Promoting Neurodiversity-Affirming Care for Autistic Children: A Scoping Review

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Wagland, Z., Sterman, J., Scott-Cole, L., Spassiani, N., & Njelesani, J. (2025). Promoting Neurodiversity-Affirming Care for Autistic Children: A Scoping Review. Neurodiversity, 3. https://doi.org/10.1177/27546330251357479

Publication date: 1 May 2025 Added to AutiHub: 10 Sep 2026 Type: Article Article language: English
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Authors

Publication authors
5
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 5 (20.0%)
  1. Zoe Wagland *
  2. Julia Sterman
  3. Louise Scott-Cole
  4. Natasha Spassiani
  5. Janet Njelesani

Abstract

Historically, educational and clinical practice with autistic children centred on developing their ability to ‘fit in’ and achieve neurotypical milestones. The neurodiversity movement aims to shift the focus from normalising behaviours to acceptance of the autistic child and inclusion with neurotypical peers while acknowledging differences. However, a review of how educators, and service providers can practice in a neurodiversity-affirming manner has not been conducted. This scoping review collated and synthesised the current literature on neurodiversity-affirming approaches in education, health and social care for autistic children. The authors searched eight databases up to July 2023. Qualitative content analysis guided data synthesis. Twenty-six studies were included, with 1,151 participants across the included studies. Results indicate that educators and service providers can practice in a neurodiversity-affirming manner through adapting the environment and changing their approach to interventions. Environmental adaptations can include integration of topics of interest to the autistic child, supporting acceptance of autistic children to peers, educators, and service providers, and a flexible classroom and curriculum. Interventions for autistic children should focus on their quality of life, value autistic communication, appreciate autism as part of human variation, and eliminate goals relating to ‘masking’. Lay Abstract Autistic children are commonly forced to ‘fit in’ to behave more like their neurotypical peers. This has been commonly seen in both education and clinical practice. For example, when autistic children go to the doctor, they will often be compared to their neurotypical peers to make sure milestones are being met, rather than seeing the autistic child as their own person. It is important that when professionals are providing any type of care for autistic children that they do so in a way that accepts their behaviours and supports the child to be their true self through inclusive strategies, such as changing the environment to meet the autistic child's interests, behaviours and needs. This is called neurodiversity-affirming care. The purpose of this article was to examine past research to better understand how neurodiversity-affirming care is being used or not being used in the areas of education, health and social care. This article describes ways that professionals can support neurodiversity-affirming care for autistic children such as through adapting the environment to include the interests of the autistic child, supporting neurotypical peers to interact with autistic children, and being flexible in how autistic children learn in classrooms. This article suggests that neurodiversity-affirming care interventions should include (1) focusing on the quality of life of the autistic child, (2) valuing autistic communication and (3) eliminating goals that are related to ‘masking’ autistic behaviours.

Bibliography cited by this reference

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Cited bibliography overview

These indicators describe the bibliography cited by this publication. An author name is counted each time it appears in one cited reference, so the same person can be counted more than once. Names not yet linked to an author already present in AutiHub are treated as unknown, not as non-autistic. Last computed: 12 Sep 2026 18:19.

Cited references
61
With a DOI
53
Without a DOI, from raw bibliography text
8
10 / 61 (16.4%) cited references include at least one author identified as autistic.
References with data to complete
9 / 61 (14.8%)
References with detected author names
52 / 61 (85.2%)
Without detected author names
9
Without a structured title
8
Without a stable identifier
8
References with raw author names still to review
8
References with external metadata lookup issues
0
These indicators apply to cited references displayed on this page, after technical duplicates have been merged. A reference without a DOI can still support author statistics when a title and author names are available.
Author names detected in the cited bibliography
174
From DOI or external metadata
174
From validated raw bibliography text
0
Raw names already validated
0
Raw names still to review
9
80 / 174 (46.0%) names are linked to an author already present in AutiHub. 94 / 174 (54.0%) names are not yet linked.
Names linked to a person identified as autistic
16 / 174 (9.2%)
Calculated across all author names detected in the cited bibliography. Among names linked to an author already present in AutiHub: 16 / 80 (20.0%). Distinct people identified as autistic: 16 / 156 (10.3%).
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