Neurodiversity affirming Therapy services

Rocky Bay is committed to providing neurodiversity affirming therapy services. Our Neurodiversity Affirming Project Committee led a significant change in the therapy division that changed the way therapists work with children and adults who are autistic or neurodivergent.

The committee worked to increase knowledge through training and the provision of neurodiversity affirming therapy resources. The committee comprised individuals across all our therapy hubs who are passionate about making positive changes. The uptake of this practice by therapists was extremely fast and positive and overall therapists have found that they are achieving outcomes for customers and families that are meaningful and enhancing individual’s wellbeing. Many individuals on the committee had personal lived experience of neurodivergence either as neurodivergent themselves or having loved ones who are neurodivergent.    

What is neurodiversity?

It’s an understanding that it is perfectly normal and expected to have variations in how human brains are wired and that there isn’t one single ‘right’ way to think, learn and behave. Neurodivergent people might think, communicate and socialise in ways that are different from people who are neurotypical, but these ways are not inferior to neurotypical ways. Instead thinking differently brings with it unique strengths and perspectives. The challenges people who are neurodivergent face often relate to living in a society that has traditionally expected them to act like everyone else. We now know, because neurodivergent individuals have told us, that this leads to burnout and significant emotional and mental distress.

Some examples 

• An autistic child may play differently to what we expect or think of as typical play, for example they might line the toys up and enjoy looking at them closely  
• An ADHD teenager might talk at great length, and in detail, about Pokemon, which gives them great joy.
• Everyone assumes that the Autistic colleague at work is not friendly because he avoids eye contact.

In the past, people thought they were helping by teaching these individuals to act in ‘expected’ or what they considered ‘typical’ ways. This would mean teaching the child to play differently, the teen to talk differently and the adult to make eye contact, even though these things might make them feel extremely uncomfortable and or be unnatural to them. Furthermore, it sends a message to the person that what they are doing is ‘wrong’ and ‘don’t be yourself!’. Harmful messages that are likely to reduce one’s self-esteem.    

Previously the onus was on the neurodivergent individual to change, but now we realise that the onus is on all of us to change. Change the way we view people who think and act differently to ourselves and realise that neurodiversity is a good thing. We should embrace and support these differences and accept and include those who are different.       

What does neurodiversity affirming practice look like?

In the above examples the child’s play would not be changed. Instead, the therapist might educate the people around the child (family and school staff) on why the child might like to line up their toys due to their sensory preferences. Highlighting that this play is giving the child joy and reassuring them that it need not be changed.

In the example of the teen who loves talking about Pokemon, a therapist would again start with educating others about accepting the person’s communication style or interests, even if it is different from their own. Therapists might suggest finding other teens who also like Pokemon so they can talk about together or even start a group to share this interest.

If you would like to learn more about neurodiversity affirming practice, please speak to your therapist who will be more than happy to provide more information.