Mental Health Challenges in ASD: Perspectives of adults with ASD and professionals who work with adults

Filmed April 2017 – edited into 4 parts; total 54 minutes

This fascinating panel discussion provides positive, practical insights offered by autistic individuals, clinicians and researchers on the complex realities facing individuals with autism with mental health conditions, primarily anxiety and depression.

This panel was recorded at ACT’s 13th Annual Focus on Research Conference held in 2017- Autism & Mental Health – Looking Beyond Autism – to provide a forum to discuss common co-occurring mental health conditions with the goal of encouraging equitable access to mental health services for people with ASD across the lifespan.

Panelists:

Kenneth Binnie & Allixe Galloway: autistic adults providing their personal insights

David Worling, PhD, Registered Psychologist, Director, West Coast Child Development Group, Vancouver 

Grace Iarocci, PhD, Registered Psychologist, Professor of Psychology, Simon Fraser University

Jonathan Weiss, PhD, Registered Psychologist, Canadian Institute of Health Research Chair in ASD Treatment and Care, Associate Professor of Psychology, York University

Part 1: Allixe Galloway – Impact of mental health on career and personal life

Part 2: Kenneth Binnie

Part 3: David Worling

Part 4: Q&A

  • Gender identity (Start of video)
  • Rates, risk, and prevention of suicide (1:53)
  • Differences in mental health between individuals with ASD and the general population (3:14)
  • Perspective of adults with ASD: Useful tools and therapy (7:05)
  • What would you have liked your family or peers to better understand about you when you were younger? (12:08)
  • What do you think is required to be an expert so that individuals with autism can become more involved? (14:09)
  • First Nations communities living with ASD and the impact of inter-generational trauma (18;35)
  • Thoughts on being an observer (21:34)
  • Suggestions for assisting people with anxiety to engage in treatment (26:19)