Sex on the Spectrum: The Intersection of Sex, Gender, and Sexuality for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder

9:00am to 12:00pm ET

LIVE WEBINAR

Presenter: Leslie Sickels, LCSW

NASW-NYS Members: $30

NASW Other Chapter Member (Including NYC): $60

Non-Members: $75

NASW-NYS Student and Transitional Members: FREE

This workshop is approved for 3.0 continuing education credit hours for licensed social workers, licensed mental health counselors, licensed marriage and family therapists and licensed psychologists

NASW-NYS certificates will now be distributed through Gutenberg Certs. Please ensure that you register and/or join on Zoom with the name you would like to appear on your certificate.

Workshop Description
This presentation will provide an overview of the intersection of sex, gender, and sexuality for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). It will address the importance of providing developmentally appropriate psychoeducation to promote healthy sexual development and will explore more nuanced topics such as consent, online relationships, and kink communities. By better understanding ASD, and the ways it presents in adulthood, this presentation will allow clinicians to deepen their knowledge of neurodiversity while offering clear, concrete strategies for social work practice.

Learning Objectives

After the completion of this webinar, participants will be able to:

•    Recognize neurodiversity in clinical practice
•    Describe the unique presentation of gender and sexuality for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder
•    Provide psychoeducation to both clients, families, and partners on the connection and emergence of gender and sexuality

This workshop is approved for 3.0 continuing education credit hours.

NASW-NYS is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers (Provider ID #0014), licensed mental health counselors (Provider ID #MHC-0053), licensed marriage and family therapists (Provider ID #MFT-0037) and licensed psychologists (Provider ID #PSY-0088).

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Presenter:

Presenter Name, Credentials,

Leslie A. Sickels, LCSW is a licensed clinical social worker based in Manhattan. Her areas of expertise include autism spectrum disorder (ASD), neurodiverse relationships, anxiety, depression, and trauma. Much of her work focuses on gender and sexuality as they relate to the unique concerns of individuals with ASD. Leslie utilizes a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) approach and integrates trauma-informed practices into her work. She provides psychotherapy, which often includes building social skills, improving executive functioning, and strengthening relationships.

Along with individual therapy, Leslie provides counseling to neurodiverse couples, in which one or both partners are on the autism spectrum. She supports couples in enhancing communication and working through challenges in their partnership. Leslie’s work focuses on neurodiversity as an asset in relationships. Her work is goal-oriented and concrete so that couples can identify and understand neurodiversity in their partnership and develop tools to strengthen their relationship. Leslie also provides supportive services, including consultation and coaching for partners of individuals with ASD.                     

More information can be found at LeslieSickelsLCSW.com or Leslie can be reached directly at LeslieSickelsLCSW@gmail.com.