In this interactive and social event we'll discuss some of the historical, sociopolitical influences which have impacted the label of autism in both the distant and recent past.
Historically, autistic people were assessed in childhood, and as a result viewed through the lens of their challenges socializing or acclimating to early-age environments. Recently, a growing number of clients are identifying with autism at a later stage of life, as a tool for connecting with others who share perspectives and experiences of "masking" -- suppressing their natural instincts and tendencies in order to be accepted. Adding another layer, when an adult reconsiders their life through the lens of autism, they often encounter deeper questions and feelings about society, family, and their past challenges. Many of these clients now also identify with ADHD, creating a combined diagnosis often referred to in shorthand as "auDHD".
We have all met some number of clients reassessing their life narrative and experience through the lens of a recent diagnosis. In this interactive and social event we'll discuss some of the historical, sociopolitical influences which have impacted the label of autism in both the distant and recent past. We'll also make space to share insights among us as practitioners regarding the support of neurodiverse individuals in actualizing their lives and overcoming obstacles.
Who it's for:
-Clinicians interested in learning about and advancing the cause of neurodiversity
-Clinicians interested in learning and sharing ways to make autistic/"auDHD" clients feel seen/heard/supported
Bio: Ari Neubauer, AMFT, is proud to be the founder and facilitator of the Autistic Adults Peer Support Group which has met in Oakland and online for over 8 years. Ari is a Peer Counselor at Mental Health Association of San Francisco and a therapist with a background in community and peer recovery mental health settings. Ari is passionate about working with prolonged grief recovery, institution-inflicted trauma, children of emotionally immature parents, as well as LGBTQ+ and neurodiverse clients. For fun in his downtime, Ari likes to play video games, do improv comedy, sing, and on occasion hike -- but not for too long, because he thinks hiking gets boring. ;)
Ari is supervised by Nes Pinar, LMFT.