Trainings & Talks

Autistic burnout happens when an already highly sensitive nervous system is pushed past capacity. Many autistic individuals experience heightened sensitivity to social ambiguity, large volumes of information, sensory input, and environmental changes. Add executive functioning challenges, and everyday demands — directions that aren’t explicit, noisy classrooms, shifting expectations — can become overwhelming. These are pressures that may feel manageable to a non-autistic person but can flood the nervous system of someone with autism, leading to exhaustion, shutdown, skill regression, or school refusal.

In this webinar, Dr. David O. Black, Director and Co-founder of Center for Assessment And Treatment (CAAT), will explain how to identify and “distill” the specific demands contributing to burnout. Is the barrier sensory-related? Is there something in the environment that can be adjusted? Are expectations developmentally appropriate in the first place? Does the student have the skills needed to meet the demand? Participants will also explore what is treatable — such as anxiety, dyslexia, or even underlying medical issues like GI distress — and how addressing those factors can be critical to recovery. Treating autistic burnout is not about pushing harder. It’s about carefully identifying the demands, reducing unnecessary stressors, addressing treatable conditions, and restoring agency and choice. Join us for this eye-opening discussion and walk away with practical steps to support a clearer, more compassionate path forward.

Your child’s neuropsychological evaluation reveals so much important data about the way your child thinks and learns, yet few of us really understand that information. A deeper understanding of this information enables you to advocate for IEP supports that are truly individualized, tailored to your child’s unique strengths and challenges. In this xMinds webinar, pediatric neuropsychologist Dr. David O. Black will teach us how to read and understand neuropsych evaluations. Dr. Black is an internationally recognized expert in autism spectrum and related disorders.

Many students struggle with dysregulation, whether it be difficulty transitioning from video games to homework, listening to the teacher rather than talking with a friend, or having trouble regulating strong emotions when disappointed or upset. Effectively supporting a student’s ability to self-regulate requires understanding the underlying reasons why it is difficult. During this lecture, we will explore the most common neuropsychological reasons for dysregulation, including underlying anxiety, language weaknesses, inattention, inflexibility, disorganization, and slow processing speed. We will also discuss effective strategies that parents and teachers can use to help students maintain good regulation.

Young adults with autism spectrum disorders often have difficulty navigating the practical aspects of day-to-day living and the transition to college. These challenges often include trouble in the areas of executive functioning, social cognition, and adaptive functioning. Talk focuses on what underlies these challenges and discusses a number of practical solutions.

Dr. Black is a pediatric neuropsychologist and scientist who is a nationally recognized expert on autism spectrum and related disorders. He is also the founder and director of the Center for Autism Assessment and Treatment (CAATonline.com). Dr. Black has spent the last ten years working clinically with children, adolescents, and adults with autism spectrum disorders. He has focused on the neurocognitive and psychological underpinnings for effective navigation of the social world and the unique challenges inherent in the transition to adulthood.