Autism Across
the Lifespan
A complete clinical framework — from gold-standard evaluation to evidence-based treatment — for clients whose needs are often overlooked or misdiagnosed. Built for mental health professionals at every level, across every specialty.
You know the feeling. A client arrives and something doesn't quite fit. The anxiety diagnosis made sense — until it didn't. The ADHD label explained some things, but never all of them. The woman you've been seeing for three years is finally doing better, except she's still exhausted, still burning out socially, still can't explain why the world feels like it requires a costume.
You've wondered. You just didn't have a framework.
It's been there for years.
You don't have to be a neuropsychologist to need this training. You refer these clients. You read the reports that come back. You're the one in the room when a 38-year-old finally gets an answer — and doesn't know what to do with it. Most graduate programs gave you a single lecture on autism: a checklist, a few case studies, the classic presentation.
What they didn't give you was a real clinical framework for the world you're practicing in right now. Adults who were missed for decades. Women who were called anxious. Teens whose every diagnosis was a near-miss. Clients who came to you for one thing and slowly, undeniably, started looking like something else entirely.
This two-day intensive is built for exactly that.
Autism Across the Lifespan
Choose the day your clients need most – or attend both and save!
A Clinician's Guide to Supporting Autistic Clients
Assessment + Treatment · The Complete Clinical Framework
📍 Hyatt Centric Midtown Atlanta · 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM ET
- Up to 12.5 CE hours included when you attend both days
- 90-day replay access
- Full digital materials
"This is by far one of the best trainings I have attended. Knowledgeable, engaging, and interesting to listen to. Zero criticisms — really fantastic."
"No fluff — just research and practical strategies. Truly one of the most useful courses I've attended in my whole career."
"This training exceeded my expectations. I'm a psychologist and this is my niche — I learned a ton I cannot wait to implement with my staff."
Two days. Two experts.
One complete picture.
Autism Spectrum Disorder: Advanced Practices in Evaluation, Diagnosis, and Treatment Across the Lifespan
- Stop missing the masked presentation — in women, girls, and gender-diverse clients
- Differential diagnosis made clear: ASD vs. ADHD, anxiety, OCD, and trauma
- Identify undiagnosed adults — including the client you've been seeing for years
- Gold-standard assessment tools explained for clinicians at every level
- Turn evaluation findings into a treatment roadmap that actually drives care
- Write neurodiversity-affirming reports that families and providers can act on
Therapy with Autistic Clients: Empowering Teens and Adults through ACT, CFT, DBT, and Self-Compassion
- Adapted ACT, DBT, and CFT — because standard protocols don't fit autistic clients
- Autistic burnout, RSD, shutdowns, and meltdowns: recognize and treat them
- Support the client who just found out they're autistic at 38
- Build a therapy environment that actually reduces barriers to engagement
- Couples, families, and teens — adapted approaches for every relationship context
- From a clinician who has been on both sides of the couch
Two of the best in the field.
In the same room.
Yale · Emory · Marcus Autism Center
Co-author, Vineland-3
The country's foremost expert in ASD evaluation — and she teaches the way clinicians actually learn.
Dr. Saulnier trained at the Yale Child Study Center's Autism Program before directing a major research program at Emory University and the Marcus Autism Center in Atlanta. She is co-author of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Third Edition, has published over 50 peer-reviewed articles and two books, and today leads Neurodevelopmental Assessment & Consulting Services — specializing in ASD diagnosis across the lifespan.
She is among the best in the country at this — and she teaches the way clinicians actually learn: with clarity, depth, and real clinical application.
Psychology Today Blogger
Autistic Clinician
Clinical expertise. Lived experience. The kind of insight you can't get from research alone.
Jennifer Gerlach is a psychotherapist specializing in the intersection of mental health, trauma, and neurodiversity — drawing on ACT, CFT, DBT, and EMDR. She is the author of The Psychosis and Mental Health Recovery Workbook, writes the Psychology Today blog "Beyond Mental Health," and has trained hundreds of clinicians nationwide.
What sets her apart is simple: she has been on both sides of the couch. As an autistic clinician herself, the depth she brings to this work is something no credential can replicate.
Click here to learn more about Jennifer Gerlach
Autism Spectrum Disorder: Advanced Practices in Evaluation, Diagnosis, and Treatment Across the Lifespan
In a world where 1 in 36 school-age children in the U.S. is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and many adults are being diagnosed for the first time, understanding this multifaceted condition is not just crucial — it's transformative. But how do we move beyond outdated diagnostic processes and perceptions of treatment?
Join Celine Saulnier, PhD, a leading clinical psychologist, researcher, and author of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Third Edition, for a groundbreaking training that demystifies the autism spectrum. This isn't just about diagnosis; it's about embracing the full spectrum of human potential.
In this training, you'll discover how to:
- Confidently utilize gold-standard diagnostic measures with clients of all ages, ensuring accurate and respectful assessments.
- Identify and understand the intricate influences of age, language, cognition, gender, and cultural backgrounds on ASD to provide tailored support.
- Address co-occurring conditions that often complicate the diagnostic process, ensuring clarity and compassion in care.
- Select meaningful, evidence-based interventions that empower individuals with autism, rejecting punitive approaches in favor of fostering genuine growth and self-advocacy.
This training emphasizes compassionate, effective care, rooted in evidence-based strategies. You'll leave with a toolkit that not only enhances your clinical practice but also supports individuals on the autism spectrum in a way that acknowledges and celebrates their unique strengths.
Therapy with Autistic Clients: Empowering Teens and Adults through ACT, CFT, DBT, and Self-Compassion
The correlation between autism and anxiety, phobias, suicidality, depression, and other mental health disorders is well-established. But the complexities involved in treating autistic and other neurodivergent clients often result in less-than-ideal clinical outcomes.
Join Jennifer Gerlach, LCSW, a neurodivergent psychotherapist and author, in this one-of-a-kind course focused on giving you the confidence and specialized intervention tools you need to maximize your therapeutic results in working with teens and adults with diagnosed or suspected autism.
You will walk away with the ability to:
- Recognize signs of masking in your assessment process to get to the underlying diagnosis.
- Apply neurodiversity-affirming ACT, CFT, DBT, and self-compassion interventions for depression, anxiety, and other mental health concerns.
- Minimize verbal and non-verbal communication barriers and sensory processing differences in the therapeutic process.
- Employ interventions for families, couples, and group work with neurodivergent youth and adults.
Autism Across the Lifespan
Choose the day your clients need most – or attend both and save!
A Clinician's Guide to Supporting Autistic Clients
Assessment + Treatment · The Complete Clinical Framework
📍 Hyatt Centric Midtown Atlanta · 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM ET
- Up to 12.5 CE hours included when you attend both days
- 90-day replay access
- Full digital materials
The book that keeps working after the training ends.
Register for both days and receive a physical copy of A Clinician’s Guide to Supporting Autistic Clients — 236 pages of neurodiversity-affirming tools and interventions by Dr. Amy Marschall, a licensed psychologist who is herself autistic. Over 100 practical recommendations for building a practice that genuinely honors your clients.
- Sensory, communication & environmental adaptations
- Correcting unintentional harms from historical approaches
- Bonus resource list written by and for autistic individuals
From the people who've been in the room.
"The large amount of helpful content covered in such a clear and direct way made this the best conference I have attended in years. My increased awareness will directly benefit my clients."
"Celine was a fantastic presenter — one of the best trainings I've attended in a long time. She covered both the clinical content and the societal implications."
"This training was more intensive and comprehensive than what I usually find — and this is my niche. I learned a ton I cannot wait to implement with my staff."
"Jennifer's non-judgmental and compassionate personality made me want to include autistic clients in my practice. I learned so much about my own daughter — and I'll be a better counselor because of it."
"Excellent presenter — knowledgeable and creative, she really involved participants. I'll be incorporating several of her exercises immediately, especially around rejection-sensitive dysphoria."
"Fabulous training — completely worth it. The presenter was passionate and deeply knowledgeable. I am a senior clinician starting a new program focused on autistic clients, and this gave me everything I needed."
Built for clinicians who see the full complexity.
This training is designed for mental health professionals across roles and disciplines — especially those whose caseloads are shifting toward suspected or confirmed autism at any age.
Therapists & CounselorsSeeing clients with suspected or confirmed ASD — especially adults and late-identified presentations
PsychologistsConducting, interpreting, or consulting on ASD evaluations across the lifespan
Social WorkersIn clinical, school, community, or forensic settings navigating complex diagnostic pictures
MFTs, NPs, SLPs & OTsWorking with neurodivergent individuals and families across settings and stages
Any clinician who has ever thought:"I know something is being missed here — I just don't know what."
Autism Across the Lifespan
Choose the day your clients need most – or attend both and save!
A Clinician's Guide to Supporting Autistic Clients
Assessment + Treatment · The Complete Clinical Framework
📍 Hyatt Centric Midtown Atlanta · 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM ET
- Up to 12.5 CE hours included when you attend both days
- 90-day replay access
- Full digital materials
Train More. Pay Less. Implement Together.
The more clinicians trained, the better the outcomes for your whole team — and your clients.
Midtown Atlanta — worth the trip.
The Hyatt Centric Midtown Atlanta puts you in the heart of one of the city's most walkable, vibrant neighborhoods — steps from world-class restaurants, museums, and green space.
- High Museum of Art — 3-min walk. One of the Southeast's premier art institutions.
- Piedmont Park — 5-min walk. 185 acres of green space in the middle of the city.
- Midtown dining scene — James Beard–recognized restaurants within a few blocks.
- Fox Theatre — 5-min walk. A National Historic Landmark and one of Atlanta's iconic venues.
- Hartsfield-Jackson Airport — 25 min by MARTA. One of the world's most connected hubs.
Everything you need to know
You don't have to...but we recommend it. Each day is designed to stand alone. Day 1 focuses on assessment and diagnosis with Dr. Saulnier. Day 2 focuses on therapy and treatment with Jennifer Gerlach. You can register for one or both — though attending both gives you the complete clinical picture and a bigger discount.
Yes — and it's designed with you in mind. Most attendees are therapists and counselors, not evaluators. Day 1 explicitly addresses what every clinician needs to know: how to recognize ASD, when to refer, how to read evaluation reports, and how to work with late-identified clients. You don't need to administer the ADOS-2 to need this training.
Up to 6.25 CE hours per day, up to 12.5 total for both days. A certificate of completion is provided upon finishing the training.
The free book is included with both-day registration only. In-person attendees will receive their copy at the event. For those attending via live stream or on-demand, the book will be shipped free to US addresses.
Registration opens at 7:30 AM. The seminar begins at 8:00 AM and concludes at 4:00 PM. Lunch is from 11:50 AM – 1:00 PM. There is a 15-minute morning break and a 15-minute afternoon break.