Neurodiversity-Affirming Practices in Child and Adolescent Autism Evaluation
The field of autism research is growing rapidly. Within the neurodiversity movement, the importance of affirming approaches in both assessment and treatment of autism cannot be understated. Additionally, there is currently a clear need for clinicians trained in autism assessment who are neurodivergent-affirming in both belief and practice while maintaining integrity in their evidence-based practices and high-quality evaluations. This course addresses this need within the neurodiversity framework. Clinicians will leave this course with the ability to integrate neurodivergent-affirming assessment practices into their work with children and adolescents.
In this course, offered live on Zoom, we will explore how to assess for autism in children and adolescents from a strengths-based, affirming, and trauma-informed perspective, from initial referral to final feedback. First, autism as a diagnosis will be explored, from its earliest identification to the more recent neurodiversity movement. Then, clinicians will learn to identify and support children and adolescents during the autism evaluation process. The importance of gathering a social developmental history, what to look for, and how to best include the family in the process is addressed. We will also focus strongly on populations which have historically been under-represented in autism diagnosis, including black and indigenous people of color and other global majority groups, girls, transgender and non-binary individuals. We will explore the of intersectionality of traits and life experiences that make it difficult to recognize autism. Autism and “masking” will be explored, including how to assess for masking as well as types of masking behaviors and mental health consequences of masking in this population. We will explore how to build an appropriate battery of measures to capture both strengths and challenges. Information from autistic self-advocates in the field of psychology and beyond will be prioritized. Suggestions for writing appropriate and affirming therapeutic recommendations for home, school, and therapeutic modalities will be given.
Each iteration of the course is offered live on Zoom in a cohort style in order to allow for personalized support and Q&A. Following course completion, participants will have access to the recordings and PPTs, with the option to opt-in to a monthly autism evaluation consultation group with Dr. Haygeman following completion of the course.
Presenter Bio:
Dr. Emily Haygeman is a Licensed Psychologist and owner of Empower Psychological Services. Over the past 20 years, Dr. Haygeman has worked directly with autistic individuals and their families in a variety of capacities. During her doctoral training, she conducted autism research through joint collaborations with the University of Utah and UCLA focused on improved outcomes for autistic adults. As a research assistant, she trained to research-reliability standards on the ADOS-2 and ADI-R, conducted autism assessments throughout the state of Utah for research purposes, and led a variety of social groups using the PEERS Curriculum. She participated in the prestigious Leadership and Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) program as an Autism-Enhanced Trainee. After graduation, Dr. Haygeman worked in a variety of settings including community mental health centers, public schools, and residential and wilderness therapy programs, specializing in psychological evaluation. Currently, Dr. Haygeman specializes in neurodivergent-affirming psychological evaluation, individualizing the approach for children, teens, and adults. She also offers therapy, social empowerment groups, and a range of mindfulness-based services which are enhanced by her background as a trained yoga and mindfulness instructor. She has presented for conferences and organizations including the Independent Educational Consultants Association conference, Oregon Psychological Association and the University of Utah. She regularly conducts training and consultation for group practices in Utah and Oregon, and served as a practicum supervisor for Pacific University’s doctoral students. She currently leads a monthly peer supervision group on autism evaluation and regularly supports other psychologists and therapists via consultation, training, and collaboration. In every setting, Dr. Haygeman’s work focuses on empowering neurodivergent individuals, and as such the work of autistic self-advocates and psychologists is at the forefront of her own ongoing learning and development.
Timeline:
Module 1: Thursday November 6, 2025: 2-5pm PST
Module 2: Friday November 7, 2025: 2-5pm PST
Module 3: Saturday November 8, 2025: 10am-1pm PST
Learning Objectives
Participants will be able to:
• Recall perspectives of autism from a historical perspective
• Describe autism from a strengths-based, neurodivergent-affirming, trauma-informed perspective
• Develop your own battery for autism evaluation
• Explain the rationale for including a comprehensive social developmental interview in autism assessment
• Differentiate autism from and with common co-occurring conditions
• Recognize autism presentation in girls, transgender, non-binary, and Global Majority populations
• Define masking in the context of autism and describe how to assess it within the scope of an assessment
• Identify and name autistic self-advocates and be able to summarize some perspectives on the evaluation process
• Develop and identify strengths-based report recommendations
To register for this live course please email: admin@empowerwhoyouare.com
This course content is based on a publication that has been peer-reviewed, the scientific standard for evaluating academic work. All studies and scientifically derived evidence have limitations that should be considered. If you have any questions about the accuracy or limitations of the content, please contact us at
support@ce-classes.com and we will get back to you.
