Neurodiversity Affirming Therapy

You may be wondering, what does it mean to meet with a neurodiversity affirming therapist? What makes a therapy session affirming?

First and foremost, an affirming therapist will listen to the lived experiences of the ADHD and/or Autistic person and not try to change the individual to fit a neurotypical norm. This means I do not teach “social skills” to neurodivergent individuals or groups, as this leads to masking, burnout, and shame. Instead, I listen to what the individual wants, and foster environments that promote social gatherings and understanding of the neurodivergent experience. Of course, there are times when it may not be safe to unmask and act in an authentic neurodivergent way, and these are things we must recognize before encouraging unmasking.

The autistic community has advocated for identity first language, meaning "autistic person" and "ADHDer" rather than "person with autism or ADHD." While identity-first language is generally considered affirming,  I also respect that an individual may prefer person first language for themselves and I will accommodate. I stay updated on the affirming language for the neurodivergent community and learn from those with lived experiences. I respect the autonomy of a person and how they want to be treated, talked to and about, and communicated with.

I will also assume competency in my neurodivergent clients. While society may indicate that there are “deficits” in neurodivergent people and groups, I will assume first that a ND person can think and understand rather than talk down to them and assume the opposite. Affirming language does not use functioning labels, but rather the terms “low support needs” and “high support needs.” Functioning labels are dismissive and they ignore the dynamic way of autism and ADHD. Labels can last a lifetime and put someone in a box. While someone may be high support need in one area, they may be low support need in another, and these needs may change depending on when assessed.