Autism & Neurodiversity — Empowered Together

Autistic and neurodivergent voices are prioritized here.

little+girl+holding+boy.jpg — What is neurodiversity?

Neurodiversity involves celebrating and honoring all people with brains as having different ways of processing information. That means conditions like autism, dyslexia, and ADHD are considered natural variations of the human experience. Historically, psychologists and other professionals have treated children and adults who have brains different than the majority as having something “wrong” with them that needs to be “cured.”
When your brain is wired differently than most people, life can be difficult and disabling. You may have noticed this for yourself, or your child.
Our neurodiversity approach seeks to:
help you better understand individual differences,
equip you with ways to manage them,
and advocate for needed change in everyday settings.

Let’s talk about ABA.

Dr. Stephanie has an extensive training background in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT), and behavior as both a clinical and school psychologist. However, many people have spoken out against ABA and discussed how it has harmed them and the autistic community. We are committed as a psychology practice to learn and do better by people, especially those who have been harmed.

What’s wrong with ABA?

Criticisms of ABA include that it can teach children to mask their differences rather than celebrate who they are, ignore feelings, teach compliance that ignores bodily autonomy, and use punishing techniques that cause trauma. Defenders of ABA argue that the practice has changed over time. Regardless, it is hard to know what “kind” of ABA your child may get, and most training programs don’t talk about past criticisms of ABA or teach different ways to view behavior. In fact, the BACB, the board that certifies applied behavior analysts (BCBAs), specifically restricts therapists from using any “non-behavior-analytic interventions” in their ethics code. Learn more about the ABA controversy here and here.

Can we still work on behavior?

Of course! We are partners in helping you seek the change in yourself, your child, or your family that is needed to move closer to the life you deserve. Maybe you’re a parent overwhelmed or scared by your child’s challenging behaviors. Or maybe you’re an adult that keeps making the same mistakes and you want to figure out how to stop. Behavior change is often an important part of therapy work, and there are ways to work toward change by still being child-centered and person-centered.

But I’ve been told to find an ABA therapist.

Professionals in many communities have been slow to adopt a neurodiversity approach, and many medical providers are not trained about autism at all. Those who do receive some training on autism are trained to believe ABA is the “gold standard” of care for autism, despite mixed evidence. That doesn’t mean that the professionals you have worked with don’t care about your child. It is also one of the only behavior therapies covered by insurance. ABA is a multi-billion dollar industry and organizations like the BACB are invested in continuing the practice without listening to criticism from autistic voices.

Want to go further?

Use identity-first language.

Many non-autistic advocates try to use “people-first” language, like saying, “person with autism.” But autistic people often request to be referred to by identity-first language. This is because autistic people see their autism as an important part of their identity, and not a disability separate from themselves.

Learn about the history of autism.

Steve Silberman’s book Neurotribes discusses the legacy of autism in detail.

Women are neurodivergent, too.

Read about neurodivergent women in Jenara Nerenberg’s book Divergent Mind: Thriving in a World That Wasn’t Designed for You. Learn about why we continue to fail to identify autistic women from Dr. Schwartz.