DOI work
Fetched
Post
crossref
Zosia Zaks
(2025).
Moving to a neurodiversity-affirming paradigm in the support system: Autistic professionals As paradigm change.
Neurodiversity, 3, 27546330241294138.
SAGE Publications.
- Publication date
-
18 Feb 2025
- Identifier
-
10.1177/27546330241294138
- Authors
-
Zosia Zaks
- Source
- Neurodiversity
- Details
- 3, 27546330241294138
- Reference type
- article
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Metadata source
- crossref
Abstract
The purpose of support provided to autistic people in the United States has been to normalize their behavior and communication. Due to serious risks of normalization, support professionals have begun to question normalization as the best approach. The Neurodiversity Movement has initiated a paradigm shift in clinical support, mental health therapy, and special education away from normalization and toward affirmation of neurocognitive diversities as natural for human beings. Self-advocates want supports that eschew normalization. However, normalization still dominates the support system. Paradigm change remains incomplete. Eleven autistic professionals were interviewed utilizing emancipatory methodology to elicit their suggestions for movement to a neurodiversity-affirming paradigm in the support system. One suggestion was to ensure that autistic individuals have regular access to autistic professionals. If we follow this advice and develop society-wide, visible, and powerful cohorts of autistic professionals across support settings and contexts, the paradigm will change.
Study authors in this cited reference