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From Presence to Practice: Applying Neurodiversity-Affirming Principles

CE Hours 1

About this course

Neurodiversity-affirming practice requires more than creating an initially safe therapeutic space; it requires clinicians to sustain attunement, trust, and collaboration throughout the course of treatment. This course builds on foundational neurodiversity-affirming principles by examining how those principles translate into day-to-day clinical practice. Participants will explore how neurodivergent nervous systems, communication styles, sensory experiences, and relational histories shape the therapeutic relationship over time. Emphasis is placed on clinical presence, pacing, rupture and repair, and ethical decision-making that prioritizes autonomy and collaboration over compliance. Through clinical examples and applied discussion, clinicians will learn how to adapt their therapeutic stance and strategies to support engagement, reduce misattunement, and maintain a strong therapeutic alliance with neurodivergent clients across the lifespan.

Learning Objectives

  • Identify key relational and neurobiological factors that influence attunement, trust, and engagement in neurodivergent clients throughout the therapeutic process.
  • Apply neurodiversity-affirming principles to clinical decision-making related to pacing, boundaries, communication, and repair within the therapeutic relationship.
  • Evaluate common sources of misattunement and unintentional harm in therapy with neurodivergent clients and implement relationally informed strategies to address them.

Learning Levels

  • Beginner/Intermediate

Course Instructor(s)

  • Jessica Scher Lisa, Psy.D.

    Dr. Jessica Scher Lisa is a licensed psychologist and the founder of Long Island Mental Health and Wellness, a private practice dedicated to providing compassionate, evidence-based care across the lifespan. She specializes in neurodiversity-affirming therapy and psychological assessment, with a clinical focus on autism, anxiety disorders, ADHD, and family systems. Dr. Lisa is particularly skilled in working with individuals who experience sensory sensitivities, social differences, and masking behaviors that often go overlooked in traditional clinical settings. In addition to her direct clinical work, Dr. Lisa is passionate about training other professionals to move beyond pathology-based models and adopt strengths-based, inclusive practices. She has provided supervision, workshops, and consultation for therapists seeking to better support neurodivergent clients in both individual and group therapy settings. Through her teaching and leadership, Dr. Lisa aims to help clinicians create therapy spaces where clients can feel safe, seen, and empowered to show up authentically.

Disclosure

DISCLOSURE OF RELEVANT FINANCIAL RELATIONSHIPS CE Learning Systems adheres to the ACCME’s Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Medical Education. Any individuals in a position to control the content of a CE activity ― including faculty, planners, reviewers, or others ― are required to disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible entities (formerly known as commercial interests). The following relevant financial relationships have been disclosed by this activity’s planners, faculty, and the reviewer: PLANNERS AND REVIEWER The planners of this activity have reported that they have no relevant financial relationships. FACULTY The faculty of this activity have reported that they have no relevant financial relationships.

References

  • Den Houting, J. (2019). Neurodiversity: An insider’s perspective. Autism, 23(2), 271-273. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361318820762
  • Lai, M. C., & Szatmari, P. (2020). Sex and gender impacts on the behavioural presentation and recognition of autism. Current opinion in psychiatry, 33(2), 117-123. DOI: 10.1097/YCO.0000000000000575
  • Lerner, M. D., Gurba, A. N., & Gassner, D. L. (2023). A framework for neurodiversity-affirming interventions for autistic individuals. Journal of consulting and clinical psychology, 91(9), 503–504. https://doi.org/10.1037/ccp0000839
  • Pantazakos, T., & Vanaken, G. J. (2023). Addressing the autism mental health crisis: the potential of phenomenology in neurodiversity-affirming clinical practices. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1225152. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1225152
  • Williams, Z. J., & Gotham, K. O. (2021). Assessing general and autism‐relevant quality of life in autistic adults: A psychometric investigation using item response theory. Autism Research, 14(8), 1633-1644. https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.2519

CE Process Info

Content

  • From Presence to Practice: Applying Neurodiversity-Affirming Principles
    1 parts
    • From Presence to Practice: Applying Neurodiversity-Affirming Principles
  • Joint Accreditation

    Joint Accreditation (JA)

    In support of improving patient care, CE Learning Systems is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

  • American Psychological Association (APA)

    Continuing Education (CE) credits for psychologists are provided through the co-sponsorship of the American Psychological Association (APA) Office of Continuing Education in Psychology (CEP). The APA CEP office maintains responsibility for the content of the programs.

  • New York Education Department's State Board for Social Work (NYEDSW)

    CE Learning Systems SW CPE is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #0060.

  • New York Education Department for Licensed Mental Health Counselors (NYSEDLMHC)

    CE Learning Systems, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0072.

  • New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology (NYEDPSY)

    CE Learning Systems dba CE-Credit.com & AddictionCounselorCE.com is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0016.

  • New York Education Department's State Board for Marriage and Family Therapy (NYEDMFT)

    CE Learning Systems dba CE-Credit.com & AddictionCounselorCE.com is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Marriage and Family Therapy as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0045.

From Presence to Practice: Applying Neurodiversity-Affirming Principles
You Have Completed This course
$29
You are enrolled
  • CE Hours
    1
  • Type
    Self-Paced
  • Publication Date
    Feb 6th, 2026

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