Dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin—and what dysregulation actually looks like in session. You'll map the Default Mode Network, salience network, and prefrontal cortex onto the behaviors you're already seeing: poor inhibition, inconsistent performance, emotional reactivity, sensory gating failures.

Late-identified teens. High-masking girls. The overlap between ADHD, autism, anxiety, trauma, and SPD. You'll learn functional interview techniques, red flags by age and gender, and how to document observations that support accurate referrals—not just confirm existing labels.

BRIEF-2, Conners, ADOS-2, Sensory Profile—when to use them, what they miss, how to interpret through a functional lens. You'll combine standardized tools with naturalistic observation and caregiver input to build profiles that reflect real life, not just test day.

Working memory, inhibition, cognitive flexibility—how they break down and what to do about it. Visual scaffolds, task simplification strategies, co-regulation scripts, and documentation language that reframes "noncompliance" as executive dysfunction.

Interoception assessments, body-mapping tools, polyvagal-informed co-regulation for clients who can't identify hunger, anxiety, or overwhelm. You'll read breath, posture, and vocal tone as dysregulation cues—and respond before the meltdown.

Intrinsic motivation strategies beyond token boards. Movement bridges for transition tolerance. In-session distress tolerance tools. You'll differentiate fear of failure from task avoidance from sensory overload—and match your response accordingly.

Processing speed, verbal impulsivity, working memory load—how they masquerade as language delays. You'll distinguish comprehension breakdown from auditory overload, build narrative sequencing, and adapt your communication style to your client's regulation state.

The double empathy problem. Rejection sensitivity. Echolalia as functional communication. Connection-based strategies that build pragmatic competence without demanding masking—visual supports for turn-taking, emotional vocabulary tools, affirming approaches that stick.

Sensory diets that fail vs. sensory strategies that stick. You'll decode when "behavior" is auditory overload, proprioceptive hunger, or vestibular dysregulation—and build individualized supports embedded into real routines, not laminated charts.

Dyspraxia, low tone, postural instability, and the hypermobility-ADHD-autism overlap no one taught you. You'll differentiate motor-based task avoidance from sensory-based and executive-based—and adapt cueing, progression, and HEP accordingly.

Lighting, clutter, acoustic load, spatial organization—hidden triggers that dysregulate before you start. You'll audit therapy spaces, classrooms, and home setups and walk away with low-cost modifications that turn environment into a regulation tool.

Caregiver coaching scripts that reduce defensiveness. Teacher collaboration strategies for IEPs and hallway consultations. Generalization frameworks that embed goals into mealtimes, morning routines, and community outings—with documentation that captures real-world progress.

Stimulants, non-stimulants, SSRIs, alpha-2 agonists—what they do, how they affect regulation, when side effects mimic the diagnosis. You'll time sessions around medication peaks, document observations without overstepping, and communicate with prescribers in language that gets heard.

Vagus nerve, microbiome, blood sugar, sensory-based food aversions. You'll separate evidence from fad, identify when feeding challenges are sensory vs. behavioral vs. GI-related, and apply low-pressure strategies that support nutrition without power struggles.

Four case studies across developmental stages—preschool meltdowns, elementary masking, middle school avoidance, teen shutdown. SOAP-style reasoning, documentation that reflects complexity, and practice differentiating trauma from neurodivergence from both.

Late diagnosis, decades of masking, autistic burnout that looks like depression. Functional goals for vocational readiness, emotional regulation, daily routines, and relationships—with documentation that reflects medical necessity without pathologizing identity.