Neuro-Grief and Unseen Loss
Guiding Later-Diagnosed Autistic Adults Toward Integration and Meaning
- Speaker:
- Danielle Sheppard, LPCC
- Duration:
- 1 Hour 30 Minutes
- Format:
- Audio and Video
- Copyright:
-
May 06, 2026
- Product Code:
- POS150761
- Media Type:
- Digital Seminar
Description
Grief in autistic individuals is often unseen—emerging from experiences of exclusion, missed milestones, or the late realization of what self-acceptance could have meant. This session introduces the concept of neurogrief, exploring how loss, identity reconstruction, and meaning-making unfold following autism recognition or diagnosis in adulthood. Participants will learn to recognize and compassionately support these emotional processes using autism-informed and neuro-affirming approaches.
You’ll Learn:
- Identify invisible grief and neuro-grief across development and identity
- Adaptations of grief frameworks that honor autistic processing and communication
- Practical tools for guiding clients through loss, change, and rediscovery
- Strategies that strengthen self-compassion, regulation, and belonging
- Current research limitations and ethical considerations in practice
Credit
Speaker
Danielle Sheppard, LPCC Related seminars and products
Danielle Sheppard, LPCC, is a licensed professional clinical counselor with over 17 years of clinical experience supporting individuals, couples, and families. She holds a master’s degree in clinical counseling from San Francisco State University, with specialized training in neuroaffirming care. Danielle is an autism specialist, certified grief educator, and provider of LGBTQ-affirming therapy, utilizing Internal Family Systems (IFS) as her primary therapeutic framework.
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Danielle Sheppard has employment relationships with RULA, Open Doors Therapy, Living Careers, LLC., West Los Angeles College, and Pepperdine University. She receives a speaking honorarium from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Danielle Sheppard has no relevant non-financial relationships.
Additional Info
Access for Self-Study (Non-Interactive)Access never expires for this product.
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Additional CE Info
For a more detailed outline that includes times or durations of time, if needed, please contact cepesi@pesi.com.
Objectives
- Identify invisible grief and neuro-grief experiences in Autistic clients across developmental stages and identity transitions.
- Describe adaptations of traditional grief frameworks to accommodate neurodivergent processing and communication styles.
- Select neuroaffirming strategies and therapeutic tools (e.g., narrative therapy, IFS, ACT, DBT-informed supports) to help Autistic clients navigate loss, change, and self-discovery.
Outline
Understanding Neurogrief in Autistic Clients (particularly late diagnosed)
- Conceptualizing neurogrief – define neurogrief as the emotional and psychological response to recognizing lifelong neurodivergence, and its effect on identity, belonging, and sense of self (aka: grief of identity), following unmasking or late diagnosis.
- Invisible grief from social exclusion, missed milestones, and chronic misunderstanding
- Integrating Autism-Informed Lenses – Frame neurogrief within neurodiversity-affirming and trauma-informed models, highlighting the intersection of self-understanding, acceptance, and societal conditioning.
- Therapeutic Modalities and Interventions – Explore use of narrative therapy, internal family systems (IFS) and somatic grounding strategies in supporting clients through identity reconstruction.
- Risks and Limitations – Note that empirical research on neurogrief remains limited; therapeutic approaches may inadvertently reinforce deficit-based language or trigger re-traumatization if not adapted for autistic sensory and cognitive processing needs.
Recognizing and Differentiating Types of Loss
- Developmental and transitional grief (school, puberty, relationships)
- Loss of identity (aka: grief of identity), and imagined futures after self-discovery or diagnosis
- Ambiguous and disenfranchised grief in neurodivergent experiences
- Systemic invalidation and its impact on mourning
Core Therapeutic Considerations in Addressing Neurogrief
- Adaptations of grief models for neurodivergent processing styles
- Identity Reconstruction and Self-Integration — Guide clients through acknowledging pre- and post-diagnosis identities, exploring internalized ableism, and cultivating an integrated sense of self that honors neurodivergent identity.
- Facilitating Emotional Regulation and Processing — Utilize autism-affirming emotion regulation approaches such as interoceptive awareness training, mindfulness adaptations, and sensory-informed grounding techniques.
- Strengthening Connection and Community — Encourage engagement with neurodiverse peer groups and IFS therapy for integration of parts with self and meaning-making.
- Risks and Limitations — Recognize that standard therapeutic interventions may inadvertently center neurotypical frameworks; practitioners must avoid pathologizing client experiences and remain critically aware of the limited empirical data on neurogrief processes in autistic adults.
Target Audience
- Counselors
- Educators
- Marriage and Family Therapists
- Occupational Therapists
- Physical Therapists
- Physicians
- Psychologists
- Social Workers
- Speech-Language Pathologists
Reviews
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