CARAS Webinar: Neurodiversity and Kink-BDSM; Sunday, September 17, 2023
Neurodiversity and Kink-BDSM
Presenter: Ariel E. Pliskin, MSW, LCSW
Acknowledgment to Hanna Vaughn, MSW, LCSW
Sunday, September 17, 2023: 10-11:00 am (US Pacific)/11am-12:00pm (US Mountain)/noon-1:00pm (US Central)/1-2:00 pm (US Eastern)/6-7:00pm (London)/7-8:00pm (Central European - Prague, Berlin, Stockholm)
To register for the webinar, please visit: https://forms.gle/7fpdaT3T5Ki66QN58
Attendees may earn 1 Continuing Education (CE) credit
Cost: Attendance is free for all CARAS subscribers.
Attendance with CE credit is free for CARAS Professional and Student subscribers, and $40 for others.
Attendance without CE credit for non-subscribers is $25
Pre-registration is required. Registration will close at 3pm (Pacific)/6pm (Eastern) on Saturday, September 16, 2023. Please register early!
Abstract
This webinar will provide an overview of relevant findings from the recent behavioral and social science literature addressing neurodiversity, and connect this literature to research and clinical practice addressing kink and BDSM.
Several findings are relevant and will be discussed in the webinar. Among these, kink may meet distinct sensory needs as a form of self-stimulatory behavior, or "stimming." Norms of explicit negotiation and consent can meet a neurodivergent preference for clear structure and explicit, literal language. BDSM provides opportunities to hyperfocus and experience "flow" as a positive psychological state.
Current clinical and community experience suggests that Kink-BDSM communities challenge normative scripts that may be harmful to neurodivergent people and others. Alternative sexuality communities can offer inclusion and accommodation to neurodivergent people who have faced exclusion, prejudice and discrimination.
This webinar will be relevant to clinicians who work with clients who are neurodivergent and kinky, students and scholars conducting research on neurodiversity and kink-BDSM, and community members and others with an interest in neurodiversity and intersections with kink, BDSM, and other non-normative sexualities.
Learning Objectives
At the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:
Describe the scientific literature addressing autism and related conditions that today are grouped under the broader rubric neurodiversity.
List neurodivergent sensorimotor needs and identify sexual and BDSM activities which may satisfy them.
Explain how the neurodiversity paradigm differs from the pathology paradigm and the relevance of this to research and clinical practice.
Presentation Content Level: Introductory - Intermediate. This webinar will provide an introduction to the topic but also provide an opportunity for discussion at a more advanced level that presupposes basic knowledge of alternative sexualities communities and related clinical practice guidelines.
About the Presenter
Ariel Pliskin, MSW, LCSW (they/them) is an autistic ADHDer. They offer psychotherapy and sex education in Massachusetts. Ariel's published scholarly work and presentations address autism and neurodivergence, and these are a focus of their current clinical and research interest.
References
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Sprott, R. A., Randall, A., Smith, K., & Woo, L. (2021). Rates of injury and healthcare utilization for kink-identified patients. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 18(10), 1721-1734. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsxm.2021.08.001 [Open Access]
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