Continuing Education Workshop Description

As people learn more about Autism and ADHD through lived-experience and the Neurodiversity-Affirming movement, we see the layered influence on sexual and romantic relationships. Masking has a profound effect on the development of “self” and the understanding of relationships, leading to misunderstandings and confusion in all relational settings. Add in the nuances of differing sensory needs and ways of attending to stimuli, plus experiences of rejection sensitivity and demand avoidance, and the challenges pile up quickly. And we haven’t even talked about relational trauma yet!

Whether people share the same neurotype or not, the impact of neurodivergence is complex and layered. Using a multidisciplinary approach, this workshop is taught by two clinicians with a variety of expertise and experience and will explore how Autism and ADHD affect intra and interpersonal relationships, from platonic to romantic/sexual and everything in-between.

Continuing Education Workshop Objectives

After this continuing education workshop, attendees will be able to:

• Define at least 3 ways the medical model of Autism and ADHD leads to biases in healthcare providers/clinicians
• Describe at least 2 ways that Autistic and ADHD traits and experiences can impact romantic/sexual relationships
• Explain the relational effects of the Double Empathy Problem, Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, and Pathological Demand Avoidance
• Identify how monotropism influences Au/DHD communication and relational patterns
• Identify how missing key experiences like monotropism, RSD, and PDA can contribute to relational harm in therapy
• Describe how differing sensory profiles can impact all types of relationships where people share space
• Apply sensory-informed and interoceptive frameworks to enhance safety and connection
• Implement tools to offer sensory mapping profiles for relational systems
• Identify/understand common polarities in neurodivergent couples that impact connection
• Identify how Au/DHD traits influence relational pacing and attachment
• Differentiate codependence from interdependence within neurodiverse couples
• Integrate neurodiversity-affirming approaches and the Polarities to Parallels Model to support accountability, repair, and mutual regulation