Autism and Trauma: Understanding Trends and Realities to Provide a Clinically Responsive Treatment Approach
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
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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 live online event will be held as a Zoom Webinar. Attendees will have the option to interact through features such as the Chat and Q&A, but cameras and microphones will not be enabled.

Live Event Instructor

Christina Marsack-Topolewski

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

Andrzejewski, T., Gomez Batista, S., Abu-Ramadan, T., Breitenfeldt, K. E., Tassone, A. U., Winch, A., ... & McDonnell, C. G. (2024). Examining rates of traumatic events and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms among autistic adults. Autism in Adulthood, 6(3), 374-387. https://doi.org/10.1089/aut.2023.0022

Dodds, R. L. (2021). An exploratory review of the associations between adverse experiences and autism. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 30(8), 1093-1112. https://doi.org/10.1080/10926771.2020.1783736

Fuld, S. (2018). Autism spectrum disorder: The impact of stressful and traumatic life events and implications for clinical practice. Clinical social work journal, 46(3), 210-219. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-018-0649-6

Golan, O., Haruvi-Lamdan, N., Laor, N., & Horesh, D. (2022). The comorbidity between autism spectrum disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder is mediated by brooding rumination. Autism, 26(2), 538-544. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613211035240

Haruvi-Lamdan, N., Horesh, D., Zohar, S., Kraus, M., & Golan, O. (2020). Autism spectrum disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder: An unexplored co-occurrence of conditions. Autism, 24(4), 884-898. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361320912143

Kerns, C. M., Lankenau, S., Shattuck, P. T., Robins, D. L., Newschaffer, C. J., & Berkowitz, S. J. (2022). Exploring potential sources of childhood trauma: A qualitative study with autistic adults and caregivers. Autism, 26(8), 1987-1998. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613211070637

Lockwood Estrin, G., Milner, V., Spain, D., Happé, F., & Colvert, E. (2021). Barriers to autism spectrum disorder diagnosis for young women and girls: A systematic review. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 8(4), 454-470. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40489-020-00225-8

Michna, G. A., Trudel, S. M., Bray, M. A., Reinhardt, J., Dirsmith, J., Theodore, L., ... & Gilbert, M. L. (2023). Best practices and emerging trends in assessment of trauma in students with autism spectrum disorder. Psychology in the Schools, 60(2), 479-494. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.22769

O’Donoghue, E. M., Pogge, D. L., & Harvey, P. D. (2020). The impact of intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder on restraint and seclusion in pre-adolescent psychiatric inpatients. Journal of Mental Health Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 13(2), 86-109. https://doi.org/10.1080/19315864.2020.1750742

Peterson, J. L., Earl, R. K., Fox, E. A., Ma, R., Haidar, G., Pepper, M., ... & Bernier, R. A. (2019). Trauma and autism spectrum disorder: Review, proposed treatment adaptations and future directions. Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma, 12, 529-547. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40653-019-00253-5

Rumball, F., Happé, F., & Grey, N. (2020). Experience of trauma and PTSD symptoms in autistic adults: Risk of PTSD development following DSM‐5 and non‐DSM‐5 traumatic life events. Autism Research, 13(12), 2122-2132. https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.2306

Tubío-Fungueiriño, M., Cruz, S., Sampaio, A., Carracedo, A., & Fernández-Prieto, M. (2021). Social camouflaging in females with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 51, 2190-2199. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04695-x

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Faculty

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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

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