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Neurodiversity and Sibling Relationships
Having a child with an autism spectrum disorder has a transformative effect on the entire family. Typically, when a child is diagnosed with autism, parents embark on a mission to find effective treatments and support systems. However, during treatment planning neurotypical siblings are often...
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Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics: The Tyranny of Typicality
There is an old saying, often attributed to Mark Twain but apparently of unknown origin, that there are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics. The problem with the latter, as I have always seen it, is that it seeks to find norms in populations within which there can be considerable...
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Neurodiversity: An Idea Whose Time Has Come and A Call for Unity
When I hear the word “neurodiversity,” I immediately become concerned that it will be dismissed as simply another form of “political correctness,” and not seen as encompassing a wide variety of serious issues that affect virtually everyone in the Asperger Syndrome / autism spectrum...
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The Superpowers of Neurodiverse Couples
While many articles focus on the challenges associated with being in a neurodiverse partnership, there are countless strengths that are unique to relationships in which one or both partners are on the autism spectrum. When partners search online forums, read books, or even access clinical services,...
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AANE’s Online Training for Therapists Gives Hope to Neurodiverse Couples
In 2018, AANE launched our NEUROLOGY MATTERS IN COUPLES THERAPY, an online training for therapists. Since then, 27 therapists have completed both TRAINING 101: Fundamentals of Working with Neurodiverse Couples in Therapy, and CERTIFICATION 201: Case Presentations and Advanced Topics in Neurodiverse...
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A Personalized Approach: Three Portraits of Incorporating Neurodiversity in Life Skills Programming for Autism
inA woman sits at a table with a thick sheet of paper and a photograph of a landscape, drawing the scene in confident, hard strokes. A man measures out his ingredients, careful to get the exact measurement. A woman steps forward on stage, dancing with the music and singing out to the audience. Each...
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Authentic Strength-Based Practice: Can Neurotypical Professionals Make a Paradigm Shift?
When I talk about my work, it is not about understanding autism from a neurodiverse perspective. That is not for me to do. I am not autistic. I have learned immensely from my partnerships and interactions with autistic individuals. Autistic self-advocates should be leading the way, compensated as...
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Stuck Between Two Worlds: Having a Brain that is Half Autistic and Half Neurotypical
We often talk of Neurodiversity in terms of a binary between Autistic and Neurotypical when in reality it is much more complicated. We all know Autism exists on a spectrum but commonly assume if someone is on the spectrum, they are one side of a binary line, regardless of where they fall on the...
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Neurodiversity – The New Normal
Over the years, many terms have been used to describe the various neurological conditions that result in developmental, cognitive and behavioral disorders. In the early days of diagnosis and treatment, diagnosis’ ranged from relatively neutral terms like Hyperkinetic Impulse Disorder, (Kimberly...
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The Importance of Communication in Neurodiverse Relationships
Neurodiverse relationships, in which one or both partners are on the autism spectrum, can be among the strongest partnerships. However, neurological differences present unique challenges, particularly related to communication in neurodiverse relationships. Partners may report feeling as though they...
