Neurodiversity! You've probably heard the term before. If you've talked to me in the past five years or so, you've likely heard quite a lot about it. I am a neurodiversity-affirming speech-language pathologist. But what does "neurodiversity-affirming" really mean?
The term neurodiversity was first coined by Australian sociologist Judy Singer in 1998. The definition from the Oxford English Dictionary is as follows: the range of differences in individual brain function and behavioural traits, regarded as part of normal variation in the human population. “Neurodivergent” applies to not only the Autistic community, but also those who live with ADHD, OCD, Dyslexia, Tourette's Syndrome, and many other things. As a professional who works primarily with Autistic folks, I will focus on autism in this blog post.
Autism is not a disease that needs to be cured. It is a set of shared experiences that needs to be understood.
The neurodiversity movement exists within the social model of disability - a person is not disabled because their brain is "wrong", but because society is not organized to support and accommodate the way their brain works. Neurodiversity-affirming services, therefore, aim to support Autistic people rather than "fix" them.
But you have to be careful because you'll see the word "neurodiversity" almost everywhere, now...
"...many experts in the old, medicalised paradigm began rebranding as 'neurodiversity' experts without significantly changing their approach. Psychiatrists, psychologists, and politicians were adopting the vocabularies of the neurodiversity movement - albeit often incorrectly - and making superficial changes to practice while leaving the logics of the pathology paradigm intact. Neurodiversity activists had referred to this co-option as 'neurodiversity-lite,' indicating how it leaves the dominant paradigm and political order unchallenged despite the shift in presentation."
"Empire of Normality" by Robert Chapman (2023), pg.8
(How can you know if a practice is neurodiversity-affirming or neurodiversity-lite? Check out this free resource by Emily Hammond, Autistic and ADHD Speech Pathologist)
What does a neurodiversity-affirming speech-language pathologist do?
Nicole Lobsey, Certified Practicing SLP, included this bullet point list in her 2022 blog post "Ableism in Speech Pathology":
I work with a lot of Autistic preschoolers and early school age children. Self-advocacy is a goal that I have written in every Autistic client's chart, whether that looks like saying "stop" using their AAC device + a gentle push or describing their sensory needs and communication style. I do not do social skills training. I create play groups that encourage Autistic kids to connect with and learn from each other. I use strengths-based language in all of my reports, focusing on what the child can do and what supports help them do what they want to, rather than focusing on what they are "unable to" do. And I am learning from the Autistic community as often as I can, through books, podcasts, Facebook groups, and Autistic loved ones.
"Wow, those are a lot of strong opinions!" I'm an Aries, I can't help it.
Also, it's impossible to be truly neurodiversity-affirming and be neutral on these topics. The neurodiversity movement is a socio-political stance. To be neurodiversity-affirming is to have tough conversations, working to understand many perspectives but holding strong to my professional and personal values. But it's worth it to see my clients understand themselves, stand up for themselves, and express themselves. In my world, that's what speech-language pathology is all about.
Written by: Cora Lamers, MSc.
Registered SLP
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