Autistic Self-Advocacy and the Neurodiversity Movement: Implications for Autism Early Intervention Research and Practice

Abstract

The growth of autistic self-advocacy and the neurodiversity movement has brought about new ethical, theoretical and ideological debates within autism theory, research and practice. These debates have had genuine impact within some areas of autism research but their influence is less evident within early intervention research. In this paper, we argue that all autism intervention stakeholders need to understand and actively engage with the views of autistic people and with neurodiversity as a concept and movement. In so doing, intervention researchers and practitioners are required to move away from a normative agenda and pay diligence to environmental goodness-of-fit, autistic developmental trajectories, internal drivers and experiences, and autistic prioritized intervention targets. Autism intervention researchers must respond to these debates by reframing effectiveness, developing tools to measure autistic prioritized outcomes, and forming partnerships with autistic people. There is a pressing need for increased reflection and articulation around how intervention practices align with a neurodiversity framework and greater emphasis within intervention programmes on natural developmental processes, coping strategies, autonomy, and well-being.

What I Wish You Knew: Insights on Burnout, Inertia, Meltdown, and Shutdown From Autistic Youth

“…Approaches such as auditory integration training, sensory integration, and cognitive behavioral modification, aim to change autistic children's intrinsic traits in order for them to better fit into their environments (Hess et al, 2008). Instead, the descriptions from the children and youth in our study support Leadbitter et al (2021) suggestion that a crucial element of advancing autistic research and clinical practice is to understand autistic experiences as a way of being which is complex and dynamic.…”

“…This study (and the larger project it resides in) answers the call issued by Leadbitter et al (2021) to conduct research relevant to autistic children and youth that embraces a neurodiversity framework. It also generates knowledge that can inform options for intervention that support positive coping strategies, personal agency, and wellness, which has been identified by Leadbitter et al (2021) and the National Autistic Taskforce (2019) as crucial. Iemmi et al (2017) outlined four core principles that are based on existing drawbacks in research literature as well as steps to move autism research forward.…”

“…Challenges with self-regulation (which we consider to be an important element of BIMS) are identified as a primary barrier to autistic children and youths’ success at school ( Ghanouni et al, 2019 ). A support system or intervention approach is needed that can guide autistic children and youth, as well as the important adults in their lives, to effectively manage BIMS in ways that preserve the youth’s dignity, meet their individual needs, acknowledge strengths, and are informed by a neurodiversity framework ( Milton and Moon, 2012 ; Leadbitter et al, 2021 ; Pearson and Rose, 2021 ). Also needed are new support systems and intervention approaches that support respectful communication and collaboration between autistic youth and their educators ( Brownlow et al, 2021 ).…”

What Is Autistic Burnout? A Thematic Analysis of Posts on Two Online Platforms

“…read the data through the lens of neurodiversity, which views autism as a normal form of human variation with inherent strengths, rather than a condition to be cured. 35 Throughout, J.M. reflected on how her pre-existing knowledge about autistic burnout and experiences as a nonautistic parent of young autistic children influenced her reaction to, and interpretation of, the data.…”

Inicio y Desarrollo de la Musicoterapia en el Campo del Autismo en la Argentina

“…Así mismo, es probable que las tendencias actuales en Musicoterapia para el autismo ocurran en Argentina en los próximos años. Cabe destacar que entre estas posibles tendencias se encuentra la participación de la comunidad de personas con autismo en la creación de teorías y entendimientos sobre cómo las intervenciones en general (Leadbitter et al, 2021) y la Musicoterapia en particular (Pickard, 2019) podrían ayudarlas. Sumado a ello, el aumento de la participación de la persona en la planificación y conducción de los procesos vinculados a la salud, la educación, el bienestar y la independencia (Aznar y González Castañón, 2019;Cobeñas et al, 2021;Ratazzi, 2019) así como del proceso musicoterapéutico en sí (Pickard et al, 2020).…”