{"id":20814,"date":"2025-03-11T14:24:36","date_gmt":"2025-03-11T19:24:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/autism.org\/?p=20814"},"modified":"2025-03-31T18:50:57","modified_gmt":"2025-03-31T23:50:57","slug":"autism-and-trauma-research-updates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/autism.org\/autism-and-trauma-research-updates\/","title":{"rendered":"Autism and Trauma: Research Updates"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><div class=\"fusion-fullwidth fullwidth-box fusion-builder-row-1 nonhundred-percent-fullwidth non-hundred-percent-height-scrolling\" style=\"--awb-border-radius-top-left:0px;--awb-border-radius-top-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-left:0px;--awb-flex-wrap:wrap;\" ><div class=\"fusion-builder-row fusion-row\"><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-0 fusion_builder_column_1_6 1_6 fusion-one-sixth fusion-column-first\" style=\"--awb-bg-size:cover;width:16.666666666667%;width:calc(16.666666666667% - ( ( 4% + 4% ) * 0.16666666666667 ) );margin-right: 4%;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-column-has-shadow fusion-flex-column-wrapper-legacy\"><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-1 fusion_builder_column_2_3 2_3 fusion-two-third\" style=\"--awb-padding-top:80px;--awb-bg-size:cover;width:66.666666666667%;width:calc(66.666666666667% - ( ( 4% + 4% ) * 0.66666666666667 ) );margin-right: 4%;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-flex-column-wrapper-legacy\"><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-1\" style=\"--awb-text-transform:none;\"><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#jump\">Dr. Connor Kerns<\/a> delivers research updates on the intersection of trauma and autism. She describes the relationship between childhood adversities, trauma, and mental health and highlights the need for trauma measurements that are specific to the autism community. The presenter considers the complexities of diagnosing PTSD in autism and details the development of the Childhood Adversity &amp; Social Stress Questionnaire (CASS-Q). Kern&#8217;s ongoing work aims to describe the adversities of autistic youth and compare the CASS-Q PR symptom subscale to the DSM-5 PTSD descriptors. She discusses preliminary results revealing high validity and summarizes limitations and implications before the Q&amp;A.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><div class=\"fusion-sep-clear\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-separator fusion-full-width-sep\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;width:100%;\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-sep-clear\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-video fusion-youtube fusion-aligncenter\" style=\"--awb-max-width:600px;--awb-max-height:360px;--awb-width:100%;\"><div class=\"video-shortcode\"><div class=\"fluid-width-video-wrapper\" style=\"padding-top:60%;\" ><iframe title=\"YouTube video player 1\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_5dKq0b8PTE?wmode=transparent&autoplay=0\" width=\"600\" height=\"360\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-sep-clear\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-separator fusion-full-width-sep\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;width:100%;\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-sep-clear\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-2\" style=\"--awb-text-transform:none;\"><h2><b>In this webinar:<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><strong>0:30<\/strong> &#8211; Disclosures and introductions<br \/>\n<strong>2:45<\/strong> &#8211; Childhood adversity and trauma<br \/>\n<strong>8:00<\/strong> &#8211; Experience vs diagnosis<br \/>\n<strong>13:00<\/strong> &#8211; Complexities of diagnosis PTSD in autism<br \/>\n<strong>22:25<\/strong> &#8211; Intersection of autism and trauma<br \/>\n<strong>24:00<\/strong> &#8211; Childhood Adversity &amp; Social Stress Questionnaire (CASSQ)<br \/>\n<strong>28:15<\/strong> &#8211; Stress symptom subscale<br \/>\n<strong>35:45<\/strong> &#8211; Preliminary results<br \/>\n<strong>40:35<\/strong> &#8211; Adversity history profiles<br \/>\n<strong>47:00<\/strong> &#8211; Validity and discussion<br \/>\n<strong>50:30<\/strong> &#8211; Q&amp;A<\/p>\n<h2><b>Childhood adversity and trauma<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kerns cites research showing that autistic individuals are more likely to experience maltreatment or adverse childhood experiences (ACE), including, but not limited to, physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, neglect, family or community violence, financial instability, loss of a loved one, and parental mental illness <\/span><b>(2:45)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The explains how DSM-5 trauma criteria don\u2019t capture the full array of traumatic events. She provides a broader definition of stressful experiences, including <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">any event, series of events, or set of circumstances experienced as harmful or life-threatening and that have lasting effects <\/span><\/i><b><i>(4:36)<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cmajopen.ca\/content\/9\/1\/E158.short\">Prevalence of adverse childhood experiences among individuals aged 45 to 85 years: a cross-sectional analysis of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging<\/a> (Joshi et al., 2021)<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/openurl.ebsco.com\/EPDB%3Agcd%3A3%3A8059267\/detailv2?sid=ebsco%3Aplink%3Ascholar&amp;id=ebsco%3Agcd%3A176973430&amp;crl=c&amp;link_origin=scholar.google.com\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Disability and maltreatment<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Merrick et al., 2018)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kerns emphasizes the broad array of adverse experiences that can result in trauma, which are not included in the criteria from the DSM-5. She outlines research showing a positive correlation between the number of adversities and risk for mental and physical health conditions <\/span><b>(6:30)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Interestingly, research does not consistently point to an increased prevalence of PTSD in people with autism. The speaker cites a study that found that 28% of 350 youth with autism reported a history of maltreatment, with only 2.6% having a PTSD diagnosis <\/span><b>(8:25)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Kerns summarizes research showing that autistic people are more likely to have mental health difficulties and that adverse experiences contribute to mental health issues and other trauma symptoms. However, to date, very little research has been conducted on this intersection.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/S0749379798000178\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Relationship of Childhood Abuse and Household Dysfunction to Many of the Leading Causes of Death in Adults: The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Felitti et al., 1998)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/core\/journals\/the-british-journal-of-psychiatry\/article\/rates-of-posttraumatic-stress-disorder-in-traumaexposed-children-and-adolescents-metaanalysis\/BB43CD1FF304895C423785CA837FC4FF\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rates of post-traumatic stress disorder in trauma-exposed children and adolescents: meta-analysis<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Alisic et al., 2014)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/jamanetwork.com\/journals\/jamapsychiatry\/fullarticle\/482289\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Traumatic Events and Posttraumatic Stress in Childhood<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Copeland et al., 2007)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thelancet.com\/journals\/lanpsy\/article\/PIIS2215-0366(19)30289-5\/abstract?amp=1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prevalence of co-occurring mental health diagnoses in the autism population: a systematic review and meta-analysis<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Lai et al., 2019)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.liebertpub.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1089\/aut.2023.0022\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Examining Rates of Traumatic Events and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms Among Autistic Adults<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Andrzejewski et al., 2024)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1177\/1362361320912143\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Autism Spectrum Disorder and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: An unexplored co-occurrence of conditions<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Haruvi-Lamden et al., 2020)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/full\/10.1002\/aur.2306\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Experience of Trauma and PTSD Symptoms in Autistic Adults: Risk of PTSD Development Following DSM-5 and Non-DSM-5 Traumatic Life Events<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Rumball et al., 2020)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Complexities of assessing PTSD in autism<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To adequately address the assessment of PTSD in autism, we have to assess what \u201ccounts\u201d as a traumatic event and ensure that we are measuring accurately <\/span><b>(13:00)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. In a 2022 study, researchers conducted interviews with caretakers and people with autism about what they feel is traumatic. Findings highlight the need for additions to DSM criterion that include issues like social exclusion (bullying, isolation, stigma, restraint, loss of autonomy\/opportunity) and traumatic incongruities (sensory trauma, reactions to change, social burnout) <\/span><b>(14:30)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Research also shows that DSM PTSD criteria lack cognitive, behavioral, and physical considerations associated with autism and that assessments rely too heavily on verbal expression <\/span><b>(18:00)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Behavioral overlap between traumatic symptoms and characteristics of autism, like emotional outbursts and social isolation, also make it difficult to diagnose. Kerns reiterates the need to approach the construct of traumatic stress and its assessment with care and intent <\/span><b>(20:00)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. She warns that autism can overshadow PTSD, but there is also the potential to over-pathologize autism.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1111\/jcpp.13666\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Expert consensus regarding indicators of a traumatic reaction in autistic youth: a Delphi survey<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Kerns et al., 2022)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Intersection of autism and trauma<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kerns breaks the experience of trauma down into three phases: 1) adversities, 2) experience appraisal and effect, and 3) traumatic reactions. She describes a 2015 study that proposed autism may influence the type and amount of adversities youth experience as well as how they appraise and respond to those experiences, including their susceptibility to and expression of PTSD. Results showed that being autistic changes the rate and type of adversity, affects how one experiences them, and dictates which experiences will have lasting psychological distress. The speaker highlights that autism changes the way PTSD is expressed, underscoring the need for a measure tailored to the autism community\u00a0 <\/span><b>(22:25)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. She lists publications that show how autism moderates each phase of trauma:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><b>Criterion\/adversity events:\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/full\/10.1111\/dmcn.13161\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Disparities in adversity among children with autism spectrum disorder: a population-based study<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Berg et al., 2016)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s10803-015-2392-y\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Traumatic Childhood Events and Autism Spectrum Disorder<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Kerns et al., 2015).\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s10803-017-3111-7\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Brief Report: Examining the Association of Autism and Adverse Childhood Experiences in the National Survey of Children\u2019s Health: The Important Role of Income and Co-occurring Mental Health Conditions<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Kerns et al., 2017)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Traumatic event experiences:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1111\/jcpp.12993\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Child maltreatment in autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability: results from a population-based sample<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (McDonnell et al., 2019)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1177\/1362361318813998\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A population-based examination of maltreatment referrals and substantiation for children with autism spectrum disorder<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Fisher et al., 2019)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1660-4601\/16\/13\/2280\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Systematic Review of Polyvictimization among Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity or Autism Spectrum Disorder<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Hellstr\u00f6m, 2019)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/full\/10.1177\/13623613211070637\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Exploring potential sources of childhood trauma: A qualitative study with autistic adults and caregivers<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Kerns et al., 2022)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s40489-018-0133-9\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Systematic Review of the Assessment and Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Rumball et al., 2019)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Traumatic stress outcomes:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tandfonline.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1080\/19315864.2019.1595233\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Identification of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disability: A Systematic Review<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Kidahl et al., 2019)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s11920-022-01331-6\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Anxiety and Trauma-Related Disorders in Children on the Autism Spectrum<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Ng-Cordell et al., 2022)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s40489-018-0133-9\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Systematic Review of the Assessment and Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Rumball et al., 2019)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s40489-015-0052-y\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Effects of Psychological Trauma on Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: a Research Review<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Mehtar &amp; Mukkages, 2011)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Childhood Adversity &amp; Social Stress Questionnaire (CASS-Q)<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The presenter introduces the Childhood Adversity &amp; Social Stress Questionnaire (CASS-Q), which measures adverse (stressful or traumatic) experiences and trauma symptoms in autistic youth via parent and self-report surveys. She details the mixed-method development approach for the CASS-Q and provides an overview of the CASS-Q PR (parent)\u00a0 <\/span><b>(24:00)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Kern\u2019s ongoing work aims to describe frequencies and characteristics of adversities in autistic youth and examine the extent to which CASS-Q PR symptom subscale reflects DSM PTSD descriptors <\/span><b>(32:15)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. In her study, 729 parents took an initial query for trauma and those who reported ongoing trauma symptoms (n=298) completed the CASS-Q PR traumatic stress symptom subscale. Subscale items focus on <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">changes <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">in functioning following an event and include DSM domains <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> suicidality, regression of skills, increased self-injurious behavior, and increased reliance\/reassurance seeking <\/span><b>(28:15)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. All 729 parents also completed a 20-item adversity questionnaire measuring the frequency and impact of seven (7) autism-indicated and thirteen (13) traditionally-assessed adversities <\/span><b>(31:00)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Preliminary results<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Results show the most common adversities include bullying, death of a loved one, and many of the autism-indicated adversities like sensory stressors, being talked down to and made to feel like they don\u2019t belong, being distressed by a continual change in daily life, and meltdowns and anxiety\/hopelessness following social interactions <\/span><b>(35:45)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Adversities with the largest relative impact were not the most prevalent, underscoring the complexity of trauma in autism <\/span><b>(38:00)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Kerns notes that both traditional and autism-related adversities were positively correlated with behavior problems and outlines three profiles of adversity history: Low-level (~45%), Moderate (~47%), and Complex (~8%) <\/span><b>(40:35)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Parents who completed the symptom subscale reported the same types of adversities at a higher rate of occurrence (6 vs 3).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kerns asserts that trauma in autism seems to fit the DSM 5 criteria, with some additional symptoms. In autism, she continues, we see many of the same criteria clustered in slightly different ways and with elevated reactivity. The speaker provides evidence for convergent and discriminant validity <\/span><b>(47:00)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Conclusion<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kerns asserts that these findings provide initial support for the validity of the CASS-Q measure. Some of the autism-nominated symptoms were the most likely to be endorsed and have the most impact, supporting the measurement\u2019s capacity for tailored approaches. She underscores that bullying was the most common detrimental adversity affecting this group <\/span><b>(48:00)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Study limitations and future directions are outlined <\/span><b>(49:00)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> before the Q&amp;A <\/span><b>(50:30)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><div class=\"fusion-sep-clear\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-separator fusion-full-width-sep\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;margin-top:40px;width:100%;\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-sep-clear\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-sep-clear\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-separator fusion-full-width-sep\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;margin-top:40px;width:100%;\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-sep-clear\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-2 fusion_builder_column_1_6 1_6 fusion-one-sixth fusion-column-last\" style=\"--awb-bg-size:cover;width:16.666666666667%;width:calc(16.666666666667% - ( ( 4% + 4% ) * 0.16666666666667 ) );\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-column-has-shadow fusion-flex-column-wrapper-legacy\"><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div id=\"jump\" class=\"fusion-container-anchor\"><div class=\"fusion-fullwidth fullwidth-box fusion-builder-row-2 has-pattern-background has-mask-background nonhundred-percent-fullwidth non-hundred-percent-height-scrolling\" style=\"--awb-border-radius-top-left:0px;--awb-border-radius-top-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-left:0px;--awb-flex-wrap:wrap;\" ><div class=\"fusion-builder-row fusion-row\"><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-3 fusion_builder_column_1_3 1_3 fusion-one-third fusion-column-first\" style=\"--awb-bg-size:cover;width:33.333333333333%;width:calc(33.333333333333% - ( ( 4% ) * 0.33333333333333 ) );margin-right: 4%;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-column-has-shadow fusion-flex-column-wrapper-legacy\"><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-3\" style=\"--awb-text-transform:none;\"><h3>The speaker:<\/h3>\n<div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-5\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload alignleft wp-image-16945 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Kerns.jpg\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Kerns.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"270\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27270%27%20height%3D%27360%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%20270%20360%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%27270%27%20height%3D%27360%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Kerns-200x267.jpg 200w, https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Kerns-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Kerns.jpg 270w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 270px) 100vw, 270px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>Dr. Connor Kerns <\/b>has conducted and published studies on a broad array of topics, including the role of paternal age in ASD risk, the co-occurrence of childhood psychopathologies, and differential predictors of CBT efficacy for child anxiety. Her present research focuses on the overlap, assessment, and treatment of anxiety and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Her ongoing projects aim to explore the varied presentation and phenomenology of anxiety in ASD and the implications of this variation for effective anxiety measurement and treatment. Dr. Kerns is also preparing to extend this work to the understudied area of traumatic events and their sequelae in youth with ASD. Another area of interest is the use of technology to facilitate the dissemination of empirically based treatments. Dr. Kerns is currently working to develop cost-effective, computer-assisted CBTs for youth with ASD and anxiety, interactive social stories to improve skill generalization in ASD, and video-enhanced ASD screening and educational tools. Her long-term goals include developing a parsimonious model of psychiatric co-occurrence to inform the design and dissemination of cross-diagnostic assessments and treatments that will improve child well-being and development.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-4 fusion_builder_column_2_3 2_3 fusion-two-third fusion-column-last\" style=\"--awb-bg-size:cover;width:66.666666666667%;width:calc(66.666666666667% - ( ( 4% ) * 0.66666666666667 ) );\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-column-has-shadow fusion-flex-column-wrapper-legacy\"><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-4\"><h4>Take the knowledge quiz<\/h4>\n<p>Can&#8217;t see the quiz below? 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fusion-full-width-sep\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;margin-top:30px;width:100%;\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-sep-clear\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-recent-posts fusion-recent-posts-1 avada-container layout-default layout-columns-3\"><section class=\"fusion-columns columns fusion-columns-3 columns-3\"><article class=\"post fusion-column column col col-lg-4 col-md-4 col-sm-4\"><div class=\"fusion-flexslider fusion-flexslider-loading flexslider flexslider-hover-type-none\"><ul class=\"slides\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/understanding-and-supporting-puberty\/\" aria-label=\"Understanding and Supporting Puberty in Autistic Girls and Boys\" class=\"hover-type-none\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"441\" src=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paid-teens-700x441.jpg\" class=\"attachment-recent-posts size-recent-posts lazyload\" alt=\"Diverse Teens Hands Star Concept\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%272560%27%20height%3D%271709%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%202560%201709%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%272560%27%20height%3D%271709%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paid-teens-700x441.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paid-teens-320x202.jpg 320w, https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paid-teens-700x441.jpg 700w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" \/><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><div class=\"recent-posts-content\"><span class=\"vcard\" style=\"display: none;\"><span class=\"fn\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/author\/melanie\/\" title=\"Posts by Melanie Glock\" rel=\"author\">Melanie Glock<\/a><\/span><\/span><span class=\"updated\" style=\"display:none;\">2025-09-11T12:52:59-05:00<\/span><h4 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/understanding-and-supporting-puberty\/\">Understanding and Supporting Puberty in Autistic Girls and Boys<\/a><\/h4><p class=\"meta\"><span class=\"vcard\" style=\"display: none;\"><span class=\"fn\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/author\/melanie\/\" title=\"Posts by Melanie Glock\" rel=\"author\">Melanie Glock<\/a><\/span><\/span><span class=\"updated\" style=\"display:none;\">2025-09-11T12:52:59-05:00<\/span><span>August 28th, 2025<\/span><span class=\"fusion-inline-sep\">|<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/gender\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Gender<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/health\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Health<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/medical-care\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Medical Care<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/news\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/webinar\/parenting-webinar\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Parenting<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/webinar\/research-webinar\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Research<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/research\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Research<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/webinar\/self-care\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Self Care<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/sexuality\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Sexuality<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/webinar\/social-skills\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Social Skills<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/webinars\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Webinar<\/a><span class=\"fusion-inline-sep\">|<\/span><\/p><p>   Blythe A. Corbett, Ph.D., discusses her lab's research on puberty, adolescence, and mental health in autistic individuals. She emphasizes puberty as a period of significant biological maturation involving several physical, biological, hormonal,<\/p><\/div><\/article><article class=\"post fusion-column column col col-lg-4 col-md-4 col-sm-4\"><div class=\"fusion-flexslider fusion-flexslider-loading flexslider flexslider-hover-type-none\"><ul class=\"slides\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/live-qa-masking-deconstructing-the-myths\/\" aria-label=\"Live Q&#038;A\u2014Masking: Deconstructing the Myths\" class=\"hover-type-none\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"441\" src=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/teens-2-700x441.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-recent-posts size-recent-posts lazyload\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%272560%27%20height%3D%271583%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%202560%201583%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%272560%27%20height%3D%271583%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/teens-2-700x441.jpeg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/teens-2-320x202.jpeg 320w, https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/teens-2-700x441.jpeg 700w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" \/><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><div class=\"recent-posts-content\"><span class=\"vcard\" style=\"display: none;\"><span class=\"fn\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/author\/melanie\/\" title=\"Posts by Melanie Glock\" rel=\"author\">Melanie Glock<\/a><\/span><\/span><span class=\"updated\" style=\"display:none;\">2025-10-23T13:56:31-05:00<\/span><h4 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/live-qa-masking-deconstructing-the-myths\/\">Live Q&#038;A\u2014Masking: Deconstructing the Myths<\/a><\/h4><p class=\"meta\"><span class=\"vcard\" style=\"display: none;\"><span class=\"fn\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/author\/melanie\/\" title=\"Posts by Melanie Glock\" rel=\"author\">Melanie Glock<\/a><\/span><\/span><span class=\"updated\" style=\"display:none;\">2025-10-23T13:56:31-05:00<\/span><span>August 5th, 2025<\/span><span class=\"fusion-inline-sep\">|<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/webinar\/adults-on-the-spectrum\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Adults on the Spectrum<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/health\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Health<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/medical-care\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Medical Care<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/webinar\/research-webinar\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Research<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/research\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Research<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/webinars\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Webinar<\/a><span class=\"fusion-inline-sep\">|<\/span><\/p><p>     This is a follow-up session to Dr. Dena Gassner's June 11th, 2025, presentation on the same subject. You can watch the live recording for more context and information. In the<\/p><\/div><\/article><article class=\"post fusion-column column col col-lg-4 col-md-4 col-sm-4\"><div class=\"fusion-flexslider fusion-flexslider-loading flexslider flexslider-hover-type-none\"><ul class=\"slides\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/sexuality-and-gender\/\" aria-label=\"Gender, Sexuality, and Autism\" class=\"hover-type-none\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"441\" src=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/AdobeStock_238082786-700x441.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-recent-posts size-recent-posts lazyload\" alt=\"puzzle pieces with male and female gender symbols on the pink and blue background. concept equality\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%272560%27%20height%3D%271707%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%202560%201707%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%272560%27%20height%3D%271707%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/AdobeStock_238082786-700x441.jpeg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/AdobeStock_238082786-320x202.jpeg 320w, https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/AdobeStock_238082786-700x441.jpeg 700w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" \/><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><div class=\"recent-posts-content\"><span class=\"vcard\" style=\"display: none;\"><span class=\"fn\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/author\/autismadmin\/\" title=\"Posts by autismAdmin\" rel=\"author\">autismAdmin<\/a><\/span><\/span><span class=\"updated\" style=\"display:none;\">2024-08-07T10:38:10-05:00<\/span><h4 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/sexuality-and-gender\/\">Gender, Sexuality, and Autism<\/a><\/h4><p class=\"meta\"><span class=\"vcard\" style=\"display: none;\"><span class=\"fn\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/author\/autismadmin\/\" title=\"Posts by autismAdmin\" rel=\"author\">autismAdmin<\/a><\/span><\/span><span class=\"updated\" style=\"display:none;\">2024-08-07T10:38:10-05:00<\/span><span>July 12th, 2024<\/span><span class=\"fusion-inline-sep\">|<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/webinar\/adults-on-the-spectrum\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Adults on the Spectrum<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/autism-spectrum-disorders\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Autism Spectrum Disorders<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/gender\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Gender<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/health\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Health<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/news\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/webinar\/self-care\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Self Care<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/seniors\/\" rel=\"category tag\">seniors<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/webinar\/sensory\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Sensory<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/sexuality\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Sexuality<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/webinar\/social-skills\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Social Skills<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/autism-spectrum-disorders\/ways-to-help\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Ways to Help<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/webinars\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Webinar<\/a><span class=\"fusion-inline-sep\">|<\/span><\/p><p>    Dr. Wenn Lawson, Ph.D., delves into the intersection of autism, sexuality, and gender. He describes monotropism as a theory of attention and addresses common sex differences in autism. The presenter discusses<\/p><\/div><\/article><article class=\"post fusion-column column col col-lg-4 col-md-4 col-sm-4\"><div class=\"fusion-flexslider fusion-flexslider-loading flexslider flexslider-hover-type-none\"><ul class=\"slides\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/gender-discomfort-and-autism\/\" aria-label=\"Gender Discomfort and Autism\" class=\"hover-type-none\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"441\" src=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/AdobeStock_557444134-700x441.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-recent-posts size-recent-posts lazyload\" alt=\"Person made of colorful data in the virtual reality\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%272560%27%20height%3D%271707%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%202560%201707%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%272560%27%20height%3D%271707%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/AdobeStock_557444134-700x441.jpeg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/AdobeStock_557444134-320x202.jpeg 320w, https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/AdobeStock_557444134-700x441.jpeg 700w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" \/><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><div class=\"recent-posts-content\"><span class=\"vcard\" style=\"display: none;\"><span class=\"fn\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/author\/autismadmin\/\" title=\"Posts by autismAdmin\" rel=\"author\">autismAdmin<\/a><\/span><\/span><span class=\"updated\" style=\"display:none;\">2024-11-22T08:34:54-05:00<\/span><h4 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/gender-discomfort-and-autism\/\">Gender Discomfort and Autism<\/a><\/h4><p class=\"meta\"><span class=\"vcard\" style=\"display: none;\"><span class=\"fn\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/author\/autismadmin\/\" title=\"Posts by autismAdmin\" rel=\"author\">autismAdmin<\/a><\/span><\/span><span class=\"updated\" style=\"display:none;\">2024-11-22T08:34:54-05:00<\/span><span>June 16th, 2023<\/span><span class=\"fusion-inline-sep\">|<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/news\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a><span class=\"fusion-inline-sep\">|<\/span><\/p><p>   \"I think society has an expectation where you have to be male or female, or you can be somewhere in between [...]. But they don't get that, actually, there are many genders<\/p><\/div><\/article><article class=\"post fusion-column column col col-lg-4 col-md-4 col-sm-4\"><div class=\"fusion-flexslider fusion-flexslider-loading flexslider flexslider-hover-type-none\"><ul class=\"slides\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/lgbtq-and-autism\/\" aria-label=\"LGBTQIA+ and Autism\" class=\"hover-type-none\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"441\" src=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/lgbtq-700x441.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-recent-posts size-recent-posts lazyload\" alt=\"Happy diverse young friends celebrating gay pride festival\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%272560%27%20height%3D%271707%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%202560%201707%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%272560%27%20height%3D%271707%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/lgbtq-700x441.jpeg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/lgbtq-320x202.jpeg 320w, https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/lgbtq-700x441.jpeg 700w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" \/><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><div class=\"recent-posts-content\"><span class=\"vcard\" style=\"display: none;\"><span class=\"fn\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/author\/melanie\/\" title=\"Posts by Melanie Glock\" rel=\"author\">Melanie Glock<\/a><\/span><\/span><span class=\"updated\" style=\"display:none;\">2025-05-30T18:35:02-05:00<\/span><h4 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/lgbtq-and-autism\/\">LGBTQIA+ and Autism<\/a><\/h4><p class=\"meta\"><span class=\"vcard\" style=\"display: none;\"><span class=\"fn\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/author\/melanie\/\" title=\"Posts by Melanie Glock\" rel=\"author\">Melanie Glock<\/a><\/span><\/span><span class=\"updated\" style=\"display:none;\">2025-05-30T18:35:02-05:00<\/span><span>June 13th, 2022<\/span><span class=\"fusion-inline-sep\">|<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/news\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/parenting\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Parenting<\/a><span class=\"fusion-inline-sep\">|<\/span><\/p><p>   Contemporary research on the intersection of autism, sexuality, and gender identity asserts that autistic individuals are more likely to identify as LGBTQIA+ than the neurotypical population. Similarly, the prevalence of autism is<\/p><\/div><\/article><article class=\"post fusion-column column col col-lg-4 col-md-4 col-sm-4\"><div class=\"fusion-flexslider fusion-flexslider-loading flexslider flexslider-hover-type-none\"><ul class=\"slides\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/symptoms-are-similar-in-young-boys-girls-with-asd\/\" aria-label=\"Symptoms are similar in young boys, girls with ASD\" class=\"hover-type-none\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"441\" src=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/faces-700x441.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-recent-posts size-recent-posts lazyload\" alt=\"Photo collage featuring smiling kids of different ages\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%272560%27%20height%3D%271209%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%202560%201209%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%272560%27%20height%3D%271209%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/faces-700x441.jpeg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/faces-320x202.jpeg 320w, https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/faces-700x441.jpeg 700w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" \/><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><div class=\"recent-posts-content\"><span class=\"vcard\" style=\"display: none;\"><span class=\"fn\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/author\/melanie\/\" title=\"Posts by Melanie Glock\" rel=\"author\">Melanie Glock<\/a><\/span><\/span><span class=\"updated\" style=\"display:none;\">2024-04-28T17:44:29-05:00<\/span><h4 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/symptoms-are-similar-in-young-boys-girls-with-asd\/\">Symptoms are similar in young boys, girls with ASD<\/a><\/h4><p class=\"meta\"><span class=\"vcard\" style=\"display: none;\"><span class=\"fn\"><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/author\/melanie\/\" title=\"Posts by Melanie Glock\" rel=\"author\">Melanie Glock<\/a><\/span><\/span><span class=\"updated\" style=\"display:none;\">2024-04-28T17:44:29-05:00<\/span><span>July 26th, 2021<\/span><span class=\"fusion-inline-sep\">|<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/news\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/autism.org\/category\/research\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Research<\/a><span class=\"fusion-inline-sep\">|<\/span><\/p><p>   Research indicates that in school-aged children, teenagers, and adults with autism spectrum (ASD), symptoms differ significantly between males and females. Because of this, there are concerns that the skewed male-to-female ratio of<\/p><\/div><\/article><\/section><\/div><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":16971,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[28,9449,21,9620,36,9761,26,19,5199,9816,3783,9856,3785,9475,24],"tags":[4303,2811,9580,4393,72,9895,8903,9763],"class_list":["post-20814","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adults-on-the-spectrum","category-anxiety-2","category-autism-spectrum-disorders","category-bullying","category-challenging-behaviors","category-gender","category-health","category-research","category-self-care","category-seniors","category-sensory","category-sexuality","category-social-skills","category-ways-to-help","category-webinar","tag-adults","tag-anxiety","tag-autism-in-adulthood","tag-bullying","tag-research","tag-research-updates","tag-seniors","tag-trauma","webinar-author-connor-kerns-phd"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.6 (Yoast SEO v27.1.1) - 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