Clinical Topics & Methods Category

What Clinicians Should Know: Understanding Girls and Women With Autism in a World Where They Are Commonly Overlooked and Misdiagnosed

3 CE Hours
284 members have taken this course
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About the Course

Throughout the United States and abroad, boys are more commonly diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Many girls and even females in adulthood are overlooked as having ASD. While the manifestation and exhibited characteristics associated with ASD in females often appears different than for males, females with autism are often misdiagnosed and overlooked altogether— requiring them to navigate a world predicated on social interaction without a proper diagnosis and relevant services. This training will discuss the common ways that autism manifests for females and clinical considerations for practitioners.

This course is based on the recorded webinar, What Clinicians Should Know: Understanding Girls and Women With Autism in a World Where They Are Commonly Overlooked and Misdiagnosed created by Christina Marsack-Topolewski in 2025.

Publication Details

Publication Date: First Feb 2025

Course Material Author

Christina Marsack-Topolewski, Ph.D., LMSW
Dr. Christina Marsack-Topolewski is an associate professor of Social Work in the College of Health and Human Services at Eastern Michigan University. Dr. Marsack-Topolewski received her PhD in Social Work with a dual title in Gerontology from Wayne State University. She has worked with individuals with various intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) for 20 years. Her research focuses on individuals with autism and other neurodevelopmental disabilities, their caregivers, advance care planning, the service delivery model, and service utilization. She has over 80 publications in national and international journals and encyclopedias, mainly focusing on individuals with IDDs, caregiving, as well as services and supports. In addition, she has presented her work locally, nationally, and internationally.
Disclosures
No disclosures to report.

Target Audience

Counselors, marriage and family therapists, psychologists and social workers. This course is appropriate for intermediate and above levels of knowledge.

Learning Objectives

After taking this course, you should be able to:

  1. 1 Analyze common differences in the characteristics and manifestation of autism among females versus males.
  2. 2 Recognize common co-occurring conditions that females with autism often experience.
  3. 3 Explain the reasons for misdiagnosis and under-diagnosis for females with autism.
  4. 4 Summarize strategies and interventions to support females with autism and their family caregivers.

Disclosure to Learners

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 Reviewers

The planners of this activity have reported that they have no relevant financial relationships.

Material Authors

There are no known relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Course Creator

Christina Marsack-Topolewski, Ph.D., LMSW – No disclosures to report.

Commercial support

There is no commercial support for this distance-learning course.

$57
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Course Details

3 CE Hours
Recorded Webinar
Course 103729

Related Topics

Adolescents Youth Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Autism Women Distinct Populations

Availability

This course is available until Apr 3rd, 2035.

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