This forum is co-sponsored by AACAP’s Maltreatment Committee, Diversity and Culture Committee, and Autism & Intellectual Disability Committee.

Individuals with autism and intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) face an elevated risk of trauma exposure, yet trauma in this population is often misread. Anxiety, aggression, withdrawal, or regression can be mistaken for features of the disability itself rather than recognized as trauma responses, a pattern known as diagnostic overshadowing that leaves many individuals underassessed and undertreated.

This virtual forum will examine how trauma manifests differently in individuals with autism and I/DD compared to neurotypical populations, and what that means for accurate assessment and care planning. Presenters will discuss adaptations to traditional trauma screening and therapeutic approaches that account for communication, sensory, and cognitive differences, with particular attention to building safe, predictable environments and consistent, trusting relationships. Case examples will illustrate both challenges and successful interventions across schools, healthcare settings, and community-based services.

Learning Objectives:

• Discuss the prevalence and types of trauma experienced by individuals with autism and intellectual and developmental disabilities
• Explain how trauma may manifest differently compared to neurotypical populations
• Identify barriers to diagnosis and treatment, including diagnostic overshadowing
• Learn strategies for providing trauma-informed, person-centered care

Panelists

Ilana Slaff-Galatan, MD
St. Joseph's Medical Center-Yonkers/Garnet
Health Medical Center

Kari Harper, MD
Wright State University

Jennifer McLaren, MD
Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Moderator

Ciara Styles, MD
Talkiatry

This forum is sponsored by AACAP’s Diversity and Culture and the AACAP Deaf/Hard of Hearing and Blind/Low Vision Committees

Deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) youth are among the most diagnostically vulnerable populations in child and adolescent psychiatry, and most training programs have left clinicians underprepared to serve them. Language dysfluency misread as thought disorder. Communication differences conflated with ASD. Behavioral dysregulation mislabeled as ADHD. These are predictable consequences of systemic gaps in training, assessment, and care access.

Join expert faculty for a facilitated clinical conversation on what equitable psychiatric care for DHH youth actually requires.

Learning Objectives:

• Enhance diagnostic equity by examining how language, culture, and bias affect psychiatric assessment of D/HH youth.
• Expand inclusive workforce practices by identifying training gaps, interpreter collaboration strategies, and culturally responsive care frameworks.
• Address systemic and family disparities by exploring accessible care models and the communication needs of D/HH families.

Panelists

Adrienne Allen, MD
University of Rochester Medical Center

Jeremy Safran, MD
The Ross Center
Gallaudet University
Children’s National Hospital
George Washington University

Danielle Previ, PhD
Gallaudet Psychology Clinic

This forum is sponsored by AACAP’s Child Maltreatment and Violence Committee and Diversity and Culture Committee.

Slide Deck of the Forum (PDF)

Child and adolescent psychiatrists are on the front lines of a rapidly escalating crisis. As technology becomes the primary communication tool for children, online exploitation has grown dramatically, bringing with it heightened rates of depression, PTSD, and suicide among victims. Yet many clinicians lack the specialized training to identify victims, understand exploitation dynamics, or connect families with the right resources.

This forum bridges that gap. Through evidence-based presentations and case-informed discussions, attendees will leave equipped to recognize, respond to, and support survivors of online exploitation within their clinical practice.

Learning Objectives:

• Discuss current online child exploitation trends, social media risks, and legal aspects.
• Showcase digital safeguarding for children from marginalized backgrounds.
• Identify targeted interventions and health support to prevent online child exploitation.

Speakers

Liam Doyle, EdD, MBA
Riverside County District Attorney’s Exploitation Team

Lauren Schooner, MD
OC Health Care Agency

Lavanya Wusirika, MD
Children’s Hospital of Orange County

Moderator

Alfonso Vera, MD
University of California, Irvine

A Creative Night In is a virtual gathering designed for early career child and adolescent psychiatrists to step back from the demands of practice and reconnect: with peers, with play, and with the parts of themselves that exist beyond their professional roles.

The evening will open with a spotlight conversation featuring Dr. Hisla Bates, child and adolescent psychiatrist, visual artist, fashion designer, and co-chair of AACAP’s Art and Creative Innovation Committee. Dr. Bates will reflect on her journey weaving creative practice into professional life, and why she believes the two were never meant to be separate.

Following a brief grounding exercise, participants are invited to share original creative work in any form: poetry, music, visual art, theatre, storytelling, or any medium that speaks to them. Sharing is entirely voluntary. Participants are equally welcome to attend as audience members in a supportive, collegial environment.

No performance pressure. No prior experience necessary. Just early career child and adolescent psychiatrists, gathered in the spirit of authentic expression and community.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe how creative self-expression can be a tool to address burnout
2. Cultivate a community of creative practice through peer support

Speakers

Anindita Chakraborty, MD
State of Michigan/Wayne State University

Hisla Bates, MD
Heart to Heart Psychiatry PC

Slide Deck of the Forum (PDF)

Sports betting apps and video game monetization have created a 24/7 gambling environment for adolescents, but most psychiatrists haven't been trained to identify or treat these emerging problems.

When parents ask about their teen’s gaming habits or betting behaviors, do you feel confident responding?

This interactive forum equips you with practical tools to recognize risk factors, conduct effective screenings, and provide evidence-based guidance to families. Learn from addiction psychiatry experts, discuss real cases, and gain the confidence to intervene early.

Your young patients are already exposed. Be prepared to help them.

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this educational activity, the participant will be able to:

1. Discuss developmental and digital risk factors for gambling disorder in youth.
2. Apply validated screening tools for adolescent gambling disorder in clinical practice.
3. Identify evidence-based psychosocial treatments for pediatric gambling disorder.

Presenters

Allison Chang, MD
Stanford University

Gerald Busch, MD
University of Hawaii
Child & Family Mental Health Services
Tripler Army Medical Center

View all past events in the Virtual Forum archive