support may be more vulnerable to behavioral addiction. Some typical behavioral addictions include compulsive internet use and gaming.
All adolescents and young adults are introduced to many things on the internet at an early age. Those gateways of exposure include easy access different lifestyles, deep involvement in gaming and other media, internet pornography, alcohol and drug use, sexual experiences at a young age, and the opinions of many individuals who are not of a similar mindset. This presentation offers young people, parents of young people, and young people with ASD, solid, accessible advice regarding the internet. The successful navigation and use of the internet for teenagers and young adults is brought into perspective by Tyler Whitney, PsyD, an expert clinician who has over two and a half decades of clinical experience and specializes in working with pre-adolescents, teenagers, and young adults, along with their families in setting up healthy, structure, guidelines, and boundaries that promote healthy development and skill set development.
Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the core characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), including differences in social interaction, communication, sensory processing, and behavioral presentation, and explain how these traits may increase vulnerability to behavioral addictions.
2. Identify common forms of behavioral addiction in adolescents and young adults (e.g., compulsive internet use and gaming) and analyze risk factors associated with internet exposure for individuals with ASD requiring Level 1 support.
3. Apply evidence-informed strategies to help adolescents, young adults, and families establish healthy internet use guidelines, boundaries, and skill-building practices that promote adaptive development and reduce risk of problematic online behaviors.

SESSION 2

Presenters: Ryan Bachrach, LCSW & Carlyn Daubs, Ph.D.
Description: Research on AI-augmented social communication support for adolescents with autism highlight promising clinical benefits and, also, come with important risk considerations. Emerging evidence suggests that AI tools, particularly those using large language models, can improve expressions of empathy, confidence in communication and conversation, and practice and generalization of social skills. Additional studies on AI-based virtual companions show potential for supporting social learning and online safety, including helping adolescents recognize and respond to cyberbullying.
Considering what appear to be benefits, there also appear to be risks. Risk considerations for adolescents with autism using AI-augmented social communication support include reinforcement of social withdrawal if AI interaction replaces human interaction, a reliance on, or trust in, inaccurate or biased AI-generated information, privacy and data-security concerns, and the development of parasocial or overly dependent relationships with chatbots. Additional concerns/risks are related to adolescents using AI for advice (e.g. advice pertaining to one’s mental health), which might exceed the AI’s capabilities, given limitations in detecting nuance, distress, or risk.
Clinically, these findings underscore the need to conceptualize AI as a potentially supportive tool, not a replacement for clinicians. AI, when used, will need clear boundaries, ethical safeguards, and ongoing professional oversight to ensure it enhances, rather than undermines, social development and well-being.
Learning Objectives:
1. Describe current research on the use of AI-augmented tools among adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), including emerging clinical and educational applications.
2. Evaluate the potential benefits and risks associated with AI tool utilization in adolescents with ASD, including impacts on social, cognitive, and behavioral outcomes.
3. Analyze ethical, legal, and clinical considerations related to integrating AI-augmented tools into assessment and treatment planning for adolescents with ASD.
Presenters: Kirk Lazenby, Emily Raclaw, & Amy Rutherford
Description: Once students identify a college and get accepted, then what? This session examines what to look for in a college support program and how to identify goodness of fit for specialized programs across the country. We will explore different post-secondary program models and examine opportunities beyond academics that promote holistic growth and inclusive approaches to career readiness.
Learning Objectives:
1. Identify and evaluate key components of postsecondary support programs, including program structures and service delivery models, and differentiate among common program approaches used to support student success.
2. Analyze and apply strategies that provide comprehensive student support beyond academics, including social-emotional resources, mentorship, independent living skills, and community-based services.
3. Describe and implement career readiness strategies that promote workforce preparation, including career exploration, skill development, and transition planning that supports sustainable employment outcomes.
Presenters: Amee Hardy, LCPC, Rick Pollard, Ph.D., Katie Rienstra, LCSW, & Helen Waldron, B.A. M.Ed
Description: Emotional intelligence is a critical set of abilities that shape how students interpret experiences, regulate behavior, connect with others, and navigate stress—yet it is often overlooked in traditional views of intelligence. This session presents a clear EQ framework, research, and practical tools for integrating emotional skills into student support. Attendees will leave with a holistic, actionable framework for seeing students more clearly—beyond labels, pathology, and IQ.
Learning Objectives:
1. Describe emotional intelligence within the broader context of cognitive and social intelligence and its relevance to student functioning and success.
2. Explain the EQ-i 2.0 by differentiating emotional intelligence composites and subscales, and understand how each maps to observable, real-world behaviors
3. Apply a holistic framework for evaluating student strengths, needs, and developmental opportunities—including how EQ can inform admissions insight, coaching, and treatment planning.
4. Identify strategies for integrating EQ-i 2.0 into educational consulting, postsecondary planning, and learning support programs.
Presenters: Alaina Chatterley, Elicia Schwendiman, & Neil Wallace
Description: For many neurodiverse clients, particularly those on the autism spectrum, traditional talk therapies can inadvertently trigger an intellectual override—a "prefrontal cortex hijacking"—where verbal processing becomes a barrier to true emotional resolution. This presentation bridges the gap between neuroscience and clinical practice to explore why Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) offers a powerful alternative. We will delve into the neurobiological underpinnings of ART, examining how its use of memory reconsolidation and eye movements allows ASD clients to process trauma and regulate emotions somatically, bypassing the need for exhaustive verbal articulation. Through compelling case studies of adolescent females with ASD, we will showcase tangible, data-driven improvements in emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and overall behavior. Attendees will leave with a new framework for treating neurodiverse clients and a deeper understanding of how to facilitate healing beyond the limits of language.
Learning Objectives:
1. Differentiate between cognitive processing and somatic processing approaches in trauma resolution, including their distinct mechanisms and clinical applications.
2. Describe at least two neurological factors associated with reduced prefrontal cortex regulation in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
3. Identify three distinct features of Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) that support trauma resolution and promote future emotional regulation in neurodiverse clients.

SESSION 3

Presenters: Shane Campfield, Edward Couture, & Jericka Knox
Description: Many parents have a major fear of what will happen to their child after they are gone. The traumatic state that can occur is hard enough for neurotypical children, much less children on the spectrum. This presentation will focus on the experience of death of a loved one, especially a parent, from the viewpoint of people with ASD. The speakers lost parents and loved ones too soon and will describe the grieving processes, the difficulties faced, the supports they found helpful, and what advice they have for parents, siblings, relatives, and professionals. Strategies for helping prepare for the inevitable will be implemented.
Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the presentation of grief and bereavement in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other developmental disabilities, including differences from neurotypical grief responses and potential behavioral manifestations.
2. Assess risk factors for complicated grief, behavioral dysregulation, and co-occurring mental health concerns in individuals with ASD following the death of a caregiver or significant attachment figure.
3. Develop an evidence-informed support plan that incorporates trauma-informed care principles, caregiver guidance, and interdisciplinary coordination to promote emotional stability and continuity of care after a loss.
4. Apply at least two therapeutic tools or interventions (e.g., visual supports, social narratives, structured routines, cognitive-behavioral adaptations) to help individuals with ASD prepare for anticipated loss and process bereavement.
5. Participants will get different resources and information on dealing with grief and how to handle it while being on the spectrum
Presenters: Dr. Jason King, LCMHC & Dr. Steven DeMille, LCMHC
Description: Sensory processing differences are a core and empirically supported feature of autism, with well-established links to emotional regulation, adaptive functioning, social participation, and mental health outcomes. Although the Sensory Processing Measure–Second Edition (SPM-2) is widely validated and frequently used during initial assessment, its potential as a longitudinal, treatment-informing tool is often underutilized once a diagnosis has been made.
This presentation reframes the SPM-2 within a measurement-based care framework, demonstrating how repeated sensory assessment can guide ongoing treatment planning, monitor functional change, and support interdisciplinary collaboration across clinical, educational, residential, and medical settings. Grounded in the psychometric foundations of the SPM-2 and research on sensory modulation in autism, the session illustrates how sensory profiles can reduce diagnostic overshadowing and improve the precision of intervention planning.
Through applied case examples, participants will learn how SPM-2 domain scores—such as sensory seeking, over-responsivity, under-responsivity, praxis, and social participation—can be translated into actionable recommendations that inform therapy goals, educational accommodations, behavioral supports, and communication with medical providers. Emphasis is placed on using SPM-2 data as a shared, evidence-based language to enhance collaboration among professionals and improve outcomes for autistic individuals across environments.
Learning Objectives:
1. Interpret SPM-2 sensory profile data and formulate specific, measurable treatment and environmental support recommendations based on assessment findings.
2. Apply SPM-2 assessment results to interdisciplinary treatment planning, enhancing collaboration among clinicians, educators, residential staff, and medical providers.
3. Differentiate sensory-driven behaviors from willful or oppositional behaviors by integrating validated assessment data into clinical decision-making.
Presenter: Dr. Nadrat Nuhu
Description: Individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may require intervention for complex challenging behaviors that interfere with their daily functioning. Beyond their impact on the individual, these behaviors can also adversely affect family members, contributing to stress and disruption within the community. In clinical contexts, attention is often directed toward the physical safety and environmental risks associated with challenging behavior, while the emotional wellbeing of caregivers is less frequently examined. This presentation explores the relationship between complex challenging behavior exhibited by individuals with ASD, caregiver mental wellbeing, and family adherence to behavioral recommendations, emphasizing the role of caregiver emotional health in treatment implementation and outcomes.
Learning Objectives:
1. Evaluate the relationship between the severity of complex challenging behavior in individuals with ASD and caregiver mental wellbeing.
2. Analyze how caregiver wellbeing influences adherence to prescribed behavioral interventions within the family context.
3. Identify key factors and strategies that support caregiver emotional health to improve treatment implementation and outcomes.
Presenters: Jake Weld, M.Ed. & Dr. Will White
Description: Young people today are entering adulthood amid unprecedented social and technological change. Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the nature of work, while parallel forces—climate instability, digital saturation, shifting labor markets, and global uncertainty—are reshaping how young people learn, adapt, and build meaningful lives. As Thomas Friedman describes, we are living in a Polycene era marked by overlapping and accelerating change. For neurodiverse young people, particularly those with autism, ADHD, and executive functioning differences, these conditions intensify existing challenges in the transition from high school or college into sustainable employment.
This presentation draws on research in neurodiverse learning, vocational development, and developmental neuroscience to explore how educators and mental health providers can better support neurodiverse young people entering the workforce. Emphasis is placed on experiential, hands-on learning environments that integrate applied skill development (including the trades and technical work) with explicit instruction in soft skills such as self-regulation, communication, collaboration, and adaptability. Through practical frameworks and program examples, participants will learn how to align vocational preparation with neurodiverse strengths, foster motivation and identity development, and help young people build purposeful, resilient relationships with work in an increasingly uncertain future.
Learning Objectives:
1. Describe how the AI-driven “Polycene” era uniquely impacts neurodiverse young people, particularly autistic individuals, during the transition from education to work.
2. Identify evidence-based learning approaches—including experiential, hands-on, and interest-driven models—that align with neurodiverse strengths and support vocational engagement and skill acquisition.
3. Apply practical strategies for supporting mental health and emotional regulation in neurodiverse young adults as they navigate workforce transitions, uncertainty, and identity development.

SESSION 4

Presenters: Dr. Tony Meiners
Description: This presentation examines autistic and neurodivergent clinical experiences through a historical and contemporary lens to illuminate how traditional therapy models have often failed to align with neurodivergent neurobiology. Participants will explore key trends that have shaped autistic and neurodivergent interactions with mental health systems and consider how these patterns inform the need for affirming, collaborative approaches to care (Anderberg et al., 2017; Jones, 2024; Maddox et al., 2020). The session introduces neurodivergent-informed care as a framework for addressing model mismatch in therapy, emphasizing ethical practice, accessibility, and treatment effectiveness. Attendees will also learn practical, generalizable adaptations to therapeutic structure, pacing, and communication that support engagement and responsiveness for neurodivergent clients. By centering lived experience and neurobiological diversity, this presentation supports clinicians in refining practice approaches that are respectful, effective, and aligned with neurodivergent clients’ needs.
Learning Objectives:
1. Identify important historic & current trends in autistic and neurodivergent clinical experiences to best conceptualize affirming treatment practices.
2. Explain how neurodivergent-informed care addresses model mismatch in therapy and supports ethical, accessible, and effective treatment for neurodivergent clients.
3. Apply general neurodivergent-informed adaptations to therapeutic structure, pacing, and communication to better align treatment with neurodivergent clients’ neurobiology.
Presenters: Rachel Leja & Samantha New
Description: Neurodivergent teens and young adults often face a double transition: adapting to new academic and social demands while simultaneously managing increased expectations for independence and self‑management. Executive function (EF) challenges underpin many of the difficulties seen in post‑secondary settings, including missed deadlines, inconsistent class or job attendance, breakdowns in self‑care, and vulnerability to anxiety and depression when structure drops away. Traditional college and career planning conversations frequently overlook the need to explicitly teach and scaffold EF skills, leaving families and students with plans that look good on paper but are not realistically actionable.
This session will present a neurodiversity‑affirming, clinically informed framework for post‑secondary planning that centers executive function as a primary treatment target. Drawing on clinical techniques from cognitive‑behavioral therapy, occupational therapy, and coaching, the presenters will demonstrate how to translate assessment findings into concrete supports across college, vocational training, and early employment contexts. Participants will learn how to integrate EF‑focused interventions—such as environmental modification, task‑chunking, externalization of time and tasks, and collaborative problem‑solving—into their existing work with neurodivergent youth and families.
Through case vignettes and brief practice activities, attendees will examine common failure points in transitions (e.g., registration and disability services, managing unstructured time, coordinating healthcare, navigating executive‑function‑heavy tasks like multi‑step assignments) and rehearse language and tools they can use immediately in sessions. Emphasis will be placed on aligning plans with the young person’s goals and identity, balancing autonomy and support, and building cross‑system collaboration with schools, disability offices, and employers.
Learning Objectives:
1. Identify at least three ways that executive function challenges commonly disrupt post‑secondary success for neurodivergent teens and young adults (e.g., in college, trade programs, or first jobs).
2. Utilize at least three concrete clinical techniques (such as task‑chunking, visual structuring of time, implementation intentions, and environmental modifications) to support EF within post‑secondary planning sessions.
3. Collaboratively develop a realistic post‑secondary support plan that integrates clinical EF strategies with campus, community, and workplace resources while honoring the young person’s autonomy and neurodivergent identity.
Presenters: Chris Blankenship, LCSW & Dr. Neal Christensen
Description: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) frequently co-occur, yet clinicians often struggle to distinguish between autistic repetitive behaviors driven by regulation, predictability, and sensory needs, and OCD compulsions rooted in anxiety and intrusive thoughts. Misidentification and misunderstanding can lead to ineffective interventions, heightened distress, and a breakdown in therapeutic relationships — particularly for autistic clients and their families, whose presentations may differ from neurotypical profiles of OCD.
This presentation will provide a clear, clinically grounded framework for differentiating ASD-related repetitive behaviors from OCD symptoms, highlighting distinct etiological pathways and behavioral functions that guide treatment direction. Presenters will draw from current research, case material, and professional experience supporting autistic individuals, and their families, while receiving treatment in residential and outpatient settings.
Attendees will gain concrete strategies for assessing and treating OCD in autistic individuals using adapted cognitive behavioral and exposure-based interventions, while honoring neurodiversity-affirming principles. Finally, the session will address how families and support networks can play a vital role in reducing accommodation cycles, supporting exposure work, and building long-term resilience.
This workshop will equip the audience with practical clinical tools and a nuanced understanding of OCD within ASD, ultimately improving diagnostic clarity and treatment outcomes.
Learning Objectives:
1. Describe and distinguish core features of ASD-related repetitive behaviors and OCD compulsions, including differences in function, emotional drivers, and etiological pathways, to improve diagnostic accuracy and treatment planning.
2. Demonstrate application of adapted, neurodiversity-affirming cognitive behavioral and exposure-based interventions for treating OCD in autistic individuals, including modifications that address sensory, cognitive, and communication differences.
3. Identify and implement family systems-based strategies that reduce accommodation behaviors, support exposure treatment, and enhance long-term resilience while maintaining effective therapeutic alliances with autistic clients and their caregivers.
Presenters: Sheneen Daniels, Ph.D. & Jared Stewart, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA
Description: Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) remains one of the most widely used and well-funded interventions for autistic individuals, yet it is also one of the most polarizing. This presentation provides a balanced, research-informed overview of the ABA controversy to help program directors and admissions leaders better understand the perspectives shaping today’s service landscape. We will explore the historical roots of ABA and how earlier practices contributed to mistrust among autistic adults, contrast traditional approaches with more modern assent-based and trauma-informed models, and examine where debate stems from data versus cultural narrative. The session will also highlight key critiques from the neurodiversity movement—including concerns about masking, compliance-based teaching, and autonomy—while also reviewing evidence for ABA’s effectiveness for certain goals and populations. The goal is not to promote or dismiss ABA, but to support informed, ethical decision-making by clarifying what ABA is, what it is not, and how programs can navigate these polarized perspectives while centering client well-being, respect, and neuroaffirming practice.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
1. Describe the historical foundations of ABA and identify which legacy practices contributed to mistrust or negative experiences reported by autistic individuals.
2. Differentiate between traditional, compliance-focused ABA models and modern ethical approaches such as assent-based, naturalistic, and trauma-informed ABA.
3. Summarize key concerns raised by autistic adults and the neurodiversity movement regarding ABA, including issues of autonomy, masking, and potential psychological harm.
4. Evaluate research findings on the effectiveness and limitations of ABA to determine when it may be appropriate, when alternatives may be preferable, and how to align services with neuroaffirming values.

SESSION 5

Presenters: Lauren Koffler, MSW & Laura Meyers, LCAT, ATR-BC
Description: This presentation begins with a review of the current clinical landscape regarding Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and neurodiversity. Although the literature to date suggests that standard DBT protocols can effectively reduce self-harm and improve regulation in autistic individuals, it is very preliminary and highlights a critical need for modification.
We explore the theoretical "fit" of the model, positing that while DBT’s heavy reliance on structure, logic, and concrete skill acquisition aligns with the cognitive strengths of many ASD students, the standard curriculum’s dependence on abstract metaphors and nuance often presents a significant barrier to access.
Moving from theory to practice, we detail the implementation of a comprehensive DBT program within The Pines at Shrub Oak International School. We outline our specific programmatic structure, which integrates skills coaching, milieu protocols, and individual, group, and family therapy.
The session will address the challenges encountered during implementation—specifically, the sensory limitations of distress tolerance skills and the cognitive rigidity that can hinder middle-path work, as well as the difficulty grasping more abstract concepts such as mindfulness.
To address these gaps, we present a framework of modifications developed by our clinical team. The presentation culminates in a detailed review of two clinical case studies that illustrate the trajectory of this adapted model.
Learning Objectives:
1. Analyze the theoretical alignment between standard DBT protocols and the cognitive profiles of autistic students, identifying specific areas of strength (e.g., structure) and weakness (e.g., abstract metaphors).
2. Describe neuro-affirming adaptations to the components of a residential DBT program as well as standard DBT skills modules (mindfulness, distress tolerance, and emotional regulation) that address the sensory and communication needs of autistic students.
3. Identify strategies to overcome common implementation challenges—such as cognitive rigidity or sensory dysregulation—when delivering DBT in a therapeutic/clinical setting.
4. Apply adapted DBT interventions to complex clinical presentations by evaluating treatment trajectories and outcomes.
Presenters: Daniel Fishburn & Justin Messinger
Description: The therapeutic alliance is consistently identified as the single strongest predictor of positive outcomes. Yet, the traditional power dynamic inherent in helping professions profoundly impacts this alliance, especially when working with autistic individuals who often experience and perceive power structures differently.
Drawing from clinical research, neurodiversity-affirming practice, and the realities of programmatic service models, this presentation argues that helping professionals must consider a practice of radical transparency, explicit role clarity, and intentional power-sharing.
We will discuss how therapeutic settings and program-based models can amplify power imbalances. Attendees will gain actionable insights on how to deconstruct traditional power structures and implement practical strategies.
Ultimately, this presentation asserts that strengthening the therapeutic alliance requires a fundamental shift: recognizing the autistic client as the expert in their own life, and restructuring the professional relationship around mutual respect and equitable partnership.
Learning Objectives:
1. Describe how power dynamics influence the development and maintenance of the therapeutic alliance in behavioral healthcare settings.
2. Identify ways in which autistic individuals may perceive and experience power differentials within clinical relationships.
3. Apply strategies to mitigate hierarchical power structures and implement practices that strengthen collaboration and enhance the therapeutic alliance with autistic clients.
Presenters: Greg Burnham & Dr. Lisa Cheyette
Description: This presentation explores the challenges of providing therapy to autistic adolescents and young adults, with particular attention to residential treatment settings and varying levels of care. We will examine common concerns about the role, type, and intensity of therapy, then introduce coaching as a complementary—and sometimes alternative—approach. Coaching will be clearly defined and contrasted with therapy, with attention to when and how each is most appropriate. The presentation concludes with practical tools for assessing individual needs and supporting effective collaboration within residential teams and family systems.
A central focus will be the often-unspoken doubts held by professionals working in residential programs regarding therapeutic models for autistic youth. These concerns are frequently discussed privately rather than openly addressed. We will explore why these conversations are difficult to initiate and offer strategies for bringing them into constructive, team-based dialogue.
We will also examine how the pressure to legitimize our roles as treatment providers can lead to rigid or artificial expectations about what “treatment” should look like, limiting curiosity and individualized care. While the field has made meaningful progress, this presentation aims to support continued growth by encouraging thoughtful reflection and flexibility.
Finally, we will integrate broader critiques and conversations about autism and therapy that extend beyond residential treatment settings, drawing on external data and perspectives. The goal is for participants to leave feeling energized, grounded, and relieved of unnecessary expectations—both external and internal—that can constrain decision-making, creativity, and ultimately the care we provide to young people and their families.
Learning Objectives:
1. Differentiate between coaching and therapy within the context of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), including scope of practice, goals of intervention, and regulatory considerations.
2. Apply the distinctions between coaching and therapy to clinical decision-making in residential and treatment settings.
3. Demonstrate effective communication strategies to educate interdisciplinary teams and families regarding the appropriate role and utilization of coaching versus therapy services.
4. Develop and implement individualized, developmentally appropriate strategies that align coaching and therapeutic interventions within residential care programs.
Presenters: Dr. Jessica Romeyn & Mauri Sorensen, LMFT
Description: Many adolescents entering care have received their Autism diagnosis recently, often within the last year. Parents often approach us with confusion and sadness, reflecting that their teen had not displayed significant challenges throughout their childhood and that only now, “looking back”, can they see signs of ASD symptoms from their child. Not having the knowledge of their neurodiversity until their teen years causes clinically significant challenges for teens and their families such as school avoidance, social withdrawal, family conflict, depression, and anxiety. These adolescents frequently have similarities in their profiles and in their experiences. These teens are extremely intelligent, have adapted to multiple life challenges through masking, find themselves stuck in a burnout cycle, struggle to make and keep friends, and have a very low sense of self-worth. Parents are often in a space of exhaustion, grief, resentment, or depression.
Late diagnosis of ASD impacts the teen and the entire family system drastically. Teens are wrestling with identity, agency, and belonging while parents work through grief about “missed” development and revise their entire narrative of their child. The family system is reorganizing around new language, new expectations, and new meaning-making. As each person in the family looks back, we begin to identify experiences the teen coded as trauma from not having skills to manage their hypersensitivities, attempting to navigate the demands of a neurotypical classroom, and deeply entrenched experiences of invalidation or missed attunement. Our work is rooted in supporting these families in identifying new ways to support one another and find a new narrative for the family system. Through dedicated case planning, we support adolescents in developing insight, reducing shame, increasing agency, developing communication skills, and improving the attunement between parent and teen.
This presentation explores what shifts clinically when autism is identified in adolescence, and how this late diagnosis reorganizes the family system. Attendees will gain knowledge of the specific vulnerabilities that undiagnosed teens experience and the key neurodevelopmental factors that interfere with their ability to participate in their lives and cause disruption within the family. The presentation also addresses how family therapy is used as a critical intervention to support the teen in developing communication and ToM skills, and for the parents to attune more accurately, interrupt escalation cycles, and rebuild relational trust.
Learning Objectives:
1. Identify core clinical features and developmental patterns common in late-diagnosed autistic adolescents, including masking, burnout cycles, executive-function vulnerabilities, and the family’s retrospective reframing of early signs.
2. Explain how late ASD diagnosis reorganizes family narratives, communication patterns, and expectations, using principles from family systems theory.
3. Apply Directed Family Therapy (DFT) interventions—including intentional pauses, identifying unspoken rules, and differentiating discomfort from unsafety—to reduce escalation and increase relational attunement in families.

SESSION 6

Presenter: Brenda Keller, LPC
Description: This presentation delves into the intricate relationship between Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Suicidal Ideation (SI), highlighting the latest research insights and therapeutic approaches. Participants will gain an in-depth understanding of how these two areas intersect and will be equipped with a toolkit of practical interventions tailored for individuals with ASD experiencing SI. The session will emphasize the importance of customized communication strategies, effective crisis management techniques, and the development of comprehensive, long-term support plans, all grounded in current best practices. This educational experience aims to enhance the therapeutic skills of professionals, ensuring they are well-prepared to meet the unique needs of this client population with empathy and expertise.
Learning Objectives:
1. Explain how the current research of Autism Spectrum Disorder and suicidal ideation are related.
2. Utilize 3-5 tools to improve your interventions and outcomes for clients on the spectrum experiencing suicidal ideation.
3. Identify and address the unique challenges and needs of individuals with autism who are experiencing suicidal ideation, focusing on tailored communication strategies, crisis management, and long-term support plans.
Presenters: Michaela Fanelli, M.Ed., BCBA, LABA, CTRS-E
Description: This presentation shares findings from a phenomenological study using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to explore how women diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) understand and make meaning of their persistence in postsecondary education. Focusing on students who have completed at least 60 college credits, the study illuminates how persistence unfolds across academic, social, and institutional transitions. Guided by Schlossberg’s transition theory and the 4S system, the analysis examines how personal characteristics, contextual supports, and coping strategies shape students’ lived experiences as they navigate identity development, masking pressures, disability disclosure, evolving independence, and the demands of college culture.
Autistic women remain significantly underrepresented in both autism and persistence research. This presentation introduces a phenomenological study that centers on their voices and examines how persistence is shaped through the interplay of situation, self, support, and strategies. The findings reveal gender-specific challenges—including relational expectations, masking pressures, late or evolving diagnostic experiences, and the need for selective disclosure—while also highlighting the essential role of faculty, peers, accommodations, and institutional structures in shaping persistence pathways. Together, these insights offer a deeper understanding of how autistic women navigate postsecondary environments and of the conditions that strengthen or hinder their ability to sustain academic progress.
The presentation will discuss the study's findings, interpret how features of higher education culture shape autistic women’s experiences, and offer practical strategies to inform policy, instructional approaches, disability services, and campus-wide professional development. Together, these insights support the creation of more inclusive, identity-responsive postsecondary environments where autistic women can thrive, persist, and graduate.
Learning Objectives:
1. Identify the core thematic structures that explain how autistic women understand and sustain persistence in postsecondary education.
2. Analyze how features of higher education culture shape the conditions under which neurodivergent students pursue and maintain their academic progress.
3. Develop practical strategies that strengthen persistence pathways for autistic women across higher education settings.
Presenters: Dr. Ingrid Boveda & Steve Roth, LCSW, NASM- CPT/CNC
Description: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often co-occurs with depression, anxiety, and other mental health challenges in adolescents and young adults. Emerging research highlights that lifestyle interventions—specifically regular physical activity and a nutrient-rich whole-foods diet—can significantly support psychological well-being and brain health in this population. Exercise programs (e.g., aerobic, strength, yoga or dance-based activities) have been shown to improve motor skills, cognitive function, social skills and even measurable brain function in youth/adults with ASD. Neurologically, physical activity boosts neuroplasticity: it increases levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), promotes synaptogenesis, and may normalize gut–brain signaling and reduce neuroinflammation, all of which can ameliorate ASD symptoms. Similarly, proper nutrition—emphasizing a balanced diet of whole foods—is critical to mental health and nervous system regulation. Many individuals with ASD have selective eating patterns that cause vitamin/mineral deficiencies; these nutrient gaps can worsen mood and anxiety by impairing neurotransmitter pathways (e.g., B-vitamins for serotonin synthesis). Ensuring adequate nutrition helps stabilize mood, supports normal brain development, and can mitigate gastrointestinal issues linked to behavior. While exercise and nutrition interventions provide clear benefits across all populations, research shows they have uniquely positive influences on neurodivergent individuals, including those with ASD. The regulatory effects of these interventions are particularly well-suited to the distinct nervous system characteristics of the ASD population.
In behavioral health practice, integrating movement and nutrition alongside traditional therapies can enhance outcomes. A holistic intervention model (combining exercise, diet, and sleep hygiene) has been advocated to target core ASD symptoms and co-occurring mental health issues. For example, occupational and behavioral therapists can incorporate structured physical activities or yoga into sessions to improve sensory regulation and self-esteem. Psychologists can reinforce healthy lifestyle goals (e.g., family-based meal planning, daily activity routines) as part of therapeutic plans. When exercise and dietary guidance are woven into treatment (with coordination between therapists, dietitians, and families), adolescents with ASD often experience reduced anxiety and better emotional stability. This session will review current evidence on how movement and whole-food nutrition benefit the autistic brain, and will outline practical strategies for clinicians to integrate these interventions into therapy.
Learning Objectives:
1. Describe common co-occurring mental health conditions in adolescents and young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and explain how physical activity and nutrition influence symptom presentation and severity.
2. Explain the neurobiological mechanisms by which exercise and dietary patterns affect brain function and emotional regulation in individuals with ASD.
3. Critically appraise current research findings regarding exercise and nutrition interventions in ASD, including evidence related to social functioning, cognitive outcomes, emotional regulation, and prevention of nutrition-related deficiencies associated with mood disturbances.‍
4. Develop an interdisciplinary, integrative treatment plan that incorporates evidence-informed movement and nutrition strategies into behavioral healthcare practice. ‍
Presenters: Jess Jewell, Ph.D. & Dr. Joanna Tomaszewski
Description: We Were Sure. Then We Weren’t: Autism and Its Most Convincing Look-Alikes is a case-based presentation examining how autism in pediatric populations is often obscured by psychiatric diagnoses and presentations that are clinically reasonable early on. Using longitudinal case vignettes, the presenters illustrate how autism may initially appear as bipolar disorder, borderline personality traits, ADHD, obsessive–compulsive disorder, or social anxiety, as well as through common diagnostic detours such as chronic irritability, demand avoidance, social withdrawal, high insight with low follow-through, and compliance followed by collapse. Rather than emphasizing diagnostic criteria, the session focuses on process—how time, treatment response, and interdisciplinary observation shape diagnostic clarity—highlighting the role of well-timed neuropsychological assessment, medication trials, psychotherapy, and real-world functioning across settings. Designed for an autism-informed audience, the presentation models diagnostic humility and collaborative formulation, emphasizing that changing one’s mind in response to accumulating data is a core clinical strength in complex pediatric assessment.
Learning Objectives:
1. Recognize common diagnoses and clinical presentations that can obscure autism in pediatric populations.
2. Describe how time, treatment response, and longitudinal observation clarify trait-versus-state features in complex cases.
3. Explain how interdisciplinary and well-timed assessment data can be integrated to support accurate autism diagnosis.

Event Schedule

Monday - April 20th

Tuesday - April 21st

Wednesday - April 22nd

Session Details

PRE-CONFERENCE SESSION

KEY NOTE

SESSION 1

SESSION 2

SESSION 3

SESSION 4

SESSION 5

SESSION 6

FOLLOW US

PARTNER PROGRAMS

Event Schedule

Monday - April 20th

Tuesday - April 21st

Wednesday - April 22nd

Session Details

PRE-CONFERENCE SESSION

Beyond the "Average" Autistic Person: Using Machine Learning to Map Individualized Pathways from Sensory Processing and Uncertainty to Anxiety

KEY NOTE

Our Evolving Understanding of Autism Across the Lifespan

SESSION 1

Autism and Its Correlation With Increased Cardiovascular Mortality and Diseases

Bridging Neuroscience and Practice: Supporting Adolescents with Sensory Processing Challenges

The Transformative Impact of Parent Peer Support: How Peer-to-Peer Support Adds Measurable Value and Improves Outcomes for Families and the Individual with Autism

Tweens, Teens, and Young Adults on the Autism Spectrum: A Guide to Safety and Spending Healthy Time on the Internet

SESSION 2

AI-Augmented Social Communication Support for Adolescents on the Autism Spectrum: Evidence, Clinical Implications, and Ethical Considerations

Building Neuroinclusive Spaces and Bolstering Success on a College Campus and Beyond

Emotional Quotient (EQ) Unlocked: The Skills Behind Success

When Talk Gets in the Way: Bypassing Rigidity in Neurodiverse Clients with Accelerated Response Therapy

SESSION 3

Autism, Death, Grief: Experiences from those on the Spectrum

Beyond Diagnosis: Using the SPM-2 for Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Autism Care

Caregiver wellbeing and treatment adherence: Impact of complex challenging behavior exhibited by individuals with autism

Preparing Neurodiverse Young People for Work and Purpose in the AI Era

SESSION 4

From Autistic Experience to Clinical Adaptation: Neurodivergent-Informed Care and Model Mismatch in Therapy

Post‑Secondary Planning for Neurodivergent Teens and Young Adults: Applying Clinical Executive Function Techniques to College, Career, and Independent Living

The Mystery of Obsessions and Compulsions: the Intersection of ASD and OCD

Understanding the ABA Controversy: History, Misconceptions, Ethical Evolution, and Implications for Autism Programs

SESSION 5

Decoding Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for the Neurodiverse Mind: Inpatient Strategies for High-Acuity Autistic Adolescents

Alliance or Compliance? Power in Autism Care

When “More Therapy” Becomes The Problem - Challenging Assumptions About Treatment For Autistic Adolescents and Young Adults

When the Diagnosis Comes Late: Shifting Identity, Attunement, and Family Dynamics

SESSION 6

Autism and Suicidal Ideation: Bridging Understanding with Action for Compassionate Intervention

Perceptions of Persistence: Lived Experiences of Women Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorder in Postsecondary Education

The Integration Advantage: Transforming Autism Care Through Movement and Nutrition

We Were Sure. Then We Weren’t: Autism and Its Most Convincing Look-Alikes

FOLLOW US

PARTNER PROGRAMS