DESCRIPTION:

Much of the current clinical and scholarly information around autism is deficit-based and limited. In fact, some of it is now known to be completely inaccurate. The result is a disconnect from the actual experience of being autistic. Misinformation, misguided support, and oppression creates and contributes to mental health difficulties, stress, and unintentional harm.

Bring your knowledge up-to-date based on the past 15 years of the neurodiversity movement, which is largely informed by autistic scholars and the autistic experience. This informational, experiential, and reflective experience will help you understand autistic thinking and thriving in ways that might be unrecognizable to non-autistic people. Begin to explore how to adapt your current practices to foster genuine autistic happiness, health, and healing across the lifespan. When we know better, we do better!

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

• Increase awareness and identification through greater understanding that people with autism experience thinking and processing differences, and these differences are not deficits
• Explore the intersection of autism and mental health, including contributions, current limitations, diagnostic overshadowing, co-occurring considerations, and the impact of stress and trauma
• Understand what health and happiness means to autistic people
• Consider what adaptations can be made to provide accessible, inclusive, and affirmative healthcare environments and clinical supports for autistic people

ADDITIONAL TRAINING OPPORTUNITY:

Those interested in participating in a certified 30-hour intensive training course on this subject are invited to complete a brief application to be enrolled. Please visit the event page for this training to access additional information and view the training schedule,

Those who fully attend the 30-hour intentsive training course will receive 30 certified continuing education (CE) hours.

CERTIFICATES:

Registrants who fully attend this event or training will receive a certificate of attendance via email within two weeks after the event or training. 

PRESENTER:

Angela Marx, PhD

Dr. Angela Marx has been joining with children, adolescents, adults, and families in various roles and places for almost half her life and has been in academia studying and training in clinical psychology for the past 12 years. Although she considers herself a scientist and uses research and knowledge, she also knows that there is so much more that we do not know and focuses on each person’s experience to join and learn with them. Dr. Marx specializes in assessment and facilitating mental health and wellness with neurodivergent children, adolescents, and adults to help them discover and define who they are and find (or create) the places where they belong and flourish.

The Great Lakes MHTTC is offering this training for individuals working in HHS Region 5: IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI. This training is being provided in response to a need identified by Region 5 stakeholders.