Neurodiversity-affirming Care
If you’re neurodivergent or are wondering if you might be, you may have had helping professionals dismiss the idea offhandedly. Perhaps they told you that your eye contact and conversational skills are too good for you to be autistic. Or that you couldn’t possibly have ADHD if you did well in school. If you already have a diagnosis, maybe you’ve worked with therapists who tried to teach you how to fit in by looking less autistic. You may have even undergone ABA (applied behavior analysis) as a child and been encouraged to have “quiet hands.”
Sadly, many clinicians have been grossly misinformed about neurodivergence. If they have not sought out specific continuing education on the topic, they may be operating on an outdated caricature of autism they learned from the media. When I completed my graduate degree in 2010, schools were still teaching that autism was a rare condition marked only by deficits, and spending very little time on the subject.
As a therapist and a late-diagnosed neurodivergent individual, I understand that our various neurotypes influence the way we experience and interact with the world, as well as the development of our personalities. In other words, neurotype is an integral part of the person, not a factor to be considered separately.
Flowing from this perspective, I don’t view autism, ADHD, and other neurodivergences as problems to be solved, but rather as important information that helps me understand each person I work with. My lived experience enables me to offer a deeper level of understanding and validation to my clients.
Different neurotypes each have strengths and weaknesses. When difficulties in functioning arise, we can view them as a result of living in a world that wasn’t designed for us. In our therapy sessions, I will convey a deep acceptance of you as you are, encouraging you to increase self-acceptance and self-validation within this new framework of understanding.
My views on neurodivergence have been influenced not only by professional trainings I’ve attended, but through extensive study I’ve undertaken due to my special interest in autism. Anyone who has started a conversation with me over the last several years, whether in a personal or professional setting, can attest to my passion about this topic (whether they wanted to learn about it or not)!
The Neurodiversity Paradigm
The neurodiversity paradigm views differences in brain functioning, including sensory processing, motor abilities, social cognition, and focus, as differences inherent to the biological diversity of humanity. In keeping with the broader disability movement, the neurodiversity paradigm recognizes that there are both weaknesses and strengths to these differences, and that challenges arise, not from inherent pathology, but from a mismatch between person and environment.
In other words, people are disabled to the extent that they are living in an environment designed for “neurotypical” people. And it follows that when accommodations are provided, disability decreases.
What Can You Expect from a Neurodiversity-affirming Therapist?
When working with me, you’ll find that I don’t usually use the term disorder to describe autism, as it can be pejorative. During sessions, I will invite you to move your body in ways that regulate your nervous system, rather than insisting on stillness. I will not dismiss a self-diagnosis of autism, because I know that no one knows more about your experiences than you do.
If a late diagnosis of autism is leading you to seek therapy, you may want some guidance in processing what this means for you. A lifetime of masking can leave you feeling uncertain about who you are and disconnected from your feelings. I can work with you to rediscover yourself.
You may be interested in learning how to balance being authentically yourself while navigating a world dominated by allistic people. This will look different for each person, but some possible goals may include cultivating safe spaces where you can drop overtaxing masking, preventing neurocrash, meeting your sensory needs, or improving interoception (perceptions of internal sensations).
If other concerns have brought you into treatment, such as difficulty regulating emotions, relationship problems, or OCD, a neurodiversity-affirming lens will enhance whichever evidence-based approach we decide on together.
If you’re ready to begin this journey, reach out to schedule an intake assessment. If you’re intrigued but still have questions, let’s schedule a consultation call. If you’d rather type than talk (I get it!), use the contact page on this site to reach out, or email me at danielle@inflowbehavioral.com.