Description: Neurodiversity and the nervous system is a bottom-up approach to working with adolescents and young adults with Autism, PTSD, OCD, and ADHD, in the home, classroom, and therapy space. Building on Polyvagal Theory, attendees will explore differential diagnoses of OCD, PTSD, Autism, and ADHD. This lecture is bottom-up because attendees learn to attune to youth and young adult bodies rather than a diagnostic label. The body—not the mind—is the place in which all dysregulation unfolds in the autonomic nervous system and provides a place to intervene via sensorimotor psychotherapy, mindfulness-based interventions, biofeedback exercises, and Motivational Interviewing approaches. Attendees like social workers, therapists, professional counselors, case managers, residential care workers, behaviorists, special education teachers, special educators, vocational counselors, parenting support aides, and in-home support workers will all find ways to apply a Polyvagal understanding to the adolescent nervous system to their own type of practice. 

Learning Objectives: Participants will be able to...