Event Information

This conference was held on the 5th December 2024 and bookings have now closed. 

Supported by Verity Chester, Editor of Advances in Autism, Deborah Morris, Director of the Centre for Complex and Developmental Trauma a St Andrew's Healthcare, had the privilege of guest editing a special edition to highlight current clinical and research work in meeting the trauma needs of autistic adults. The special edition included several papers offering practical guidance, exploring the challenging diagnostic questions, empirically evaluating treatments and expanding the theoretical lens for improving our understanding of trauma in autistic people.

The special edition, published in July 2024, is the most downloaded volume of the year. Due to the positive performance of the special edition, Emerald Publishing have kindly agreed to make the edition open access, for one month.

CLICK HERE to see an overview of previous conferences and "Coming Soon" events for 2025.

Post Conference Update

On Thursday 5th December 2024 we were delighted to welcome over 300 delegates who joined us for a free webinar to support sharing the learnings from the special edition of Advances in Autism. 

Cllr Ross Healy, an expert by experience, provided opening comments for the event, and all authors of papers in the special edition presented their papers at the webinar.

It was a great day with thought provoking and insightful presentations, including:  

• Editorial Introduction: Dr Deborah Morris, CDCT UK 
• Paper 1: Is trauma research neglecting neurodiverse populations? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the prevalence ACEs in adults with autistic traits, Dr Elanor Webb, CDCT UK
• Paper 2: Trauma or autism? – understanding how the effects of trauma and disrupted attachment can be mistaken for autism, Dr Rachel Worthington, University of Central Lancashire & Manchester Metropolitan University, UK
• Paper 3: Distinguishing between autism and the consequences of early traumatisation during diagnostic assessment: a clinical case study, Dr Arvid Kidahl, Oslo University Hospital & NevSom Centre, Norway
• Paper 4: Elucidating the presentation and identification of PTSD in autistic adults: a modified Delphi study, Dr Freya Rumball, Kings College London & Oxleas NHS Foundation UK
• Paper 5: Moral distress and moral injury in the context of autism, Dr Rachel Worthington, University of Central Lancashire & Manchester Metropolitan University UK
• Paper 6: Dialectical behaviour therapy outcomes for adolescents with autism spectrum conditions compared to those without: findings from a seven-year service evaluation, Matthew Phillips, Kings College London & Goldsmiths University of London UK
• Paper 7: Comorbid autism spectrum disorder and borderline personality disorder: case conceptualization and treatment implications, Madeleine Allman, University of Houston USA

Conference Feedback

The feedback from our delegates was overwhelmingly positive. 

Here are just a few of the wonderful comments we received... 

Who was this event of interest to?

Attendees were largely from clinical settings, with 10% being experts by experience. This includes psychologists, psychiatrists, mental health / learning disability nurses and professionals working in a variety of settings. This webinar is the first of its kind with Advances in Autism, and  further collaborations are in development.