Course Description:

Autism and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) frequently co-occur, yet many clinicians struggle to differentiate between autistic traits and OCD symptoms. Traditional treatment models often overlook the unique ways that autistic individuals experience distress, leading to misdiagnosis, ineffective interventions, or even harm. This course provides an in-depth exploration of how autistic traits can catalyze OCD, creating distinct challenges in both assessment and treatment.

Participants will learn to navigate the intersection of autism and OCD with a neurodiversity-affirming lens, moving beyond a purely behavioral approach to incorporate conceptualization strategies that respect and validate neurodivergent experiences. The course will highlight the critical distinction between functional, identity-affirming repetitive behaviors and distress-driven compulsions, ensuring that interventions align with the client’s needs rather than reinforcing compliance-based treatment models.

Through case studies, practical frameworks, and ethical considerations, clinicians will gain tools to assess their clients holistically, reduce epistemic injustice, and implement interventions that prioritize client autonomy, emotional well-being, and long-term therapeutic success. This course is designed for licensed mental health professionals seeking to enhance their competence in working with neurodivergent individuals experiencing OCD.

Course Rationale:

Research indicates that autistic individuals are significantly more likely to meet criteria for OCD than their neurotypical peers, with estimates suggesting that approximately 17% of autistic people experience OCD. Despite this high prevalence, treatment approaches designed for neurotypical individuals often fail to account for the differences in cognitive processing, sensory experiences, and emotional regulation that characterize autistic clients.

Many autistic individuals engage in repetitive behaviors, but these behaviors can serve vastly different functions. While compulsions in OCD are typically distressing and ego-dystonic, many repetitive behaviors in autism are self-regulatory and affirming. Clinicians who misinterpret these behaviors risk implementing interventions that strip autistic clients of essential coping mechanisms, reinforcing trauma and invalidation rather than fostering meaningful therapeutic progress.

Conversely, when OCD symptoms are dismissed as autism-related rigidity, individuals may not receive the treatment they need to manage intrusive thoughts and distressing compulsions effectively. This gap in understanding underscores the need for clinicians to develop an advanced conceptual framework that differentiates autism-related behaviors from OCD-driven compulsions and tailors interventions accordingly.

By applying a neurodiversity-affirming approach, clinicians can improve diagnostic accuracy, enhance treatment effectiveness, and uphold ethical standards by ensuring interventions align with a client’s lived experience rather than forcing conformity to neurotypical expectations. This course will provide the knowledge and skills necessary to achieve these outcomes while fostering a respectful, client-centered approach to therapy.

Learning Objectives:

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

1. Differentiate between OCD compulsions and autism-related repetitive behaviors by evaluating their function, impact, and the client’s subjective experience.
2. Apply a neurodiversity-affirming framework to clinical conceptualization and intervention, ensuring that therapeutic approaches respect and accommodate autistic traits while effectively addressing OCD symptoms.
3. Identify and mitigate ethical risks in OCD treatment for autistic clients, including the potential harms of compliance-focused interventions and epistemic injustice in clinical practice.
4. Implement tailored strategies for assessment and treatment that promote autonomy, reduce distress, and enhance therapeutic outcomes for autistic individuals with co-occurring OCD.