SIG - Mental Health

 Division 33 - Special Interest Group (SIG), Mental Health

• Our mission for the Mental Health SIG is to create a diverse, intersectional group of experts and self-advocates discussion and conversing the topic of mental health in individuals with Autism Spectrum & Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

• The goal of this SIG is to bring together experts, researchers, self-advocates and other autism stakeholders through the engaging of critical questions & meaningful conversations. Our aim is to develop a wealth and breath of knowledge about mental health concerns in this population.

• We are currently working on three initiatives:

  1. Speaker Series: The SIG contributes to the larger Division 33 Speaker Series by nominating 1-2 speakers each year to discuss topics related to mental health in individuals with autism and IDD. More specifically, we aim to highlight speakers that bridge the gap between lived experience and empirical evidence.

  2. Clinicians guide: We aim to create a resource for practitioners, doctors, and
  clinicians, led by the neurodivergent community and mental health professionals, that focuses on mental health of neurodivergent individuals and individuals with DD using an inclusive and affirming lens.

  3. Symposium: We are aiming to create a symposium for the APA 2026 Conference in Washington, DC that focuses on current research related to mental health in individuals with autism and IDD. We are aiming to ask 2-3 neurodivergent researchers to discuss their work, implications for the future, and contributions to the literature.

Please contact Ben VanHook at vanhooksiel@gmail.com if you are interested in joining.