Autism and Chronic Pain: Ehlers Danlos Syndrome
May 30 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
The journey to a diagnosis of an Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) or hypermobility spectrum disorder (HSD) is often a long and challenging road, more difficult than perhaps, it needs to be. In this month of May, EDS and HSD awareness month, let’s explore why this is. Is it as hard as we are led to believe? And why are there so many barriers to finding out if you are hyper-mobile or have EDS?
As part of this webinar, we are going explore:
What EDS and HSD and their subtypes are and how they manifest, including hypermobility and other symptoms
What else can be experienced alongside?
Are neurodivergent people more likely to be hypermobile or to have an EDS?
How can you take care of yourself?
How can we support children in school and at home?
Let’s look at how to enable meaningful occupations and maintain joy in life.
Speaker 1: Katie Kerley
Bio: Katie is an occupational therapist and Clinical Director of Horizon Therapy Services in Dundalk and is multiply neurodivergent herself – Autistic, ADHD, Dyspraxic.
She is passionate about helping neurodivergent people being the best and most satisfied version of themselves and enabling people to do what it meaningful to them.
Speaker 2: Angela Mazzocco
Angela is an autistic adult with EDS and other co-occurring conditions. She is from the US, but moved to Ireland to study in Trinity College for her Master’s in education. Her current research is focused on self-advocacy for disabled adults. She also works as a teaching assistant in Trinity’s Centre for People with Intellectual Disabilities. Drawing from that wonderful autistic sense of justice, she has gotten involved in disability advocacy through DPOs in Ireland.
