A framework for neurodiversity-affirming interventions for autistic individuals.

This publication is included in the Autistic Autism Scholarship Project. two authors of this publication are identified as autistic in the project.

About the autistic author marker

Metadata sources used for this reference

OpenAlex Crossref
Learn more about the sources used

Lerner, M. D., Gurba, A. N., & Gassner, D. L. (2023). A framework for neurodiversity-affirming interventions for autistic individuals. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 91(9), 503-504. https://doi.org/10.1037/ccp0000839

Publication date: 14 Aug 2023 Added to AutiHub: 5 Jul 2026 Type: Article Article language: English
Publisher source (DOI) Full text OpenAlex source

This publication is integrated into AutiHub through:

Authors

Publication authors
3
Publication authors identified as autistic
2 / 3 (66.7%)
  1. Matthew D Lerner
  2. Ava N. Gurba *
  3. Dena L. Gassner *

Abstract

Despite being targets of intervention practice and research for over 60 years, autistic people have been left out of the conversation. Until recently, nearly no research or implementation work has sought the input of autistic people in regard to the design of interventions and, more importantly, how the goals for such interventions are prioritized and determined. This reframe has profound implications for autism-focused interventions and research, most of which have aimed to reduce or eliminate autism symptoms, with variable empirical support (Bottema-Beutel, 2023). These outcomes are practically and ethically incompatible with a neurodiversity perspective. Most prominently, applied behavior analysis (ABA), which was the first intervention approach widely applied to autistic people, has come under increasing scrutiny and criticism for failing to include autistic people in the design of intervention elements and consideration of goals; moreover, autistic people are increasingly identifying iatrogenic effects they have experienced when receiving ABA (Bottema-Beutel, 2023), with these concerns often being met with minimization rather than an endorsement of their validity and willingness to hear them out. Thus, there is a pressing need for a neurodiversity-affirming interventions (NAI) framework for autism. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Bibliography cited by this reference

Cited references are imported from external metadata sources when they are available. The list may be partial.

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: 2 Oct 2026 01:40.

Cited references
6
With a DOI
6
Without a DOI, from raw bibliography text
0
3 / 6 (50.0%) cited references include at least one author identified as autistic.
References with data to complete
0 / 6 (0.0%)
References with detected author names
6 / 6 (100.0%)
Without detected author names
0
Without a structured title
0
Without a stable identifier
0
References with raw author names still to review
0
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
25
From DOI or external metadata
25
From validated raw bibliography text
0
Raw names already validated
0
Raw names still to review
0
20 / 25 (80.0%) names are linked to an author already present in AutiHub. 5 / 25 (20.0%) names are not yet linked.
Names linked to a person identified as autistic
3 / 25 (12.0%)
Calculated across all author names detected in the cited bibliography. Among names linked to an author already present in AutiHub: 3 / 20 (15.0%). Distinct people identified as autistic: 3 / 25 (12.0%).
  1. Riana Elyse Anderson , Howard C. Stevenson (2019). RECASTing racial stress and trauma: Theorizing the healing potential of racial socialization in families. American Psychologist, 74(1), 63-75. American Psychological Association (APA).
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1037/amp0000392 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2909384753
    OpenAlex
  2. Géraldine Dawson , Lauren Franz , Sam Brandsen * (2022). At a Crossroads—Reconsidering the Goals of Autism Early Behavioral Intervention From a Neurodiversity Perspective . JAMA Pediatrics, 176(9), 839. American Medical Association (AMA).
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2022.2299 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4285024688
    OpenAlex
  3. Rachel G. McDonald , Sadaf Khawar , Nardin Yacoub , Mary Isaac Cargill , Matthew D Lerner , Erin Kang (2022). Performance- and Theater-Based Interventions for Supporting Social Cognition and Social Communication in Autistic Youth: A Review and Theoretical Synthesis . Seminars in Speech and Language, 43(04), 255-276. Georg Thieme Verlag KG.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1750763 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4288060704
    OpenAlex
  5. Kristen Bottema-Beutel (2023). We must improve the low standards underlying “evidence-based practice”, Autism . Autism, 27(2), 269. SAGE Publications.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1177/13623613221146441 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4313423845
    OpenAlex