Strategies for Autistic Belonging in Counselor Education

Autistic faculty and students encounter numerous barriers in academia including differences in communication styles, sensory processing needs, and misunderstandings of neurodivergence among colleague and peers. While neurodiversity affirming practices are growing in the counseling field, gaps remain in applying these concepts within counselor education itself. In this session, participants will examine current research related to autism in academia, explore beliefs related to autistic individuals in the field, and identify barriers to autistic inclusion. Attendees of all neurotypes will leave with actionable strategies to promote autistic belonging within counselor education.