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Digital Seminar

Rethinking and Supporting Autism in Adults


Speaker:
Tasha Oswald, PhD
Duration:
2 Hours
Language:
Presented in EN, subtitles in EN and FR, handouts in EN and FR
Copyright:
Mar 22, 2025
Product Code:
NOS096510
Media Type:
Digital Seminar


Description

Many adult clients entering therapy don’t know they’re autistic, and often neither do their therapists. After all, they may have become experts at masking “quirky” autistic traits and they might not fit therapist stereotypes of autism. Yet, neurodivergent wiring shapes every aspect of their life, including their therapy. Working effectively with this population means understanding the implications of having felt like an outsider their whole life due to their neurodivergence, often experiencing minority stress and discrimination from being cast as “weird” or even “broken.” In this workshop, you will:  

  • Gain confidence in identifying autistic traits and “masking” in your adult clients. 
  • Understand the unique challenges and experiences of autistic adults to effectively support treatment and build therapeutic rapport. 
  • Support your clients in exploring and embracing their autistic identity. 
  • Integrate a neurodiversity-affirming mindset and strategies into your clinical practice with ease. 

Credit

Program Information

Planning Committee Disclosure - No relevant relationships

All members of the PESI, Inc. planning committee have provided disclosures of financial relationships with ineligible organizations and any relevant non-financial relationships prior to planning content for this activity. None of the committee members had relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies or other potentially biasing relationships to disclose to learners.  For speaker disclosures, please see the faculty biography.



Canada Credit - *

NOTE: Tuition includes one free CE Certificate (participant will be able to print the certificate of completion after passing the online post-test (80% passing score) and completing the evaluation). Instructional methods will include PowerPoint, didactic lecture, and others.

Continuing Education Information:  Listed below are the continuing education credit(s) currently available for this non-interactive self-study package. Program content is reviewed periodically per accrediting board rules for currency and appropriateness for credit. Credit approvals are subject to change. Please note, your licensing board dictates whether self-study is an acceptable form of continuing education, as well as which credit types are acceptable for continuing education hours. Please refer to your licensing board's rules and regulations. If your profession is not listed, please contact your licensing board to determine your continuing education requirements and check for reciprocal approval. 
For other credit inquiries not specified below, please contact info@pesi.com or 800-844-8260 before purchase.

Materials that are included in this course may include interventions and modalities that are beyond the authorized practice of your profession.  As a licensed professional, you are responsible for reviewing the scope of practice, including activities that are defined in law as beyond the boundaries of practice in accordance with and in compliance with your profession's standards.  

For Planning Committee disclosures, please see the statement above.  For speaker disclosures, please see the faculty biography.

 


Canada Credit - ---

Earn up to 2.0 CE hours. Please see below, for more details, as credit amounts vary by jurisdiction and profession. 


Canada Credit - Canadian Counsellors and Psychotherapists

PESI, Inc. is approved by the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association to offer continuing education for counsellors and psychotherapists. PESI, Inc. maintains responsibility for the program. This self-study activity is approved for 2.0 credit hours.


Canada Credit - Social Workers - National ASWB ACE

PESI, Inc., #1062, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: January 27, 2023 - January 27, 2026. Social workers completing this course receive 2.0 Clinical continuing education credits.

 

Course Level: Intermediate Format: Recorded asynchronous distance. Full attendance is required; no partial credits will be offered for partial attendance.

 

Canadian Social Workers: Canadian provinces may accept activities approved by the ASWB for ongoing professional development.


Canada Credit - Canadian Psychologists

PESI, Inc. is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. PESI, Inc. maintains responsibility for the program. This program is approved for 2.0 self-study continuing education hours. Full credit statement at: www.pesi.com/cpa-statement


Canada Credit - Other Professions

This self-study activity qualifies for 2.0 continuing education clock hours as required by many national and local licensing boards and professional organizations. Save your activity advertisement and certificate of completion, and contact your own board or organization for specific requirements.


US National Boards - Addiction Counselors - NAADAC

This self-study course has been approved by PESI, Inc., as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for educational credits. NAADAC Provider #77553. PESI, Inc. is responsible for all aspects of their programming.

This self-study course offers 2.0 continuing education contact hours in the Counseling Services skill group. Full attendance is required; no partial credit will be awarded for partial attendance.



Handouts

Speaker

Tasha Oswald, PhD's Profile

Tasha Oswald, PhD Related seminars and products


Tasha Oswald, PhD, (she/her) is a neurodiversity-affirming licensed psychologist and clinical consultant, IFS Level 3 trained and polyvagal-informed. She identifies as a neurodivergent, Caucasian, cisgender female. Dr. Oswald is passionate about addressing the gap in mental health services for autistic adults and youth. For this reason, she founded the adult autism specialty practice, Open Doors Therapy, based in California. She specializes in working with autistic women, autistic working professionals, gifted and neurodivergent individuals, emerging adults on the spectrum, and adults receiving a later life ASD diagnosis. Seeing the transformative power of group therapy for autistic adults, group work is a cornerstone of her practice. Being in the field for nearly 20 years, Dr. Oswald has received extensive training in autism. After completing her PhD in psychology with an autism emphasis, she was awarded an NIH-Funded Autism Research Training Program (ARTP) post-doctoral fellowship. Through this fellowship program, she engaged in interdisciplinary training and research at the world-renowned UC Davis MIND Institute. While at the MIND Institute, she developed and established a therapy group program for young adults on the autism spectrum called the ACCESS Program. She has published autism research in preeminent research journals. Currently, Dr. Oswald is known for her widely read neurodiversity blog and her regular contributions to international media platforms as an authority on autism. A sought-after speaker and advocate, she has delivered presentations at numerous research conferences, autism-focused events, universities, community gatherings, and corporate settings, aiming to increase awareness of mental health issues faced by autistic adults.

 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Tasha Oswald is the founder and director of Neurodiversity Training Center and the Neurodiversity Wellness Center. She has an employment relationship with Open Doors Therapy. Tasha Oswald receives a speaking honorarium from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Tasha Oswald has no relevant non-financial relationships.


Additional Info

Program Information

Access for Self-Study (Non-Interactive)

Access never expires for this product.

For a more detailed outline that includes times or durations of time, if needed, please contact cepesi@pesi.com.


Questions?

Visit our FAQ page at https://www.pesicanada.ca/faq or contact us at https://www.pesicanada.ca/contact-us.


Objectives

  1. Identify autistic traits in adults, demonstrating the ability to avoid autism stereotypes.  
  2. Use neurodiversity-affirming techniques to help clients explore and embrace their neurodivergent identities.  
  3. Evaluate research on the harmful effects of autistic masking and benefits of unmasking. 

Outline

Recognising signs of autism in adults and common presenting problems 

  • How autistic adults present in therapy 
  • Unique challenges faced by autistic adults (e.g., “autistic burnout”)  
  • How “autistic masking” can be a barrier to identifying autism  

Enhancing cultural competence to promote inclusion 

  • Autistic culture and identity 
  • Differentiating between pathologising and affirming language  
  • Autism stereotypes and ableism 
  • Assessing your own biases  

Applying a Neurodiversity-Affirming Approach to support your autistic clients 

  • Benefits of conceptualising autism through the lens of neurodiversity 
  • Co-creating treatment objectives with client to address autism-specific challenges 
  • Integrating neurodiversity-affirming principles and strategies into your clinical approach 
  • Limitations of the research and potential risks 

Using techniques to help clients explore and embrace their neurodivergent identities  

  • Expanding what it means to be autistic 
  • Exploring societal pressure to mask autism and benefits of unmasking 
  • Tools for self-acceptance and self-compassion 
  • Identifying a neuro-friendly community  

Target Audience

  • Counsellors
  • Marriage and Family Therapists
  • Social Workers
  • Physicians 
  • Psychologists

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Total Reviews: 386

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