Webinar: The Hidden Spectrum: How to Identify Autism in Individuals Who Are Assigned Female at Birth

Description

Join NATSAP on April 24th for the Webinar: The Hidden Spectrum: How to Identify Autism in Individuals Who Are Assigned Female at Birth. Presented by: Allison Jenkins, LCSW; Oasis Ascent and Tracine Smoot, Ph.D.; Psychological Solutions.

Open to NATSAP members only.

Registration

Registration for this webinar will be through the TPN site. Please use this link to access the TPN webinar registration.

You must be signed up with a TPN profile to access the webinar. NATSAP members have free access to TPN through their member benefits. Login to your Info Hub to sign up or your TPN.Health profile.

Learning Objectives

Participants will be able to:

• Summarize the behavioral presentations of autism in individuals assigned female at birth.
• Identify at least two gender differences in Autism presentation.
• Differentiate between autism and other conditions like borderline personality disorder, bipolar disorder, and social anxiety.
• Explain how to recognize "masking" behaviors such as care-taking and "going along to get along."
• Identify and describe at least two comprehensive assessment/ evaluation tools tailored for individuals assigned female at birth.
• Explain how an autism diagnosis can be shared from a neurodivergent, strengths-based perspective.

Educational Goal

The educational goal of this workshop is for participants to improve their understanding and support of females with autism, leading to more accurate diagnoses and effective treatments.

Description

Individuals who are assigned female at birth are often better at “masking” symptoms of autism, which leads to those in treatment programs being misdiagnosed as having borderline personality disorder, bipolar disorder, social anxiety, and so on. Individuals with autism who are assigned female at birth sometimes use “care-taking” and “going along to get along” as ways to connect with others, which can “mask” the underlying autism. On the other hand, individuals who are assigned female at birth who struggle with rigidity and behavioral dysregulation (as is common with autism) can be viewed as attention-seeking, manipulative, or dramatic rather than as lacking the skills to be flexible and to connect with others in healthier ways. This presentation will cover how we can accurately identify individuals assigned female at birth with autism, which is critical for effective treatment.

Target Audience

• Counselor
• Marriage & Family Therapist
• Psychologist
• Social Worker
• Substance Use Disorder Professionals