Autistic adults, many of whom have slipped through the cracks of outdated diagnostic models, are seeking therapy in record numbers. And given that traditional therapy interventions often fail—and can even harm—these high-masking clients, it’s critical that we update our thinking on how to best support them. This workshop will challenge what you think you know about Autism and introduce a modern, affirming framework rooted in identity, not pathology. We’ll replace ineffective generalist therapy techniques with strategies designed specifically for Autistic clients to help you build a more responsive and inclusive clinical practice. With clinical tools you can use immediately, you'll walk away with sharper insight, better language, and a new lens that serves your clients. You’ll discover how to: 

• Update your language, lens, and diagnostic tools to better serve misdiagnosed and marginalized clients 
• Identify previously unrecognized markers of neurodivergence and address unique, internalized traits that present in assessment and therapy 
• Unlock therapeutic pathways to identity-based acceptance, including how to recognize and navigate diagnostic grief 
• Help clients soothe a nervous system “on fire” and support sensory sensitivities, complex presentations of anxiety, and comorbidities, such as eating and substance use disorders 
• Tell the difference between Autism burnout and misdiagnosed conditions like depression, generalized anxiety, trauma, or personality disorders