Working with Autistic Clients: A neuro-affirming approach

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OT-WWAC-GENERAL
Working with Autistic Clients: A neuro-affirming approach

This course, developed by Dr. Simon Bury and his team at the Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre, is designed to equip psychologists with practical, autism-specific, and neurodiversity-affirming information to better support Autistic clients.

The primary aim of the training is to help psychologists feel better prepared and more confident in supporting Autistic clients. 

 

 

Duration
4 hours
Mode
Online
Short Course
$350.00

Working with Autistic Clients: A Neuro-affirming approach

Developed by Dr. Simon Bury and his team at the Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre, Working with Autistic clients: A neuro-affirming approach, is designed to equip psychologists with practical, autism-specific, and neurodiversity-affirming information to better support Autistic clients.

 

Aim and Importance:

The primary aim of the training is to help psychologists feel better prepared and more confident in supporting Autistic clients. It addresses the high prevalence of mental health challenges among Autistic individuals and their overrepresentation in mental healthcare settings, as well as the reported lack of preparedness among many health professionals. By bridging this gap, the training seeks to improve the quality of care provided to this community, responding to what has been termed the "autism mental health crisis" and aligning with emerging national strategies that promote neurodiversity-affirming approaches. The training is grounded in the concept of neurodiversity, which views autism as a natural variation in neurodevelopment rather than a deficit, and aligns with the social model of disability.

Who is Working with Autistic Clients suitable for?

Working with Autistic Clients is aimed at equiping psychologists with practical, autism-specific, and neurodiversity-affirming information to better support Autistic clients.

 This includes:

  • Psychologist - All career stages
  • Psychologist - Early career stage
  • Psychologist - Mid career stage
  • Psychologist - Late career stage
  • Psychology students

Working with Autistic Clients training is delivered as a self-paced online course

The course consists of 4 comprehensive modules:


Module 1: Understanding autism
Module 2: Creating autism-friendly therapeutic environments
Module 3: Engagement, intake and assessment
Module 4: Case conceptualisations and treatment plans

 

Australian Psychological Society (APS) Members Only

If you are an Australian Psychological Society (APS) member or APS student member, please contact the APS directly to have your membership confirmed. Once confirmed, the APS will provide you with a discount code.

You can then return to this page and enter the code on the payment page to receive your member discount. Upon completion of the WWAC course, you will have accrued 4 hours of CPD with the APS.*

 

*This CPD activity has been approved by the Australian Psychological Society (APS).

 

 

This course aims to:

 

  • Strengthen psychologists’ capacity to recognise, understand, and respond to the diversity of Autistic presentations.
  • Build skills to create affirming, accessible, and culturally responsive environments that support Autistic clients’ comfort and safety.
  • Equip psychologists with autism-informed strategies for engagement, intake, and assessment while minimising bias and communication barriers.
  • Enhance psychologists’ ability to conceptualise, plan, and adapt therapy using neurodiversity-affirming frameworks.

 

Contact Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre

Please allow up to one hour for the system to process your course purchase and send the email containing your login link before contacting La Trobe for support.

If you have not received by the following day or have any questions about this course, other courses or workshops, please get in touch at otarc.training@latrobe.edu.au, thank you.

You can browse our list of professional development courses and workshops here.

We are Australia's first centre dedicated to Autism research.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Find out more about further education at La Trobe  View all FAQ

I would like information about a short course. Who can assist me?  

Email: LaTrobeProfessional@latrobe.edu.au 

Phone: 1300 135 045

I have paid the fee for a short course. When will I be able to access it?  

On completion of your registration, you'll be provided with an account on our Learning Management System (LMS) and the course material will be made available at the advertised date, or as outlined on your registration confirmation email.  For our on-demand courses, access will be immediate.

What payment options are there?

  • You may arrange to pay by BPAY or EFT
  • For group bookings, we encourage purchase orders.  Contact us for a quote, and upon receipt of your purchase order we can make the course available to you.
  • Unfortunately, we are not able to arrange instalment payments.

Contact us on LaTrobeProfessional@latrobe.edu.au for assistance. 

Can I arrange payment with a Purchase Order?

Yes, we accept Purchase Orders. Please email to LaTrobeProfessional@latrobe.edu.au and our La Trobe Professional team will provide you with payment details and access to your course. 

I am getting an error when I try to log into my LMS account. Can you help? 

  • The first thing to check is your order confirmation email - it will contain your Learning Management System (LMS) account and password.  Note that this account may not be the same as your staff, student or previous short course participant account. 
  • The second thing to check is that you're logging on as a short course participant and not as a student - choose 'Other Users' - select Short Course as your institution and use your account and password as provided.

If you need any assistance, contact us on LaTrobeProfessional@latrobe.edu.au. 

I want to enrol multiple staff in a short course. How do I go about this? 

Contact LaTrobeProfessional@latrobe.edu.au so that we can discuss options with you.  

What certification will I receive?

The type of certification depends on the assessment involved in the course. For example:

  • Microcredentials:  You will receive a digital credential that confirms the skills you’ve acquired, any assessments you’ve completed and potential pathways for credit or advanced standing towards a degree. 
  • Other assessed short courses:  This may include bridging programs or courses that prepare you for external certification from a professional body.  You might receive a certificate of achievement or a digital badge (a digital version of a certificate of achievement).
  • Non-assessed courses:  If a course doesn’t involve formal assessment, you’ll receive a certificate of attendance.
  • Single-subject enrolment: If you enrol in a single subject, you will receive an official transcript for that subject.

Please note that short courses or microcredentials are not formal qualifications under the Australian Qualifications Framework but may be eligible for consideration as advanced standing (credit) towards a degree.

What is a microcredential? 

Microcredentials are short courses that are assessed, carry academic credit, and to deliver specific skills or knowledge.  While they can be taken as standalone courses, many are designed to be combined or ‘stacked’ with other microcredentials to form the equivalent of a subject within a degree program.  Upon successful completion, you’ll earn a digital credential that outlines the skills and credit obtained, and any opportunities for stacking.

For La Trobe microcredentials, any advanced standing or stacking pathways are clearly expressed on the course page.   

What is advanced standing?

Advanced standing refers to credit for prior study or formal learning that can be credited towards a qualification, thereby reducing the number of subjects required to complete a course. For short courses or microcredentials (if these have been completed through recognised institutions or platforms and are deemed equivalent to La Trobe University subjects), credit may be granted either for specific La Trobe subjects or as unspecified credit towards elective requirements of a La Trobe course.

For La Trobe microcredentials, any advanced standing or stacking pathways are clearly expressed on the course page.   Upon successful completion of the course, you’ll receive a digital credential, which may be used when applying for credit for the relevant degree at La Trobe.

For more details, visit the University’s advanced standing web page.