On-Demand CE Training
ODL 397: Autism and Trauma: Understanding the Trends and Realities to Provide a Clinically Responsive Treatment Approach
Please make sure to check with your own state board to ensure the transferability of CE credit for an asynchronous course. Some state boards may place restrictions regarding the modality of training required for ethics credits to be awarded. If this training indicates ethics credits are available, please verify that your state allows them to be earned through an on-demand course format.
Please note: This on-demand webinar is a replay of a live CE event. The format reflects the original presentation and may include live Q&A, transitions, and intermittent audio/visual fluctuations typical of a live recording.
5 CREDIT HOURS APPROVED FOR:
Social Workers
ASWB ACE – 5 Clinical Continuing Education credits
New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work – 5 Contact hours
Psychologists
APA – 5 CE credits
Counselors 5 Contact hours
NBCC ACEP – 5 Contact hours
New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners – 5 Contact hours
Addiction Professionals
NAADAC – 5 Contact hours
Nurses
California Board of Registered Nursing – 5 Contact hours
Case Managers
CCMC – 5 CE Contact hours
Created On: 3/23/26
Target Audience:
This course is targeted for social workers, psychologists, counselors, nurses and case managers.
Counselor Skill Groups:
4. Counseling Services
Overview:
Individuals with autism have an increased tendency to experience trauma and post-traumatic disorder compared with the general population. Dealing with the effects of a traumatic event or circumstance can be multi-faceted and devastating. For those with autism, experiences with trauma may be different, and processing and treating trauma may require an added layer of specialized support. This training will discuss trauma experiences, as well as trauma expressions and responses among individuals with autism. Best practices and implications for practice will also be discussed.
Course Objectives:
By the end of the session, the participant will be able to:
- Develop an awareness of the prevalence of trauma as experienced by individuals with autism.
- Describe reasons for increased trauma experiences among individuals with autism.
- Explain differences in trauma experiences for those with autism.
- Summarize strategies to support individuals with autism who have experienced trauma.
Presenter:
Christina Marsack-Topolewski, PhD, LMSW
Christina Marsack-Topolewski, PhD, LMSW, is a licensed social worker and an Associate Professor of Social Work at Eastern Michigan University. She received her Bachelor of Science in Special Education from Wayne State University, Master of Social Work from the University of Michigan, and her PhD in Social Work with a dual title in Gerontology from Wayne State University. She has 20 years of experience supporting individuals with disabilities and their family caregivers. She has consulted on cases of individuals with disabilities with various co-occurring conditions. Dr. Marsack-Topolewski has worked as a professor, clinical therapist, teacher, consultant, and speaker. She has published over 80 research articles in scholarly journals and encyclopedias regarding individuals with disabilities, family caregiving, and aging.
Dr. Marsack-Topolewski has served as the lead principal investigator on multiple grant-funded programs tailoring services for individuals with disabilities, older adults, and chronic illnesses. She is an appointed board member of the U.S. National Task Group (NTG) on Intellectual Disability and Dementia Practices. Dr. Marsack-Topolewski’s research has been featured on National Public Radio (NPR) and ABC News Detroit. Over the past five years, she testified before members of the Michigan Legislature to advocate for new laws that protect against the exploitation and abuse of adults with disabilities. The first of these house bills was signed into law in the state of Michigan in December 2023. In 2024, she received the Ronald W. Collins Distinguished Research Award for Research Excellence. In addition, she received the Arc of Oakland County’s Advocacy Hall of Fame Award in 2024.