Overview
CPD on the go® eLearning activities provide an opportunity to learn about diverse topics in short, flexible sessions that you can peruse at your own pace, wherever you are.
Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) is designed to help individuals manage emotional distress by cultivating self-compassion—a capacity often linked to improved emotional regulation, reduced anxiety, and better mental health.
For autistic adults, however, accessing self-compassion can be particularly challenging due to heightened self-criticism, increased difficulties with emotion regulation, and a higher prevalence of anxiety and depression compared to non-autistic adults.
Research shows that autistic individuals typically report lower levels of self-compassion, which is associated with poorer mental health outcomes. Despite these challenges, growing evidence suggests that enhancing self-compassion could be a promising therapeutic target to support autistic adults in managing their emotional wellbeing.
This article explores the feasibility and effects of a brief, self-guided, online compassion-focused intervention for autistic adults.
Using a combination of self-report measures, heart rate variability (HRV) assessments, and daily experience sampling, the authors investigated changes in self-compassion, emotional regulation, and physiological responses.
Level of Learning
Foundational. This activity is targeted to those new to the topic.
Target audience
This activity is suitable for: psychologists, social workers, general practitioners, occupational therapists, nurses, and allied health practitioners.
APS CPD-Approved
This eLearning activity has been assessed against the APS Standards for CPD activities and approved for its education quality.
Learn more about the APS CPD Approval process.
CPD Frequently Asked Questions
Refer to the APS CPD Frequently Asked Questions for general and technical information when undertaking APS Professional development activities.