Director's Update

Ashley Utrup, MS, MBA-HCM, CCC-SLP

Amanda Weaver, MS, CCC-SLP

Olivia Kirsch, MS, CCC-SLP

Speech-Language Pathologists, Bedford Public Schools

What is the neurodiversity movement?

The neurodiversity movement is a perspective that recognizes neurological differences,

such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other developmental diversities, as natural

variations of the human brain rather than disorders or deficits that need to be fixed. This

movement advocates for acceptance, understanding, and accommodation rather than

normalization. Neurodivergent individuals have unique strengths, perspectives, and

contributions and there is not one "correct" way to communicate.

How does this impact speech and language therapy?

Speech-language pathologists who adopt a neurodiversity-affirming approach recognize

and celebrate the diverse ways individuals communicate instead of viewing differences

in communication through a deficit-based lens. This perspective encourages therapists

to adjust interventions to honor the individual's communication preferences, strengths,

and challenges. This perspective is often referred to as “neurodiversity-affirming

practices”.

By embracing neurodiversity-affirming practices in speech therapy, therapists can help

students develop communication skills that are authentic to themselves, leading to

increased confidence, self-advocacy, and overall well-being. It promotes a shift away

from a one-size-fits-all approach to therapy and encourages therapists to acknowledge

and respect the diverse ways in which individuals navigate the world of language and

social interaction. This promotes inclusivity and empowerment.

What would this look like in therapy?

For example, neurodivergent individuals may experience sensory sensitivities that can

make direct eye contact uncomfortable or overwhelming. A speech-language

pathologist could address the individual’s lack of eye contact, which assumes a

“one-size-fits-all” approach to social interactions. Instead of targeting eye contact,

speech-language pathologists can consider another way for the student to

communicate that they are attending to their communication partner. Instead of

targeting direct, sustained eye contact, speech-language pathologists can teach

students to visually reference. Visually referencing involves using visual information

from the environment (gestures, facial expressions, objects, etc) to aid in

communication. This teaches the child to use visual information to support their

communication exchange without requiring them to engage in sustained eye contact.

This way, the target goal of attending to the communication partner is still addressed

without requiring the neurodivergent individual to engage in a behavior that is

uncomfortable (eye contact).