In this on demand webinar, Liam Spicer provides an overview of the rates, challenges, and experiences of Autistic and ADHD clients. There will be a discussion on recent research regarding dissociation in Autistic and ADHD clients, and certain factors associated with increased dissociation in these clients. The session also focuses on how to assess for dissociation in Autistic and ADHD clients, taking into consideration individual differences and the complexity of their background and current experiences including discussion of areas such as the Social Model of Disability, The Minority Stress Model and Intersectionality. There is a discussion around the key criteria and components of Dissociative Disorders such as DID, including understanding of symptoms such as depersonalisation, derealisation, and dissociative amnesia and ways to assess for this. There is a focus on other simple assessment strategies and tools to understand dissociation, and key information to provide to clients to normalise this survival response and include it within your therapeutic work. Lastly, frameworks for understanding dissociation such as Polyvagal Theory, Structural Dissociation, and other parts-based models are discussed, with references to adaptations needed for Autistic/ADHD clients.

Liam Spicer

Liam Spicer is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology, Psychologist, EMDR Consultant and Accredited Schema Therapist based in Lutruwita. Liam is an Autistic ADHDer himself, and is passionate about training, research, and collaboration with other neurodivergent individuals in the Neurodiversity Affirming Space. Liam is actively involved in both training and research in the areas of trauma, grief, neurodivergence, EMDR, and Schema Therapy, delivering workshops across Australia and online to various mental health professionals.

Liam has presented at both International and National conferences including  the International Society for Schema Therapy Conference in Europe, the EMDR Asia Conference, two years consecutively at the EMDR Australia Conference, and the Australasian ADHD Professionals Network Conference.

Liam has been a contributor to the Routledge International Handbook of Child and Adolescent Grief and has published in top academic journals such as Frontiers in Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Research. Liam’s current PHD at Curtin University, Perth is focused on the use of Schema Therapy for Prolonged Grief, where he has published in the ISST bulletin on this topic.

Liam’s current PhD is focused on the use of Schema Therapy for Prolonged grief, and he has published journal articles and book chapters on grief in addition to presenting at national and international conferences. His interest in this area is derived from both professional and personal lived experience of loss.