Neurodiversity Affirming Practice: Core Principles

Neurodiversity Affirming Practice is a framework for working with and supporting neurodivergent individuals. It is a framework grounded in the neurodiversity paradigm and like any good framework, it needs a set of principles.

As per my usual fascination and passion for anything to do with the neurodiversity paradigm, I decided to put together a list of principles. I believe some of us are probably already familiar with these principles but since this is an emerging framework, I do believe it’s helpful to define Neurodiversity Affirming Practice more — to guide our own practice and to guide others in becoming neurodiversity affirming.

Intersectionality

Intersectionality is the first principle for a reason — it’s the most important principle because all of our work, all of our approaches, all of therapies needs to recognise intersectionality.

When we do not see all of one’s identities, we do not see the whole person. When we don’t see the whole person, we can end up reinforcing barriers, discrimination and unfair expectations, standards and norms. When we don’t see the whole person, we are missing the context that we need to understand and support someone.

We also cannot challenge neuronormativity without challenging cisnormativity or heteronormativity and we can’t dismantle ableism or sanism without dismantling all forms of oppression.

Respecting autonomy

Respecting autonomy is about honouring an individual’s right to control their own body as well as make their own decisions. Respecting autonomy includes an individual having the right to say no and the right to determine what is helpful for them as well as what is distressing for them.

It’s about recognising that there are multiple courses of actions when it comes to supporting an individual and only an individual gets to determine what is helpful whether it’s medication or accommodations. It’s about respecting an individual’s right to define their own experiences because individuals are the experts of their own experiences.

We respect autonomy when it comes to:

• bodily autonomy
• defining goals
• making decisions
• defining recovery
• defining their experiences
• choosing how to work with their differences

Presuming competence

Presuming competence is about recognising that an individual has capacity to understand, think, learn and do things. Instead of walking into a room and defining an individual by their challenges and our own assumptions or biases, we walk into a room believing an individual is competent.

Instead of assuming an individual cannot communicate, we figure out how we can support them. Instead of assuming an individual cannot learn, we figure out how we can support them.

Presuming competence looks like:

• considering someone’s needs and differences
• meeting a person where they are
• identifying barriers and obstacles

Validating Differences

Validating differences is about moving away from labelling our differences as deficits and instead, recognising the diversity in how we function from the way we feel to the way we learn to the way we think and the way we communicate.

If we bring it back to neurodiversity, there is no right or standard mind or brain so if neurotypical people are not the benchmark for functioning, how can there be deficits? It’s important to remember that validating our differences doesn’t mean denying our challenges or needs, we just don’t want to imply our challenges or needs are a failing, deficits or a problem with the individual.

Rejecting Neuronormativity

Neuronormativity is a set of norms, standards and expectations reinforced throughout society These norms centre a particular way of functioning including thinking, feeling, communicating and behaving. This way of functioning is seen as the superior and right way.

We need to reject neuronormativity in order to make room for all our ways of functioning. We need to reject neuronormativity in order to stop labelling individuals as having deficits. Just like we want to challenge and defy cisheteronormativity, we want to challenge and defy neuronormativity. Above all, defying neuronormativity also requires dismantling whiteness and rejecting capitalist expectations.

Reframing Expectations

Neurodivergent individuals are often judged and held against neuronormative standards and expectations which is why we need to reframe our expectations in regards to how individuals should develop, communicate, learn, think, play, socialise and function.

We also need to reframe neuronormative expectations around success, productivity, executive functioning, independence and even how we do therapy. We need to reframe neuronormative expectations that disadvantages anyone who functions differently.

Promoting Self-Advocacy

Promoting self-advocacy is crucial to ensuring neurodivergent individuals can navigate a neuronormative society while meeting their needs and honouring their differences. It is about giving individuals the tools and information to advocate for themselves in all aspects of their lives including education, employment, healthcare and relationships.

Supporting self-advocacy skills looks like:

• teaching individuals to identify their needs
• teaching individuals about their differences
• exploring strategies and tools together
• space for individuals to express concerns
• honouring an individual’s decisions
• giving individuals choices

Prioritising Lived Experience

Neurodiversity Affirming Practice prioritises lived experiences and recognises individuals as the experts of their own experiences, learning from lived experience and prioritising lived experience within your learning. It means respecting self-diagnosis and allowing individuals to define their own experiences.

Nurturing Positive Self-Identity

Nurturing a positive self-identity is important for all neurodivergent individuals because too often, we are exposed to a narrative that tells us we are unwell, abnormal or broken. We can nurture a positive self-identity by unpacking shame, connecting with community, validating differences, identifying strengths and reframing both our language and expectations.

Adapting Systems & Environments

We live in a neuronormative society that isn’t set up for neurodivergent people which is why we need to focus on identifying and removing barriers as well as creating adjustments and adaptations. It’s about moving away from changing the individual to recognising what we can change within the environment.

When we stop assuming differences and distress as the root of any challenges or difficulties, we can stop making neurodivergent individuals fit into society and instead, find ways to adjust society to fit neurodivergent individuals. We need to work with our differences, not against our differences and build a life that is meaningful for us.

Honouring All Forms Of Communication

We need to recognise there are multiple ways to communicate and spoken communication is not the superior or only way to communicate. Every person deserves access to communication.

We can honour all forms of communication by:

• providing neutral information on neuronormative communication
• identifying communication needs and preferences
• providing access to preferred communication methods
• teaching AAC as well as teaching parents, caregivers and individuals about AAC

Most importantly, neurodiversity affirming practice is about moving away from the pathology paradigm and instead, adopting the neurodiversity paradigm as our lens for understanding and supporting neurodivergent individuals.