Thinking about the inner-world of autistic young people at risk of harming others
Learn from national and international experts working in secure estate, consultation, psychoanalysis and research
Young people’s harmful behaviours are often an unconscious expression of their unmet needs and autistic young people are particularly at risk of having these needs overlooked. Thinking about the inner-world of autistic young people at risk of harming others is a necessary part of reducing future harm.
This one-day, hybrid event provides a valuable opportunity to learn from, ask questions of, and share ideas for service improvements with expert speakers from a variety of settings. Through a series of presentations, you will hear the latest clinical and research perspectives on forensic risk and intervention planning for autistic young people. By the end of the event, you will have gained deeper insights into improving care and risk management for autistic young people within your setting.
Bookings for this event have now closed.
Who is this event for?
This event will be of value to practitioners, commissioners and policy makers, working in the health, social care and youth justice sectors interested in supporting autistic young people at risk of harming others.
What will you learn?
By attending this event, you will:
- increase your understanding of the inner-world of autistic young people at risk of harming others
- learn from national, and international experts that work with autistic young people in diverse settings
- reflect on the inequalities experienced by this marginalised group of young people
- contribute to improving the quality of care and risk management for autistic young people
- network with health, social care and youth justice professionals to promote better collaboration and joint work in the future.
Event programme:
The event will comprise four lectures, each with the opportunity for Q&A.
In-person attendees: The programme of timings has been shared below.
Online attendees: The zoom will commence with the welcome introductions at 9.45am and run until the end of the morning session. It will resume at 1pm until the end of the plenary paper.
| Time | Session or activity | ||
| 9am | Arrival, registrations and refreshments | ||
| 9.45am | Welcome and introductions | ||
| 10am | Presentation 1: Through the eyes of a young autistic forensic client – 10 Tips for professionals | ||
| 11am | Presentation 2: Organisational challenges in the care of autistic children who harm others Speaker: Ariel Nathanson | ||
| 12pm | Lunch | ||
| 1 to 2pm | Presentation 3: Details TBC Speaker: Feltham Prison and Young Offender Institution CAMHS team | ||
| 2 to 3.30pm | Presentation 4: What or who causes harmful behaviour: issues of diagnosis, etiology and addiction? Speaker: Anne Alvarez | ||
| 3.30pm | Refreshments | ||
| 4pm | Plenary paper | ||
| 5pm | Drinks and networking (for those attending in-person) | ||
| 6pm | Close | ||
Please note that this programme is subject to change.
Summary of presentations
Anne Alvarez: What or who causes harmful behaviour: issues of diagnosis, etiology and addiction
I shall describe two adolescents who had received the then relatively new diagnosis of Aspergers Syndrome but who also had what seemed to me Borderline and Psychopathic features. I was puzzled by this combination and Sue Reid congratulated me on my discovery until we learned that Her Majesty’s prisons were already doing research on this phenomenon in some murderers. I shall discuss the important distinction between defensive and addictive processes.
Ariel Nathanson: Organisational challenges in the care of autistic children who harm others
Organisations such as special schools, residential care, and others, struggle to look after autistic children and young people who present as harmful to others. Organisational defences come into play to either dismiss risk and the severity of harm, seeing it as an aspect of a disability, or to exacerbate risk, seeing the autistic child as a potential psychopath.
Zainab Al-Attar: Through the eyes of a young autistic forensic client – 10 Tips for Professionals
When working with young autistic people in the forensic context, there are implications far beyond responsivity and communication style. Risk, need and strengths/resilience can all be shaped by autism. Furthermore, the misconception that autism is a range of deficits that are best understood through a learning disability lens can not only obscure relevant aspects of autism but severely hinders our focus on resilience and strengths.
This lecture will present seven features of autism, ADHD, common co-morbidities, and social and cultural contexts, that may play different roles in shaping how we work with young autistic people in the forensic context, seeing each through their eyes.
Feltham Prison and Young Offender Institution CAMHS team
[details to follow]
Venue and booking
This is a hybrid event which is being hosted at The Tavistock Centre, 120 Belsize Lane, London NW3 5BA and livestreamed via Zoom.
We are accepting registrations for online attendance until 12pm on Wednesday 12 February. In-person spaces are fully booked. You can choose to be added to the waitlist for in-person attendance via the form, and we will notify you should a place become available – on a first-come, first-served basis.
Confirmed presentations and speakers
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Ariel Nathanson
Consultant child and adolescent psychotherapist
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Anne Alvarez
Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist
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Zainab Al-Attar
Forensic Psychologist and Honorary Professor at Cardiff Metropolitan University
