Most people are familiar with the push toward diversity and inclusion at various levels of society, including the government, employers, and academic institutions. Traditionally, this has included such characteristics as race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, and physical disabilities. Although the neurodiversity movement first emerged in the 1990’s, it has gained more traction in the past couple of years.
The term neurodiversity can be applied to all people, but it is most commonly used to refer to autistic people specifically, or a range of neurodevelopmental conditions, including ADHD and learning disorders. At its core, the neurodiversity movement describes the idea that there is no one right way of thinking, learning, behaving, or interacting with others. Differences in neurobiology and brain style are just that—differences—without being viewed as deficits. Autistic self-advocates have been instrumental in the progress of the neurodiversity movement. Every organization or group that strives to be inclusive should prioritize neurodevelopment as an aspect of diversity that needs to be included and celebrated.
So, what does this mean in the context of psychological testing?
· Some measures are more neurodiversity affirming than others. Some commonly used measures and questionnaires, including some that are used widely, view autism or other neurodiversity from a deficit perspective. Avoiding these measures and selecting those that are affirming is foundational to developing an effective approach to an evaluation.
· The language we use is important. For example, most autism self-advocates have stated a preference for identity first language (such as, autistic person), rather than the person first language (e.g., person with autism) that has been standard in the mental health field for the past couple of decades.
· Intentional inclusion of context and strengths is important. This includes consideration of the ways that a neurodivergent brain style has contributed to an individual's success and fulfillment. For example, many autistic individuals have strong attention to detail and a good memory for detailed information. Both of these characteristics lend themselves to success in academic and career environments. Much of the difficulty neurodiverse people experience is related to the mismatch between the demands put upon them and their skills or coping mechanisms. Many situations and environments were not created with consideration of the needs of neurodiverse individuals, which can lead to difficulties and pain points.
· The environment and approach matter. Having a testing space that is quiet, with a variety of lighting options is ideal. Access to a variety of ambient noise and fidget items can also be beneficial. Minor adaptations, such as allowing the use of sunglasses or noise canceling headphones, taking more frequent breaks, inclusion of a support person when possible, etc. can often enable an autistic individual to participate more effectively in testing.
· Recommendations after testing should often include neurodiversity affirmation, such as through workplace accommodations or adjustments in how family members approach and interact with their autistic loved one.
In addition to performing evaluations from a neurodiversity affirmative approach, Dr. Manning values advocacy in this area, both in her professional and personal lives. Non-autistic providers should not speak over or in place of autistic self-advocates, but we have spaces where our voices can contribute meaningfully to these conversations, especially when our platforms and the power inherent in our positions amplify our voices. At Stratus, we believe all brain styles are valuable, and neurodiverse people do not need to be changed to fit into society. Instead, society needs to adapt to allow everyone to thrive.
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