- Live Webinar
November 20, 2026
10:00 am - 1:00 pm
Introduction
Autistic burnout is one of the most common reasons autistic adults seek therapy—and unfortunately, one of the most frequently misread. It is routinely misdiagnosed and treated as major depressive disorder, a personality problem, or noncompliance, meaning standard therapeutic responses often exacerbate the issue. This intensive workshop provides clinicians with the tools to distinguish autistic burnout from depression and chronic fatigue presentations.
Crucially, this course grounds shutdown, meltdown, and withdrawal in nervous system function rather than framing them as behavioral issues. Participants will dive deep into how sensory load, the heavy toll of masking demands, and interoceptive differences compound and accumulate into burnout over time.
Clinicians will learn how to accurately assess where a client sits on the burnout trajectory and discover what genuinely helps. We will explore practical, neurodiversity-affirming interventions, including demand reduction, personalized recovery planning, and environmental accommodations. Finally, you will learn to implement regulation strategies that do not rely on an interoceptive precision the client may not currently possess.
This is a 3-CE online seminar delivered virtually in real-time via an industry-standard webinar platform.
Attendance and Location Details
Friday, November 20, 2026
10:00am to 1:00pm (CT)
11:00am to 2:00pm (ET)
8:00am to 11:00am (PT)
Live Webinar Attendees: Zoom link and course materials will be made available to you 24-48 hours prior to event date.
Agenda:
Understanding Autistic Burnout
- Definition, presentation, and common clinical misconceptions
Differential Diagnosis
- Autistic burnout vs. major depressive disorder vs. chronic fatigue presentations
How Burnout Develops
- Sensory load, masking, social demands, executive functioning, and cumulative stress
Break
Shutdown, Meltdown & Withdrawal
- Understanding these responses through nervous system regulation rather than behavior or noncompliance
Assessing the Burnout Trajectory
- Warning signs, masking demands, environmental contributors, and stages of burnout
Clinical Intervention & Recovery
- Demand reduction, recovery planning, accommodations, environmental modification, and sensory-informed regulation
Clinical Application & Takeaways
Objectives:
This training will provide participants clinical knowledge and tools to:
After completing this training, participants will be able to differentiate autistic burnout from major depressive disorder and chronic fatigue presentations using specified clinical criteria.
After completing this training, participants will be able to explain shutdown, meltdown and withdrawal in terms of nervous system regulation and cumulative sensory and social load.
After completing this training, participants will be able to assess a client’s burnout trajectory, including contributing masking demands and environmental factors.
After completing this training, participants will be able to apply demand-reduction, recovery-planning and regulation interventions adapted for interoceptive and sensory differences.
Target Audience:
The target audience for this event includes psychologists, social workers, counselors, MFT’s, psychiatrists and other clinical mental health professionals.
Instructional Level: Intermediate
Instructor(s): Corey Petersen, MA, MS, PhD, LCMFT
Material Author(s): Corey Petersen, MA, MS, PhD, LCMFT
For additional information about this course, the instructors, or the material authors, please contact Content Assistance at content@onlinececredits.com.
Course Materials & Delivery Method:
Course Materials – (including the link to view the scheduled live webinar) are made available to all registered attendees 24-48 hours before the event start time- This training is interactive and provides opportunities to ask direct questions to the trainer as well as request immediate help from staff if needed. The attendee will view the presentation in real-time from their connected device via an industry-standard internet webinar platform.
CE Approvals:
National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC)
Online CE Credits has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6795. Programs that do not quality for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Online CE Credits is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB)
Mind Works Professional Education, Inc. DBA Online CE Credits, #1974, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: July 23, 2025 – July 23, 2028. Social workers completing this course receive 3 clinical continuing education credits.
Other Helpful Information:
Registration Deadline – Please register at any time prior to the advertised start time of this live webinar training.- Refund & Cancellation Policy – You may review this policy at any time by clicking here.
- Accessibility Accommodations – If you require a reasonable accommodation for any reason, please email your request to cc@onlinececredits.com.
- Course Completion Requirements – Complete the Code Word Attendance Quiz by 1.) selecting the correct beginning and/or ending code words, 2.) inputting actual time signed in and time signed out, and 3.) signing your name attesting to your full attendance. Then, complete the Course Evaluation.
- Posttest Requirements (not applicable for most live webinars) – You must answer 80% or more of the Quiz questions correctly to pass. If you fail to pass the first time, you may attempt the quiz again until you are able to pass with a score of 80% or better. Quizzes are graded instantly and automatically by the learning management system once your attempt is submitted.
- Certificate of Completion – Certificates of Completion are automatically generated – downloadable from your Dashboard and emailed to you – once you complete the Code Word Attendance Quiz and the Course Evaluation. Please complete these items to receive your Certificate immediately after the live webinar training is concluded.
- Live Webinar Registration – Please select the proper admission ticket in the banner at the top of this page, and follow the prompts. You will be asked either to login with your existing account (if you have learned with us before) or to establish a new user account during the registration process if this is your first training with us.
- System Requirements:
- Recommended Devices: Desktop, Laptop, or Tablet computer. (Note: Our platform is mobile responsive and may be fully accessed from a connected smartphone).
- Suggested Browsers: Updated version of Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, or Apple Safari.
- Recommended Network: Home wi-fi, ethernet, or a public wi-fi with VPN (Note: agency or corporate networks are often equipped with restrictive firewalls that may adversely impact your experience on our platform).
- Recommended speed/bandwidth: Minimum download speed > 20Mbps and minimum upload speed > 6Mbps.