We have always been a neurodivergent affirming practice, founded on the principal that clients should be at the centre of our practice with their needs our priority.

What does this actually mean?

Neurodivergent and Neurotypical are words which have been used increasingly over the last 20 years as a way of defining differences in human brain function. Neurodivergent encapsulates a range of conditions and seeks to define them not as medical conditions but rather as human cognitive variations which cannot be treated. The movement to relabel conditions like autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder and many other conditions using a neurodiverse framework rather than medicalising them is based in trying to reduce stigma and raise awareness and understanding.

Neurodivergent affirming practice means that you believe that individuals with developmental differences have strengths and rights. Our role as practitioners is to affirm a persons neurodivergent identify, through providing an environment that enhances the strengths, educating the community about an individuals needs and supporting an individual to develop their skills or to identify any adaptions that they might need to achieve their goals. We are not employed to ‘fix’ or ‘cure’ anyone, because we don’t believe that people need fixing, we believe that people need understanding and support to live their best lives.

Any practice which tries to change a person’s behaviour to ‘help, support or make’ them behave in a more socially acceptable way is missing the point of behaviour support therapy. Our job is not to make people more socially acceptable, it is to advocate for those who need allies and help to educate people on issues like sensory differences, executive function differences all the things that actually make us a diverse group of individuals. All the differences that people with a neurotypical profile take for granted and don’t realise are not necessarily a given for some others in the community and can’t be taught because brains are different!!