WORKSHOP

Centering Empowerment and Self-Understanding:

A Neurodiversity-Affirming Approach to Autism Assessment and Treatment Adaptation for Gender Diverse Adolescents and Adults without Intellectual Disability

April 12, 2025  |  9am – 5pm PT

 – 6 CE’s Available –

There is a high co-occurrence of autism with gender diversity. Studies show that trans and gender diverse people have 3-6x the odds of being autistic. However, many are not identified in childhood due to limitations of standard autism screening and assessment tools and many have learned to mask and camouflage their autistic traits. Drawing on his experience caring for dozens of autistic trans and gender diverse youth and adults, Dr. Zhou has put together a training for clinicians who may care for these individuals. This training will be divided into three parts: background, assessment, and treatment.

Who Should Take This Course?

This course is ideal for professionals who work with gender-diverse and neurodivergent individuals in clinical, educational, or advocacy settings. It is designed for those seeking a deeper understanding of the intersection of autism and gender diversity, offering practical strategies for assessment, treatment adaptation, and affirming care. Whether you are a clinician looking to refine your diagnostic approach, a healthcare provider navigating gender-affirming care for autistic individuals, or an advocate aiming to create more inclusive support systems, this training provides the knowledge and tools needed to foster empowerment and self-understanding in the individuals you serve.

Why is This Important?

Autistic transgender and gender-diverse individuals often navigate a world that misunderstands both their neurodivergence and their gender identity. Standard assessment tools frequently fail to capture the unique ways autism presents in this population, leading to misdiagnosis, late diagnosis, or overlooked support needs. At the same time, many clinicians feel uncertain about how to adapt their approach to be truly affirming and effective.

This training addresses these gaps by providing a neurodiversity-affirming framework that acknowledges the strengths and challenges of autistic gender-diverse individuals. By integrating research, lived experiences, and clinical expertise, this course empowers professionals to offer more inclusive, informed, and compassionate care. Understanding this intersection is not just beneficial—it is essential for fostering self-acceptance, reducing barriers to care, and improving mental health outcomes for a highly marginalized population.

What we will Cover:

Part 1: Background

Dr. Zhou will provide an overview of neurodiversity, including basic terminology, contrasting the neurodiversity paradigm with the pathology paradigm, and the social model of disability with the medical model of disability. He will provide an introduction to autism and share what the research literature has to say about the overlap of autism with gender diversity. He will discuss cultural considerations for how autism may present differently in those who are from racial, ethnic, and linguistic minority communities.

Part 2: Assessment

Dr. Zhou will share foundational principles guiding his approach to autism assessment. He will discuss how to screen for autism and how to set up the clinical interview. He describe in-depth the autism diagnostic criteria, and how they may present in individuals who have learned to mask and camouflage. He will discuss when to consider formal neuropsychological testing, and the strengths and limitations of various standardized autism assessment tools. He will explore the pros and cons of having a formal diagnosis of autism in the medical record, and how to have an informed consent-based discussion with patients about this. He will share how to counsel about an autism diagnosis from a neurodiversity-affirming perspective. He will also offer strategies for conducting gender health evaluations of autistic trans and gender diverse youth and adults.

Part 3: Treatment

In the final part of the training, Dr. Zhou will focus on strategies for modifying or adapting one’s clinical practice to better serve autistic gender diverse youth and adults. He will share general tips for how to be more neurodiversity-affirming. He will discuss psychotherapy adaptations for the autistic nervous system and which modalities may be more supportive. He will share insights into psychopharmacological considerations as autistic individuals may respond differently to medications and be more sensitive to side effects. Finally, he will discuss managing the common co-occurring conditions that autistic individuals experience.

  • Neurodiversity Framework – Understanding key terminology and contrasting neurodiversity and pathology paradigms.
  • Autism & Gender Diversity – Exploring research on the overlap and unique presentations across diverse communities, including the concepts of autigender and gendervague.
  • Cultural Considerations – Examining how race, ethnicity, and language influence autism presentation and assessment.
  • Screening & Diagnosis – Identifying autism in gender-diverse individuals, recognizing masking, and evaluating assessment tools.
  • Informed Consent & Diagnosis – Discussing the benefits and challenges of formal diagnosis and guiding patient-centered decision-making.
  • Gender Health Evaluations – Best practices for assessing autistic transgender and gender-diverse youth and adults.
  • Treatment & Therapy Adaptations – Adjusting psychotherapeutic and psychopharmacologic interventions to support the autistic nervous system.
  • Co-Occurring Conditions – Strategies for managing common co-occurring mental health concerns.

Learning Objectives:

  • Define basic terms relating to neurodiversity
  • Describe the co-occurrence of autism and gender diversity
  • Define the female autism phenotype and how this concept may be applied to people of diverse gender identities
  • Discuss the phenomenon of masking and its impact on autistic individuals
  • Describe the strengths and limitations of existing autism assessment tools
  • Identify cultural considerations that may influence the presentation of autism
  • Describe the diagnostic criteria for autism, and how it may present differently in individuals who have learned to mask
  • Describe the benefits and risks of having a formal diagnosis of autism
  • Counsel and educate about an autism diagnosis from a neurodiversity-affirming perspective
  • Identify at least 3 ways to support autistic trans and gender diverse individuals seeking gender-affirming interventions
  • Name at least 3 strategies for modifying one’s practice to be more neurodiversity-affirming
  • Describe at least 2 ways to adapt psychotherapeutic treatment for autistic nervous systems
  • Identify an approach for managing co-occurring conditions commonly seen in autistic individuals
REGISTER NOW

A Neurodiversity-Affirming Approach

April 12, 2025 / 9 am PT – 5 pm PT

 

Early Bird (enroll before April 4, 2025)

 

$299.00

 

 

Regular price: $399.00
(after April 4th, 2025)

6 CE Credits Available

The Gender Health Training Institute is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Gender Health Training Institute maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

Who is leading this workshop?

A. Ning Zhou, MD (he/him/他)

A. Ning Zhou, MD (he/him/他) is a child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist at the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH), volunteer clinical faculty at UCSF, and in private practice. He completed medical school at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, psychiatry residency at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and child & adolescent psychiatry fellowship at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia and Cornell. At SFDPH, he works at a community clinic serving queer and trans youth, a primary care clinic, and a specialty mental health clinic. He co-facilitates two consultation groups at SFDPH, one focused on gender, and one focused on autism and co-occurring conditions. At UCSF he supervises psychiatry trainees/students and directs the LGBTQ+ Mental Health Area of Distinction. He is a World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) Standards of Care 8 Certified Mentor and Member and teaches about neurodiversity for the WPATH Global Education Initiative. In addition, he has a private practice with a focus on serving gender diverse and neurodivergent youth and adults.

Frequently Asked Questions

A. Ning Zhou, MD (he/him/他) is a child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist at the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH), volunteer clinical faculty at UCSF, and in private practice. He completed medical school at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, psychiatry residency at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and child & adolescent psychiatry fellowship at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia and Cornell. At SFDPH, he works at a community clinic serving queer and trans youth, a primary care clinic, and a specialty mental health clinic. He co-facilitates two consultation groups at SFDPH, one focused on gender, and one focused on autism and co-occurring conditions. At UCSF he supervises psychiatry trainees/students and directs the LGBTQ+ Mental Health Area of Distinction. He is a World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) Standards of Care 8 Certified Mentor and Member and teaches about neurodiversity for the WPATH Global Education Initiative. In addition, he has a private practice with a focus on serving gender diverse and neurodivergent youth and adults.

  • Neurodiversity Framework – Understanding key terminology and contrasting neurodiversity and pathology paradigms.
  • Autism & Gender Diversity – Exploring research on the overlap and unique presentations across diverse communities.
  • Cultural Considerations – Examining how race, ethnicity, and language influence autism presentation and assessment.
  • Screening & Diagnosis – Identifying autism in gender-diverse individuals, recognizing masking, and evaluating assessment tools.
  • Informed Consent & Diagnosis – Discussing the benefits and challenges of formal diagnosis and guiding patient-centered decision-making.
  • Gender Health Evaluations – Best practices for assessing autistic transgender and gender-diverse youth and adults.
  • Treatment & Therapy Adaptations – Adjusting psychotherapy approaches to support the autistic nervous system.
  • Psychopharmacology & Co-Occurring Conditions – Understanding medication sensitivities and strategies for managing common co-occurring mental health concerns.

* Sessions are scheduled in Pacific Time (PT)

–

9:00-9:10 am – Introductions

Part 1 – Background
9:10-9:20 am – Overview and context
9:20-9:40 am – Intro to neurodiversity and autism
9:40-10:10 am – Autism and gender diversity
10:10-10:30 am – Cultural considerations: autism in racial, ethnic, and linguistic minorities
10:30-11:00 am – Break

Part 2 – Assessment
11:00-12:30 pm – Autism assessment part 1: understanding the diagnostic criteria and how it may present more subtly in individuals who have learned to mask
12:30-1:30 pm – Lunch
1:30-2:30 pm – Autism assessment part 2: making the diagnosis and counseling from a neurodiversity-affirming lens
2:30-2:45 pm – Gender health evaluations: considerations for autistic gender diverse youth and adults

Part 3 – Treatment
2:45-3:00 pm – Tips to make your practice more neurodiversity-affirming
3:00-3:30 pm – Break
3:30-4:00 pm – Adapting psychotherapeutic and psychopharmacologic interventions for the autistic nervous system, including gender-affirming care considerations
4:00-4:30 pm – Managing co-occurring conditions
4:30-5:00 pm – Q&A

You can watch the replay of the recorded material at any time. You can also comment on the videos if you need clarification on a concept even after the live event is over. You’ll have access to the digital portion of the workshop for one year.

Of course. If you cancel until the day before the workshop begins (April 11, 2025), a full refund will be issued (minus the processing fee). After the workshop begins, we cannot provide a refund, and you will not retain access to the materials and recordings.

Contact us at [email protected] if you have any concerns or issues with the workshop.

This 1-day workshop, taking place on April 12, runs from 9 am PT to 5 pm PT.

This course is ideal for professionals who work with gender-diverse and neurodivergent individuals in clinical, educational, or advocacy settings. It is designed for those seeking a deeper understanding of the intersection of autism and gender diversity, offering practical strategies for assessment, treatment adaptation, and affirming care. Whether you are a clinician looking to refine your diagnostic approach, a healthcare provider navigating gender-affirming care for autistic individuals, or an advocate aiming to create more inclusive support systems, this training provides the knowledge and tools needed to foster empowerment and self-understanding in the individuals you serve.

The price for this Workshop is:

Early Bird – $299 (available until April 4, 2025)

Regular Price – $399

Yes. 6 hours of CE’s (pre-training + workshop) and certificates of completion are provided through the Gender Health Training Institute.

The Gender Health Training Institute is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Gender Health Training Institute maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

Satisfactory Completion
To receive a certificate, participants must have paid the tuition fee, attended the entire workshop, and completed an evaluation. Failure to log in or out will result in forfeiture of credit for the entire course. No exceptions will be made. Partial credit is not available. Certificates will be available following course completion.

Evaluations and certificates will be available upon completing the evaluation at the end of the workshop.

Your satisfaction is our goal. Please read our Grievance Policy.

Grievance Policy

Gender Health Training Institute complies with all legal and ethical responsibilities to be non-discriminatory in promotional activities, program content, and treatment of program participants. The Director of Continuing Education is responsible for monitoring and assessing compliance with these standards. When a grievance arises regarding continuing education programs or processes, the complainant is expected to notify the Director of Continuing Education by e-mail as soon as possible so that the nature of the concern may be addressed in a timely fashion. The Director of Continuing Education, Shawn Giammattei, can be contacted by email at [email protected]. The Director of Continuing Education will make every effort to speak with the complainant to gather all necessary information to determine an appropriate course of action.

A grievance concerning a specific course offering, content, or costs may be resolved by:

  • Modifications to course materials as needed.
  • Opportunity for enrollment in an alternative course, if feasible.
  • Credit towards future course enrollment.
  • Partial or full refund.

The complainant will be kept informed of the status of the grievance, and the Gender Health Training Institute will retain a written copy of the grievance in their records for five years.

We are happy to accommodate your ADA needs, please email: [email protected].

There is no conflict of interest or commercial support for this program.

The workshop is 6 hours long, including breaks and time for Q&A.

6 CE Credits Available

The Gender Health Training Institute is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Gender Health Training Institute maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

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