Neuropsychological Assessment of Transgender Individuals Across the Lifespan: Care Considerations
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
12:00pm – 1:30pm Eastern time
1.5 CE Credits
Presented by:
Emily H. Trittschuh, PhD
Clinical Neuropsychologist with the VA Puget Sound Health Care System’s Geriatric Research Education Clinical Center (GRECC)
Felice Orlich, PhD
Clinical Professor, University of Washington, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Seattle, WA
Affirmative care for all individuals is a core value among neuropsychologists. The unique social challenges and associated health disparities found among transgender individuals represents a” call to action.” The purpose of this webinar is to highlight research and clinical care considerations for neuropsychological assessment of gender diverse individuals across the lifespan. Affirmative terminology and prevalence data will be presented. The limited academic literature will be reviewed, and gaps in knowledge and methodology will be discussed. Important bio-psycho-social factors, as well as developmental approaches to gender identity development, will be described.
After the webinar, participants will be able to:
1. Identify pertinent bio-psycho-social variables which may be critical when conducting neuropsychological evaluation and/or research in individuals who are gender diverse.
2. Explain the importance of gender identity development in neuropsychological assessment.
3. Describe gender variance in youth and co-occurring mental health and neurodevelopmental disorders.
Target Audience: Neuropsychology trainees (graduate students, interns, and fellows) and neuropsychologists (clinical/academic)
Instructional Level: Introductory
Emily Trittschuh, PhD, is a Clinical Neuropsychologist with the VA Puget Sound Health Care System’s Geriatric Research Education Clinical Center (GRECC) and is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine. She has specialized in issues pertinent to aging and neurodegenerative disease throughout her career. Since joining the VA in 2008, she has developed additional and complementary interests in the care of older Veterans with PTSD, especially with respect to how this disorder can interfere with cognition and might contribute to decline, as well as neuropsychological assessment of Veterans who do not identify with their assigned gender at birth.
Dr. Orlich’s research and clinical work focuses on the assessment and treatment of youth and families with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with a focus on defining treatment pathways matched to their individual needs. Dr. Orlich has been the principal investigator on an NICHD funded randomized clinical trial of social skills intervention for youth with ASD and the lead investigator on the AIR-B school-based interventions and outcome assessment for underserved youth with ASD. As an extension of this work, she is the principal investigator on a multidisciplinary project addressing the development of assessment tools and treatment parameters for gender diverse youth with ASD. Dr. Orlich is a Clinical Professor in the University of Washington Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. She is an attending psychologist at Seattle Children’s Hospital, where she primarily focuses on training and neuropsychological assessment of youth with ASD. She brings expertise in diverse intervention approaches, training and research in ASD with a strong focus on patient centered outcomes within communities of underserved families.