Autism Assessment in Adulthood: Best Practices and Neurodiversity-Affirming Approaches - Webinar - May 27, 11:30-1:00 p.m. (MT)

This webinar will review common referral questions, prevalence, and core diagnostic criteria for autism in adulthood. Case examples will be used to illustrate diverse presentations. Evidence-informed best practices for autism assessment will be presented, including test selection and consideration of co-occurring conditions. A neurodiversity-affirming framework will be emphasized, with specific attention to identifying masking/camouflaging and understanding the underlying meaning and context of behavior. Variability in presentation will be highlighted.
 
Participants will be able to: 

• Describe common referral questions, prevalence, and core diagnostic criteria for autism in adulthood
• Identify best practices in assessment
• Apply a neurodiversity-affirming framework to assessment by identifying masking/camouflaging
• Recognize traits of autism across individuals with varied presentations (e.g., women, individuals with intellectual disabilities, those who are minimally speaking, etc.)

Speakers:  

• Kaylin Russell, PhD, Clinical Psychology Postdoctoral Fellow, JFK Partners, University of Colorado School of Medicine
• Allison Meyer, PhD, Assistant Professor, Director of Psychology, Anna and John J. Sie Center for Down Syndrome, University of Colorado School of Medicine
• Ellen Wilkinson, MA, MS, Clinical Psychology Intern, JFK Partners, University of Colorado School of Medicine
• Audrey Blakeley-Smith, PhD, Associate Professor, Director of JFK Partners’ Adult Clinic, University of Colorado School of Medicine

Intended audience:  This clinical training is intended for medical and service providers, in addition to school personnel.

Accommodations, including captioning and Spanish interpretation, may be requested during registration. Accommodation requests should be submitted no later than May 15, 2026.


Questions may be directed to Christine.Cook@cuanschutz.edu