Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Autistic Adults Provider Training (CBT-AAPT)

Thursday, March 28, 2024, 2:00 PM - Thursday, June 27, 2024, 3:30 PM, A Live Webinar

The Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Autistic Adults Provider Training (CBT-AAPT) is a curriculum composed of weekly modules, both live and pre-recorded, designed to improve the attitudes of mental health providers towards autistic adults, increase their knowledge about autism, and acquire clinical skills specific to autistic adults. The target learner for CBT-AAPT are MHPs without formal clinical training in autism.

Course Schedule - Note, that live sessions will occur online via the LearnMed platform from 2: 00 PM - 3:30 PM PT

March 28, 2024 – Course Introduction (LIVE)
1. List core features of autism
2. Review autism terminology, historical and current
3. Describe the rationale for using CBT to treat mental health problems in autistic adults

April 4, 2024 – Conventional and Strengths-Based Assessments (Asynchronous)
1. Explain how autistic patients are assessed in specialized clinics.
2. Identify mimickers of autism presentations
3. Describe assessments by strengths-based approaches

April 11, 2024 – Orienting Autistic Adult Patients to CBT (LIVE)
1. Explain how to conceptualize the mental health problems of autistic adults using a CBT framework
2. List guidelines for establishing a therapeutic alliance with autistic adults
3. Identify relevant cases in their own clinical work

April 18, 2024 – Individualized Case Formulation (Asynchronous)
1. Describe common developmental trajectories of autistic individuals
2. Explain the challenges of autistic individuals in educational and employment settings
3. Describe how to use an individualized case formulation for treatment planning
4. Identify one case to use from their own work as a practice example 

April 25, 2024 – Understanding the strengths and challenges of the autistic patient (LIVE)
1. Discuss approaches to assess the strengths of the autistic patient
2. Explain common cognitive distortions in the autistic patient

May 2, 2024 – Intervention:  Issues associated with characteristics of autism (Asynchronous)
1. List the major categories of core ASD factors that may contribute to the mental health problems presented by autistic patients
2. Describe modified CBT strategies that can help improve core ASD issues that are impacting autistic patients’ mental health

May 9, 2024 – Emotion Regulation Issues and Mindfulness-Based CBT (LIVE)
1. Discuss case examples of emotion regulation challenges
2. Describe mindfulness-based CBT (“third wave”) approaches that can improve emotion regulation skills in autistic patients

May 16, 2024 – Intervention:  Co-occurring Anxiety (Asynchronous)
1. List common co-occurring anxiety disorders for autistic patients
2. Describe CBT strategies to address anxiety symptoms

May 23, 2024 – Intervention: Social Functioning (LIVE)
1. Articulate how to apply strengths-based approaches in conducting CBT in autistic patients
2. Describe treatment strategies that can improve social cognition skills in autistic patients
3. Discuss special considerations when implementing CBT for co-occurring Social Anxiety Disorder in autistic patients

May 30, 2024 – Intervention:  Co-occurring OCD and Panic Disorders (Asynchronous)
1. Contrast between OCD symptoms and stereotypic behaviors in autistic patients
2. Describe CBT strategies to address OCD and panic symptoms in autistic adults

June 6, 2024 – Intervention: Co-occurring Mood Disorders (LIVE)
1. Discuss unique ways depressive symptoms may be expressed in autistic patients
2. Describe CBT strategies to address depressive symptoms

June 13, 2024 – Intervention: PTSD (Asynchronous)
1. Explain common PTSD-related scenarios in autistic patients
2. Describe approaches to handle PTSD in autistic patients

June 20, 2024 – Termination of Treatment (LIVE)
1. List the common reasons for premature termination and how to address them
2. Explain how to prepare autistic patients before termination  

June 27, 2024 – Course Review and Conclusion (LIVE)
1. Describe approaches to adapt CBT in addressing issues associated with core characteristics of autism 
2. Discuss at least one case where CBT was applied to address a mental health problem in an autistic adult

To register for this course, please click the Register tab above. 

Standard: $2,000
Group (3 or more attendees from same program): $1,750 pp.
Student/Trainee (training director LoR required): $500

AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (21.00 hours), APA Continuing Education credits (21.00 hours), ASWB General Continuing Education (ACE) credits (21.00 hours), Non-Physician Participation Credit (21.00 hours)

1. Identify the needs of autistic adults in a holistic fashion.
2. Develop the competency of assessing the strengths of autistic adults.
3. Integrate principles of Strengths-Based Model of Neurodiversity to existing CBT treatment philosophy.
4. Incorporate new approaches of capturing perceived situations and automatic thoughts from autistic adults.
5. Adapt existing CBT interventions to meet the needs of autistic adults.

In support of improving patient care, Stanford Medicine is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Credit Designation
American Medical Association (AMA)
Stanford Medicine designates this Other (synchronous and asynchronous) activity for a maximum of 21.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits ^TM.  Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

American Psychological Association (APA)
Continuing Education (CE) credits for psychologists are provided through the co-sponsorship of the American Psychological Association (APA) Office of Continuing Education in Psychology (CEP). The APA CEP Office maintains responsibly for the content of the programs.

ASWB Approved Continuing Education Credit (ACE)
As a Jointly Accredited Organization, Stanford Medicine is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. Social workers completing this activity receive 21.0 general continuing education credits. 

Cancellation Policy
Please visit the course registration page for cancellation details. 

Stanford University School of Medicine reserves the right to cancel or postpone this program if necessary.

Accessibility Statement
 Stanford University School of Medicine is committed to ensuring that its programs, services, goods and facilities are accessible to individuals with disabilities as specified under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act of 2008.  If you have needs that require accommodations, please contact the CME Conference Coordinator.

Cultural and Linguistic Competency
The planners and speakers of this CME activity have been encouraged to address cultural issues relevant to their topic area for the purpose of complying with California Assembly Bill 1195. Moreover, the Stanford University School of Medicine Multicultural Health Portal contains many useful cultural and linguistic competency tools including culture guides, language access information and pertinent state and federal laws.  You are encouraged to visit the Multicultural Health Portal: https://laneguides.stanford.edu/multicultural-health

For activity related questions, please contact
     Name: Brandon Armstrong, MHA, HCPD
     Title: Compliance Coordinator
     Email: [email protected]

For CME general questions, please contact 
     Email: [email protected]

Mitigation of Relevant Financial Relationships

Stanford Medicine adheres to the Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education.

There are no relevant financial relationships with ACCME-defined ineligible companies for anyone who was in control of the content of this activity.