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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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Navigating Neurodiverse Relationships: Disclosure and Self-Advocacy
If you are an adult who has had a longstanding diagnosis of ASD or a newly diagnosed individual, then you probably grapple with these ongoing decisions: If and when to disclose your diagnosis to others The pros versus the cons of disclosure How to go about sharing this information with...
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Autism, Neurodiversity and Employment: Working Together for Positive Futures
Autistic people are confronted with an array of barriers in many situations throughout their life. These situations centralise around what general society expects of all people, a one size fits all model, without the distinct consideration of disability, difference and inclusion. With the added...
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Corporate Neurodiversity Hiring Programs: Scratching the Surface?
In 2010, neurodiversity hiring program, Integrate Autism Employment Advisors (“Integrate”, originally known as The Asperger Syndrome Training & Employment Partnership), was started to engage Fortune 1000 companies in hiring autistic college graduates. In March 2013, SAP announced that it...
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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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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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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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Learning Neurodiversity in a College Program for Middle / High School Students with ASD
College students without disabilities are not cognizant enough of the different needs of neurodiverse students. The commonality concept of neurodiversity, of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) being deserving of equal opportunity (Silberman, 2015), is not evident frequently with students...
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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 First Step in Bullying Prevention Is Normalizing Our Differences
“When I was young, getting through each day wasn’t just hard, it was painful to my soul. In school I was cast aside, manipulated and laughed at. Friendships were made solely based on the bond my classmates would form over their common interest in teasing me. My teachers didn’t understand me,...
