Decoding Autism: Beyond the DSM-5-TR Criteria (2 APA approved CEs)

A Course for Therapists Who Want Clarity, Confidence, and Clinical Mastery with Autism

Unlock the knowledge grad school didn't give you so you can confidently identify autism, support your clients who feel like they don't fit in more effectively, and solidify yourself as a true specialist in the field. Get 2 APA approved CEs.

Why This Course Matters

As a therapist, you are ALREADY working with autistic clients - often without realizing it. When autism goes unrecognized, you may face:

• A lingering sense of ineffectiveness after sessions - feeling like something is missing but you just can't figure out what
• Difficulty filling and maintaining a sustainable caseload when clients terminate early because they feel you don't understand them
• Increasing imposter syndrome and a lack of confidence, questioning if this work is even right for you
• Missed opportunities to provide accurate referrals or treatment that really makes a difference
• Ongoing client drop-off and low retention

This course bridges the gap between your real-world experience and the education you never received.

About Me

Hi! I am Dr. Christina Aegerter, I am a psychologist in private practice and the owner of ACTivation Psychology. I specialize in late diagnosed autism and have been providing autism evaluations and therapy for the last decade with a focus on folks assigned female at birth, adults, highly masking presentations, PDA profiles, and the LGBTQ+ community.

Once I started advertising my specialty in autism, I filled up my caseload and have maintained a 2-year long therapy waitlist since then. I am so passionate about this course because we desperately need more providers that understand autism and practice from a neurodivergent affirming lens.

What's at stake for you as a therapist if you miss autism?

When you don't recognize autistic traits:

• Clients don't progress and often leave therapy prematurely
• You feel ineffective, confused, frustrated, or underprepared
• Imposter syndrome creeps in and you wonder if you're actually helping anyone
• Your caseload becomes harder to fill and maintain

This course ensures you never have to guess again.

What's at stake for your clients if you miss or misdiagnose their autism?

• It reinforces and perpetuates false narratives that nothing will ever work for them
• Clients feel misunderstood or broken
• They leave therapy even more hopeless and confused
• It delays progress and access to appropriate supports and accommodations

What You Will Walk Away With

1.The Confidence to Claim Your Expertise

You may already have years of exposure and experience with autistic clients but without formal education, so you feel like you can't confidently claim this specialization. This course gives you the education so you can fully own your expertise.

2. Clinical Clarity in Session

If you've ever sat across from a client thinking, "Why isn't this working?" This course will help you identify whether autism could be the missing piece.

3. Improved Clinical Screening

Ask the right questions, recognize subtle autistic traits, and quickly determine whether autism should be explored further or if clients need to be referred out for specialty services.

4. Improved Client Retention

Understand autistic traits so you can create alignment in sessions, reduce client frustration, and keep clients engaged in long-term work.

5. Longevity in Your Career

Burnout often comes from feeling ineffective. Gain the clarity and tools to be the kind of therapist that FINALLY gets it right for your clients.

Who this course is for Established Therapists

You’ve been in the field, you’ve seen autistic clients (even if you think you haven't), but you weren’t taught how to identify autism accurately. This course fills that educational gap.

Even though I had years of experience working with the autistic population, it wasn’t until I was trained in autism assessment that I started to fully understand and recognize all presentations of autism.

New Therapists

Get a professional edge early in your career. Know how to identify autistic traits and when to refer to a specialist.

Neurodivergent affirming care is gaining a lot of traction and you can confidently add this to your areas of specialty.

Therapists in Private Practice

Build a full, stable, sustainable caseload by confidently specializing in autism and supporting clients with neurodivergent affirming care.

Autistic clients often need support throughout the lifespan, and when they find a provider who really understands them, they are particularly loyal clients. Once I started advertising my specialty in autism, I filled up my caseload and have maintained a 2 year long waitlist since that time.

After This Course, You Can Confidently Claim Autism as Your Niche You’ll be equipped to:

• Recognize autistic traits across genders, cultures, and ages
• Support clients who are exploring the possibility of autism
• Navigate differential diagnosis with accuracy
• Promote neurodivergent affirming care
• Speak with authority when networking or collaborating with peers

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Describe neurodivergent-affirming language and summarize DSM-5-TR criteria for Autism, including key limitations and potential biases.
2. Identify and apply DSM-5-TR criteria by analyzing real-world examples and media clips to distinguish autistic traits.
3. Differentiate myths and misconceptions from current, neurodiversity-informed perspectives when conceptualizing clients.
4. Evaluate cross-demographic presentations of autism, including gender, culture, and age-related differences, as well as highly masking individuals, Pervasive Drive for Autonomy (PDA), and complex medical comorbidities.
5. Distinguish autism from co-occurring or commonly misdiagnosed conditions (e.g., ADHD, anxiety, PTSD, and OCD).

Testimonials

"I have gained a new appreciation for the immense variability of how autism presents in different individuals."

"This training provided both a depth and breadth of information that served to significantly deepen my understanding of autism and how uniquely individuals might experience the world."

"I'd strongly recommend this training as a mechanism to strengthen your understanding of autism, and as a means to understanding the bridges between many forms of neurodivergence."

"Thank you so very much! You are exemplary and continuously gracious with me, a new clinician, sharing the wonders of your "ways." I really appreciate your time and excellent resourcing. You help me help many others. Thanks!!"

"Dr. Aegerter is such a phenomenal resource in our community. She is so knowledgeable and approachable with clients and trainees alike. She is our go-to resource for all things related to neurodiversity!"

Ready to be the therapist that FINALLY gets it right for your clients?

Transform your confidence. Strengthen your clinical skills. Become the specialist your clients need. Get 2 CEs!

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