Integrating Neurodiversity-Affirming Care into Diagnosis and Treatment with Autistic and ADHD Clients

Presented by Stacy Greeter, MD

 

DATE: Friday, September 26th 2025 

9:00 am until 1:00 pm PST

4 hours Continuing Education Credit  

Location: ONLINE via Zoom

(registrants will be sent a Zoom link via the email address they register with.  The Zoom link will be sent out 1-3 days prior to the training and will come from "COAP Workshops.")

This workshop will be capped at 95 participants

 

Workshop Overview:  Dr. Greeter brings both her clinical experience as a child/adolescent psychiatrist and lived experience as an autistic and ADHD individual to invite clinicians to look beyond a neurotypical lens. Gain a deeper understanding of the concept of neurodivergence and practical strategies for integrating neurodiversity affirming care into psychoeducation about diagnosis, clinical interview, and treatment. A strictly deficit-based model of autism and ADHD has been shown to increase caregivers’ distress and hopelessness, alienating youth and their families from treatment professionals (Anderberg & South, 2021; Brown et al., 2021), while a positive autistic identity and solidarity with other autistics are associated with enhanced psychological wellbeing (Cooper et. al, 2022). Strengths-based models enhance well-being and increase engagement in treatment (Wood et al., 2011). Camouflaging neurodivergent traits to appear more neurotypical is associated with increased lifetime suicidality (Cassidy et al., 2019), calling on us to shift our treatment focus from “cure” to quality of life and from “fitting in” to finding freedom and authenticity. This presentation offers a nuanced perspective on balancing the affirmation of strengths with the acknowledgment of real suffering and disability in neurodivergent clients, accommodating challenges without enabling dependency, and honoring competing needs in mixed neurotype relationships. Participants will leave with practical strategies for refining their differential diagnosis and identifying neurodivergence in under-recognized populations, such as those raised female at birth. As we empower clinicians to lead with curiosity and humility in adapting a neurodiversity-affirming approach to treatment, we create more inclusive mental health treatment that enables neurodivergent clients to connect more deeply, engage more actively in their treatment, and develop greater fulfillment and self-worth.

Learning Objectives:  By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Participants will learn strategies to modify interview style with autistic and ADHD youth (e.g. adjusting the sensory environment, clinician eye contact, and body posture to put autistic patients at ease and enhance therapeutic alliance.
• Participants will be able to explain a new autism or ADHD diagnosis in ways that empower self-directed learning, promote hope, and reduce shame/stigma and direct clients to psychoeducational resources that cultivate self-acceptance and positive autistic identity.
• Participants will develop deeper self-reflection, humility, and curiosity in engaging with the lived experience of neurodivergent youth.
• Participants will develop a deeper understanding of how the autistic internal experience of the world is different, including alexithymia, interoceptive differences, sensory differences, special interests, communication differences and stimming.
• Participants will learn how to enhance their autistic clients’ connection to the neurodiversity affirming community and challenge internalized ableism.
   

About the Presenter: Stacy Greeter, MD (she/her) is double board certified in both child/adolescent and adult psychiatry and owns a group psychiatric practice in Sarasota, FL. She speaks from both her lived experience as an autistic, ADHD, and OCD individual and as a clinician. Dr. Greeter graduated Summa Cum Lade from Duke University and went on to University of North Carolina School of Medicine on a full scholarship. Dr. Greeter completed her residency at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and continued there to complete her subspecialty fellowship in child/adolescent psychiatry. She believes in cross-pollination of knowledge between disciplines, creating space for safe candid conversations on controversial mental health issues, and runs a multi-disciplinary mental health professionals book club and co-hosts the podcast “Chronically Real and Clinically Relevant.” Dr. Greeter teaches at Lake Erie College of Medicine and Florida State University, is on the board of directors for Autism Career Pathways and NAMI-Sarasota/Manatee County, and on the leadership team of Autistic Doctors International. Dr. Greeter uses metaphors from fantasy universes such as Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and The Little Mermaid to make psychiatric concepts accessible and engaging through her educational Psychiatry Bootcamp series.
 

Costs: COAP uses an online registration process that accepts credit and debit cards. The lowest registration rates are associated with early registration, we encourage you to sign up early to make sure you have a spot.  This workshop is limited to the first 95 participants who register.

Registered by 9/12/25
COAP Member:  $100
Non COAP Member:  $115

Registered after 9/12/25
COAP Member: $110
Non COAP Member:  $125

Student Rate $50

*Membership in COAP is limited to Central Oregon based active and retired psychologists, residents, and psychologist associates. You must be current with COAP dues to register at the membership rate. Yearly COAP dues are $25 and are collected in September via Cheddar Up website (a small fee will be charged by cheddar up). Please use this link to pay dues: https://coap-membership-2025-26.cheddarup.com/

We welcome all allied mental health practitioners to our workshops (at non-member registration rates). Receiving Continuing Education credit from your various Licensing Boards is left to the discretion of the individual practitioner. Please see note below about APA.

 **A $35 cancellation fee will be assessed for all cancellations. Registration fee will not be refunded for dissatisfaction with the training or for no-shows.  

Students are invited to attend for $50.  Please be prepared to submit a copy of your student identification card as proof of your student status.

Questions can be directed to [email protected]

Check out the COAP website for additional information  https://www.coapworkshops.org

 

Registration Details: Integrating Neurodiversity-Affirming Care into Diagnosis and Treatment with Autistic and ADHD Clients Presented by Stacy Greeter, MD

Registration will be handled online by the Central Oregon Association of Psychologists through Eventbrite.  Please visit the following website to sign up: HERE

This workshop is endorsed by the Oregon Psychological Association (OPA). OPA is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to offer continuing education.

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