Autistic Social Entrepreneurship and Systems Thinking: A Neurodiversity-Affirming Approach
Zivkovic, S. (2024). Autistic Social Entrepreneurship and Systems Thinking: A Neurodiversity-Affirming Approach. In Neurodiversity and Entrepreneurship (pp. 135-150). Emerald Publishing Limited. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83753-798-320241007
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Abstract
Abstract The term neurodiversity is used to discuss human neurological variation, differences in human cognition, and a social movement that aims to change the way that society views and responds to people who are neurodivergent. While the cognitive differences associated with autism are often discussed in terms of deficits, in recent years autistic autism researchers have been reframing autistic cognition from a neurodiversity-affirming lens that illuminates autistic strengths. Based on characteristics of autistic cognition from a neurodiversity-affirming perspective, this chapter describes neurodiversity-affirming autistic social entrepreneurship and systems thinking approaches and argues that all autistic-owned and -led businesses that align with the mission of the neurodiversity movement are by definition social enterprises. It is hoped that this chapter will assist in reframing autistic cognition from its current deficit conception and encourage the development of business support services that are more appropriate for autistic social entrepreneurs.
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