Overview

Autism is a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition; however, many older adults experienced childhoods that predated contemporary diagnostic criteria and widespread recognition of autism. As a result, autism is often first identified later in life, frequently in the context of long-standing mental health difficulties, functional challenges, or cognitive change.

This webinar will focus on the assessment of autism in older adults, drawing on experience from both clinical practice and current research.

Key considerations for psychologists will include developmentally informed history-taking, the use and limitations of commonly used standardised assessment tools, and the role of collateral information when early-life records are limited or unavailable. Clinical features and patterns of presentation that may indicate autism in older people will be highlighted, alongside common differential diagnostic challenges such as mood and anxiety disorders, trauma histories, personality factors, and neurocognitive disorders.

The session will emphasise strengths-based formulation, the development of post-assessment recommendations, and meaningful communication of outcomes that supports understanding and next steps for individuals and families. The webinar aims to provide psychologists with a clear and practical understanding of how to approach autism assessment in older adults, grounded in neuroaffirming and person-centred practice.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this event, participants should be able to:

• Identify common features and presentation patterns of autism in older adults that may prompt consideration of further assessment.
• Outline key considerations in assessing autism in older adults, including history-taking, use and limitations of standardised tools, and the role of collateral information.
• Describe common post-assessment recommendations and approaches to feedback in later-life autism assessment, including the value of diagnosis for older adults and their families.

Presenter(s)

A/Prof Kathryn Ellis

About the presenter(s)

A/Prof Kathryn Ellis is a Clinical Psychologist and Behavioural Neuroscientist whose work centres on ageing and neurodivergence. She is a Senior Clinical Psychologist within St Vincent’s Aged Mental Health Service and Clinic Coordinator of the Older Persons Autism Liaison Service (OPALS). She also maintains a small private practice and is a Psychology Board-approved supervisor. She divides her professional time between clinical practice and academic work at the University of Melbourne, where she is Deputy Lead of the Wellbeing in Ageing Team within the Department of Psychiatry, with a strong emphasis on capacity building and fostering clinical-research collaboration.

Notes

Target Audience

This activity is aimed at psychologists working with older adults.

Please note:

• This is a Member Groups event. All communication will be sent to the registrants’ registered email address. This includes event reminders with details (such as the Zoom link) and any pre-event or post-event resources, if provided by the facilitators.
• A post-event email will be sent within two weeks of the event’s completion to each registrant’s registered email address. This email will include the CPD certificate, event-recording, and any additional resources shared during the session.

Duration of Access

This event will be recorded. The recording will be emailed to all registered within 2 weeks post event and available for viewing up to 90 days.

CPD

It is up to attendees to assess and determine how learning from this event aligns with the requirements of their learning plan. The providers accordingly do not make any representation that the event counts towards attendees’ CPD learning requirements. If an attendee determines themselves that the learning they complete aligns to their learning plan, then they can decide to count those hours towards their CPD requirements for the registration cycle.

The information in this presentation has been prepared in good faith and for educational purposes only. Therefore, the information is general in nature and should not be relied upon in the treatment of any condition and you should seek your own independent professional and/or legal advice concerning any specific issue. The APS accepts no responsibility for any errors, omissions or decisions relating to the information. The content should not be reproduced without permission or unless permitted by law.

If you are experiencing registration difficulties please contact APS Events Support.