TEAM Webinar: APA Series: Supporting Emotional Regulation Development in Autistic Youth

Emotional regulation is a developmental process that involves learning to recognize, understand, communicate, and respond to emotions in ways that support participation and well-being. For autistic youth, differences in communication, sensory processing, flexibility, interoception, executive functioning, and social understanding may influence how regulation develops and how distress is expressed. This presentation will provide a developmental framework for understanding emotional regulation in autistic youth, with attention to the interaction between individual characteristics and environmental demands. Participants will learn to identify opportunities for building regulation skills, consider the role of caregivers and other supports in scaffolding development, and apply practical, individualized strategies that promote emotional awareness, coping, flexibility, and self-advocacy rather than focusing solely on reducing outward expressions of distress. 

Learning Objectives 

By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to: 

1. Identify at least three neurodevelopmental and contextual factors that may contribute to emotional regulation difficulties in autistic youth. 
2. Differentiate emotional regulation challenges from behaviors that may be misinterpreted as oppositionality, noncompliance, or intentional avoidance. 
3. Describe at least three evidence-informed strategies for supporting emotional awareness, coping, and regulation skills in autistic youth. 
4. Apply a developmental and individualized framework to select regulation supports based on a youth’s abilities, needs, communication style, and environmental demands.

Presented by Jennifer Sykes, PhD, this webinar is designed for psychologists, social workers, counselors, and other professionals working with individuals with autism.

Please register in advance at: https://umsystem.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ZUu4EKAyRJ2upy8ZnNwAYg