Live Event

Autism and Trauma: Understanding Trends and Realities to Provide a Clinically Responsive Treatment Approach

Fri, Jul 24th, 2026

11:00am – 2:15pm US Eastern Time

$67 Included free with an Ignite membership!

Event Details

Fri, Jul 24th, 2026

11:00am – 2:15pm US Eastern Time

(8:00am – 11:15am US Pacific Time)

3 CE Hours

Live Event

Profession Group

About the Event

Individuals with autism have an increased tendency to experience trauma and post-traumatic disorder compared with the general population. Dealing with trauma and its effects can be multi-faceted and devastating for those who have experienced a traumatic event or circumstance. For those with autism, experiences with trauma may be different and processing and treating trauma may also require an added layer of specialized support. This training will discuss trauma experiences, as well as trauma expressions and responses among individuals with autism. Best practices and implications for practice will be discussed.

Live Event This is a live online event. It will be conducted via Zoom Webinar.

Live Event Instructor

Christina Marsack-Topolewski

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 90 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.

Target Audience

This live interactive is intended for Behavioral Health and Addictions professionals, including psychologists, social workers, counselors, marriage & family therapists, art therapists, school psychologists, psychoanalysts, music therapists, behavior analysts, school counselors, and addiction counselors. It is appropriate for all levels of knowledge.

Learning Objectives

After taking this activity, you should be able to:

1 Discuss the prevalence of trauma as experienced by individuals with autism.
2 Articulate reasons for increased trauma experiences among individuals with autism.
3 Explain differences in trauma experiences for those with autism.
4 Summarize 3 strategies or resources to support individuals with autism who have experienced trauma.

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.

Faculty

There are no known relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Commercial support

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

Event Agenda

Agenda times are listed in US Eastern Time. That is 3 hours later than US Pacific Time. The event starts at 8:00am US Pacific Time.

11:00-11:30 am: Welcome, Introduction, Orientation to the Topic

11:30 am – 12:00 pm: What is trauma? How does it impact individuals with autism?

12:00 pm – 12:30 pm: Prevalence and co-occurring conditions related to trauma; common trauma experiences

12:30 pm – 12:45 pm: Break

12:45 pm – 1:15 pm: Best practice and implications for practice in supporting and treating trauma experienced by autistic individuals

1:15 pm – 2:00 pm: Neuro-affirming and traum-informed care; supports, strategies, and resources

2:00-2:15: Recap; Q & A

Policies

If a grievance arises pertaining to your participation in our continuing education activities, please contact our support team immediately. See our full grievance policy for more information.

ADA accommodations will be made in accordance with the law; please indicate your special needs when you register by contacting us.

Up to 30 days prior to the event, live event registrations may be canceled for a refund via the current courses tab in your member account. Less than 30 days prior to the event, live event registration purchases are not eligible for a refund, but can be transferred to a different event. Please contact our support team for assistance with changing your registration.

This is a live event, hosted via Zoom Webinar. you may be prompted to download or upgrade your Zoom app if using a mobile device. A strong WiFi/internet connection will be required for best quality.
We recommend clicking your "Join Webinar" button early and checking that your speakers are on before the event begins. Please do not worry about being seen or heard! Attendee video feeds and mics are turned off by default when entering a webinar. You will be able to ask questions via the Q&A feature. You may test your Zoom connection prior to the event at the Zoom Test page .
Please respect that no copying, recording, or distribution of live session content is allowed.

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If you need to cancel your registration for a webinar, please contact our support team for assistance prior to the event. Please note our refund policy, above.

If the activity must be cancelled by the provider, all attendees will receive an email notifying them of the cancellation. The email will also provide details about transferring the registration to another educational activity or receiving a refund of the registration fee. As always, you can contact our support team if you have questions or concerns.

Frequently Asked Questions

Once you register, you'll receive an email with the link and instructions to join the live event. The event will be hosted via Zoom Webinar. You may test your Zoom connection prior to the event at the Zoom Test page We recommend logging in 10-15 minutes early to be sure your connection is ready.

Most live events are recorded and made available to registered participants for a limited time after the event. Check your event materials for specific details about recording availability.

Certificates for live events are typically available within shortly after the event concludes, as soon as attendance verification is completed. You'll receive an email notification when your certificate is ready to download.

If the event is recorded, you may be able to access the recording after the live session. Contact support for information about makeup options for your specific event.

If you need to withdraw 30 or more days before the event, you can do this your self from your current courses tab.