Parenting Autism Summit, The Subtle Presentations of Autism Register Here Presented by : Dr. Donna Henderson Kids with less-obvious autism tend to mask their difficulties making it harder for them to get an accurate diagnosis. Sometimes they remain undiagnosed, other times they end up with labels like “narcissist”, “personality-disordered”, or “rude”. In this presentation, Dr. Donna Henderson goes through the DSM-V Criteria for Autism point by point, and describes how each issue can present. Once you understand what the criteria actually entail, you’ll be better able to communicate with your diagnosticians if you suspect autism. And if your child already has autism, you’ll better understand the issues they may struggle with.     When asked to describe herself, Donna writes: One day, my kids were asking me to explain what I do at work. I didn’t think they wanted to hear about neuropsychological tests and report writing, so I explained it this way: I’m a detective. The mystery is always that a wonderful, bright person is not doing well in school or at work, and I need to figure out why and help them do better. I can only look for clues by spending time with that person, asking them to do different kinds of tasks. I have been doing neuropsych evals for over twenty years and I can honestly say that I am enjoying it now more than ever. No child or adult should have to go through life with an undiagnosed problem, feeling badly about themselves and not knowing how to make things better. In addition to my formal training, I have had additional training at home for the past 19 years with my three children, who have taught me all about parenting kids with autism and ADHD. I meant to add a line about what I do in my spare time, but having a wonderful husband, three amazing children, and a gratifying career leaves little free time (and I wouldn’t have it any other way)!