2.00-2.40 pm
Autism for the non specialist
Dr Susannah Whitwell, Consultant Psychiatrist and Clinical Director, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
Brief talk synopsis:
Dr Whitwell will review current diagnostic criteria and issues around identification, diagnosis and support for autistic adults and the psychiatrists they work with.
Learning objectives:
- Knowledge of current diagnostic framework for autism spectrum disorder
- Awareness of how autism presents in a mental health population
- Practical knowledge and confidence to identify adults who would benefit from a diagnostic assessment and awareness of the issues to consider around diagnosis in this patient group
2.40-3.20 pm
Autism: current landscape and implication for adult psychiatry
Dr Conor Davidson, Consultant Psychiatrist, Leeds Autism Diagnostic Service & Royal College of Psychiatrists Autism Champion
Learning objectives:
- Understanding of current trends in autism referral patterns and demographics
- Appreciation of link between adult autism and mental health problems
- Awareness of new policy and training developments in the world of autism
3.20-3.35 pm
Short break
3.35-4.20 pm
What is Autistic Phenomenology? Past, present and future implications
Professor Jonathan Green, Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Manchester and Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre; Honorary Consultant, Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital; NIHR Senior Investigator
Talk synopsis:
Autism is notable in not having a phenomenology within its current nosology. The recent rise in the neurodiversity movement and autistic advocacy, plus new historical and scientific perspectives, have re-established the salience and need for such an autistic phenomenology. I will review previous roles of phenomenology within the historical evolution of the autism concept. I will describe my own current investigations in this area towards a more systematic autistic phenomenology and the implications this could have for clinical practice and science.
Learning objectives:
- History of autism and phenomenology
- Modern phenomenological methods
- Conceptual shifts for autism within neurodiversity
4.20 pm
Closing comments