The neurological dynamics and impact of stigmatization highlight the complexity of these conditions and the need for well-informed and non-judgmental therapeutic support.

While recognizing the strengths of neurodiversity, it’s crucial to acknowledge the significant challenges many individuals with ADHD and ASC face. Most do not attain high-level employment, underscoring the need to balance this perspective by addressing both societal and therapeutic needs.

In the UK, the urgency of this issue is compounded by long wait times for assessments through the NHS, ranging from one to seven years, with private assessments taking six months to a year. Many clients enter therapy unaware that their challenges may be linked to ADHD, ASC, or AuDHD. As practitioners, we often lack specific training in recognizing neurodivergence, leading to a focus on overt symptoms rather than underlying neurodiverse traits. This issue is further complicated by overlaps with conditions like PTSD, C-PTSD, OCD, depression, or anxiety.

Currently, many trauma practitioners lack training in neurodiversity, while health practitioners are not trained to establish the correlation between neurodiverse traits and trauma. As awareness of neurodivergence and its link to mental health grows, we, as practitioners, need to equip ourselves to work with these clients and respond sensitively to undiagnosed neurodiverse traits.

This cutting-edge workshop, based on the latest neuroscience research in the field, aims to enhance awareness of ADHD, ASC, AuDHD, and their link to trauma, PTSD, and C-PTSD, while identifying the neurodiversity and strengths of neurodivergent individuals. Our goals are to:

• Challenge misconceptions and explore the challenges faced by undiagnosed and misdiagnosed adults, particularly in relation to mental health comorbidities like trauma symptoms, anxiety, mood disorders, depression, shame, self-medication, isolation, and loneliness.
• Equip participants with skills to identify the traits of ADHD, ASC, and AuDHD, understand how they are masked by neurotypical behaviours, and recognize how they overlap with trauma, PTSD, and C-PTSD symptoms.
• Emphasize resourcing practitioners to feel more confident when working with clients facing both mental health challenges and neurodivergence. Practitioners will be introduced to therapeutic approaches like Neurodivergent Affirmative Practice, Trauma-Informed Practice, and Compassion-Focused Therapy, which can be integrated into their preferred modality to foster clients’ self-compassion, reduce shame, and manage the traumatic effects of stigma and marginalization.
• Explore how to create neurodivergent-friendly therapeutic spaces that support diverse needs, such as sensory accommodation, communication preferences, and visual supports.
• Through practical, immersive activities, practitioners will enhance their skills and build resources to empower neurodivergent clients, helping them understand, accept, and embrace their neurodivergence without judgment or shame.
• Identify therapeutic interventions to mitigate communication challenges, reduce misunderstandings, and avoid pathologizing by recognizing the “double empathy” problem and improving therapist communication skills to develop a shared language.

The workshop will include group case discussions on complex presentations, the overlap between ADHD, ASC, AuDHD, and trauma symptoms, the range of screening and assessment measures, as well as roleplays to share best practices and integrate trauma-informed and neurodivergent-affirmative practices. Interactive activities over two days will include:

• Case Study Analysis: Participants will work in small groups to analyse case studies of adults with ADHD, ASC, AuDHD, or trauma, focusing on distinguishing between overlapping traits and symptoms, and applying workshop content to real-life scenarios.
• Symptom Overlap Identification: Small groups will discuss and identify overlapping symptoms associated with ADHD, ASC, and trauma-related disorders, enhancing recognition of complex neurodivergent presentations and comprehensive assessment.
• Creating Neurodivergent-Friendly Spaces: Groups will brainstorm strategies for creating neurodivergent-friendly therapeutic spaces, including sensory accommodations, communication preferences, and visual supports. Ideas will be shared with the larger group for feedback and discussion.
• Masking Exercise: Participants will discuss masking behaviours commonly exhibited by individuals with ADHD, ASC, or AuDHD. Small groups will analyse strategies to identify and address masking in therapy sessions, promoting awareness of the challenges faced by neurodivergent individuals in concealing their traits.
• Trauma-Informed Practice Role-Play: Participants will role-play therapeutic interactions using trauma-informed approaches, integrating these with neurodivergent-affirmative practice. The exercise will focus on grounding techniques, validation, and the challenges of working with clients who have comorbid ADHD/ASC and trauma.

In addition, attendees will have the privilege of attending two keynote sessions:

Keynote 1: an online keynote address by Prof. Tony Attwood

Prof. Attwood will present recent research studies with practical implications for professionals working with autistic individuals. This presentation will bridge recent academic advances with their application in the everyday lives of autistic children, adolescents, and adults. Key topics will include:

• Depression, anxiety, and autism: Depression and anxiety are common in autistic individuals, especially in adolescence and adulthood. These challenges often arise from social communication difficulties and sensory overload. Prof. Attwood will explore how these mental health issues manifest in autism and discuss effective strategies for support.
• Autistic burnout: Autistic burnout refers to the exhaustion that comes from managing social, sensory, and cognitive demands. This is particularly common in undiagnosed adults or those who mask their traits. The keynote will cover the signs, causes, and recovery strategies for autistic burnout.
• Autism in couples: Autism can introduce unique challenges in romantic relationships, particularly around communication and emotional needs. Prof. Attwood will discuss how couples can navigate these challenges, improve their communication, and strengthen their relationships.
• Autistic girls and women: Autism is often underdiagnosed in girls and women due to different presentation patterns. This can lead to late diagnoses and unique challenges. Prof. Attwood will highlight these differences and the importance of tailored support strategies for females on the spectrum.

Keynote 2*: an online keynote address by Dr Megan Anna Neff

Sensory Awareness and Self-Advocacy: Empowering Autistic Individuals towards Self-Actualization

This presentation will explore the foundational connection between sensory awareness, sense of self, and self-advocacy in enhancing the well-being of Autistic individuals. It aims to equip psychotherapists and psychologists with the knowledge to cultivate a sensory lens, which is crucial for supporting Autistic people. By addressing the challenges and barriers that Autistic people often face in achieving sensory awareness, including the profound effects of traumatic invalidation on their sense of self, this presentation emphasizes the significance of understanding sensory experiences in forming a robust sense of self.

Acknowledging the impact of such invalidation highlights the critical role therapists play in validating sensory experiences to support self-advocacy and empowerment. Participants will be guided through practical strategies to aid Autistic adults in articulating their sensory needs and preferences, thereby fostering self-advocacy and empowering them towards self-actualization. Incorporating lived experience, professional insights, and research findings, this session is designed to inspire and educate therapists on fostering sensory comprehension and advocacy skills in their practice, with a heightened awareness of the need for a trauma-informed approach.

After participating in this session, attendees should be able to:

• Identify and Describe Barriers to Sensory Awareness: Effectively identify and describe the common obstacles Autistic individuals encounter in recognizing and communicating their sensory experiences.

• Examine the Impact of Traumatic Invalidation on Sensory Awareness and Sense of Self: Explore and understand how experiences of traumatic invalidation related to sensory differences can affect Autistic individuals’ sense of self and their sensory awareness. Develop strategies to support autistic individuals in overcoming these challenges, fostering a stronger, more positive sense of self-identity and empowerment.

• Facilitate Sensory Awareness Practices: Attendees will develop a toolkit of at least three exercises and interventions aimed at increasing Autistic individuals’ sensory awareness, enabling them to better navigate their environments.

• Empower Self-Advocacy through Sensory Understanding: Through the presentation, attendees will learn to teach Autistic adults at least two self-advocacy strategies that leverage their sensory awareness, empowering them to seek accommodations and articulate their needs in personal and professional settings.

* Due to time zone differences, this keynote will be delivered online as a pre-recorded version and will be followed by a live online Q&A session

Overall, this immersive workshop will equip psychotherapists, psychologists, and counselors with a broader range of competencies for working with neurodiverse clients. Participants will gain a deeper sensitivity to their clients’ needs, enhance their ability to foster inclusivity, and become stronger advocates for the well-being and empowerment of neurodivergent individuals.

Workshop Highlights:

• Understanding Sensory Awareness and Self-Advocacy: Gain insights into the critical role sensory awareness plays in developing a strong sense of self in Autistic individuals. Explore ways to help clients advocate for their sensory needs.
• Understanding Neurodiversity in Adults: Gain insights into ADHD, ASC, AuDHD, and trauma. Learn to recognize misdiagnosed signs and their impact on mental health, including anxiety and isolation.
• Recognizing Overlapping Symptoms: Explore overlaps between ADHD, ASC, PTSD, OCD, and mood disorders. Enhance diagnostic skills to better understand complex neurodivergent cases.
• Empowering Self-Advocacy: Learn tools to help Autistic adults advocate for sensory-based accommodations and communicate their needs effectively in various environments.
• Therapeutic Approaches: Integrate Neurodivergent Affirmative Practice, Trauma-Informed Practice, and Compassion-Focused Therapy. Focus on fostering self-compassion and managing stigma.
• Creating Neurodivergent-Friendly Spaces: Develop strategies for environments that meet neurodivergent needs, including sensory accommodations and communication preferences.
• Practical Skills and Case Discussions: Engage in case discussions, role plays, and workshops. Share best practices in a collaborative setting.
• Empowering Neurodivergent Clients: Equip yourself with tools to help clients embrace their neurodivergence. Support them in navigating challenges without shame or masking.

Learning Objectives:

• Discuss Neurodiversity in Adults, specifically ADHD and ASC, and their overlap in AuDHD.
• Identify challenges faced by undiagnosed/misdiagnosed adults, including the long-term impact on mental health: anxiety, depression, shame, isolation, and loneliness.
• Discuss the prevalence of ADHD and ASC in adults and how to identify underlying traits and challenges often masked by neurotypical behaviours.
• Discuss overlapping symptoms with mood disorders, anxiety, depression, self-medication, PTSD, and Complex PTSD.
• Discuss how to work with neurodivergent clients and incorporate Compassion-Focused Therapy into preferred therapeutic modalities and develop Neurodivergent-Affirmative Practice.
• Discuss Trauma-Informed Practice and how it can be integrated into your preferred modality to foster clients’ self-compassion, reduce shame, and manage the traumatic effects of stigma and marginalization.
• Create neurodivergent-friendly spaces to accommodate diverse needs.
• Explain how to resource and empower neurodivergent clients to find strategies and tools to develop self-compassion, acceptance, and embrace their neurodivergence.
• Discuss the signs, causes, and recovery strategies for autistic burnout.
• Discuss how couples can navigate the challenges around communication and emotional needs and how to improve their communication with partners on the spectrum.
• Explain different presentation patterns in autistic girls and women and the importance of tailored support strategies for females on the spectrum.
• Identify therapeutic interventions to mitigate communication challenges, reduce misunderstandings, and avoid pathologizing by recognizing the “double empathy” problem.

Don’t Miss This Opportunity:
This limited-seating event is more than just a training—it’s a chance to transform your understanding and approach to neurodivergent clients, fostering inclusivity and advocating for their well-being. Join us for an unmissable cutting-edge event that will elevate your practice and enrich your personal and professional life.

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