*This training will provide Cultural Proficiency Development credit for Seneca staff.*
Training Description:
Research on autism & ADHD have
historically left out the experiences of marginalized and oppressed
populations, such that, Black and Brown neurodiverse individuals are often
missed or misdiagnosed. In this workshop, we explore autism and ADHD within the
context of the experiences of high masking BIPOC individuals and identify ways
in which culture influences restricted interests, repetitive behaviors, and
socialization.
Training
Objectives:
• Define and identify high masking among BIPOC
individuals.
• Identity 3 biopsychosocial factors that
contribute differences in the presentation of autism and ADHD among Black &
Brown individuals.
• Identify the ways in which culture influences
autistic mannerisms among high masking autistic BIPOC.
How can participants utilize their new skills and knowledge after the training to reinforce their
learning?
1. Participants will learn to recognize ways in which autism shows up in high masking individuals within BIPOC communities.
2. Participants will be able to identify subtle ways of stimming in an effort to increase accurate diagnosis and appropriate referrals.
3. Share learned resources to community members and help reduce stereotypes and stigma related to neurodiversity through psychoeducation.
ABOUT DR. LEÓN-VILLA:
Dr. Sandra León-Villa specializes in the treatment of trauma, BIPOC mental health, and first generation BIPOC career professionals. She has been in the mental health field for over 13 years working directly with trauma survivors and is a survivor herself. Dr. León-Villa published her research study, Exploring Gender and Racial/Ethnic Differences in the Effects of Child Sexual Abuse in the Journal of Child Sexual Abuse in 2018. She is trained in Eye
Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), and is certified in the We RISE Yoga method, a trauma informed yoga program. In 2020, Dr. León-Villa lobbied for legislation that would require mental health professionals to obtain cultural competency, diversity, equity, & inclusion training for license renewal, and in May 2021, Assembly Bill 327 passed & was signed into law with the support of other community organizations.
Dr. León-Villa additionally specializes in bilingual (English/Spanish) and culturally
informed psychological and neuropsychological testing of conditions including Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC), ADHD, learning disorders, personality disorders, mood disorders, trauma, and in diagnostic clarity/differential diagnosis. She additionally works with immigrant communities and provides evaluations, including evaluations of extreme hardship, asylum, VAWA, and medical certifications. Dr. León-Villa served on the Executive Board of the Nevada Psychological Association (NPA) as the Diversity Chair from 2017-2019.
Dr. León-Villa earned her bachelor's degree in psychology with a minor in family studies counseling from the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) in 2006. She later earned a master's degree in mental health counseling in 2012 from Walden University. Dr. León-Villa earned a second master's degree in psychology in 2014 and completed her doctoral training (Ph.D.) in Clinical Psychology at Walden University in 2016.
