Online Resources:
Glossary:
Neurodiversity: the diversity that exists within the human population regarding neurological differences resulting from normal variations in the human brain.
Neurodiversity paradigm: the idea that neurological differences like Autism and ADHD are the result of normal, natural variation in the human genome. It rejects pathology based explanations.
Neurodiversity movement: A social, political and human rights movement lead by Autistic, Neurodivergent and other disabled people with the end-goals of acceptance of neurological differences, autism acceptance, self-determination, autonomy, the end of discrimination, equitable inclusion, and equal opportunity. It is a Cultural Movement (Therapist Neurodiversity Collective).
Neurodivergent/ Neurodivergence (ND): Differences in mental or neurological function from what is considered typical (e.g., Autistic, ADHD, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia). The terms neurodivergent and neurodivergence were coined by Kassiane Asasumasu, a multiply neurodivergent neurodiversity activist. Definition provided by Oxford Dictionary.
Acquired Neurodivergence: acquired neurological conditions such as traumatic brain injury, post-stroke cognitive, swallowing and communication deficits, or patients with dementia, Alzheimer’s, Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (Therapist Neurodiversity Collective).
Neurotypical (NT): means having a style of neurocognitive functioning that falls within the dominant societal standards of “normal.” A person who does not exhibit neurological differences.
Allistic: A non-autistic person.
Strengths-Based Autism Criteria
Created by Matt Lowry, MS, Eds, LPP - Child & Adolescent Psychological Evaluations, LCC
To meet diagnostic criteria for autism according to the DSM-5, an individual must have persistent differences in each of three areas of social communication and interaction (see A1-A3 below) plus at least two of four types of repetitive behaviors (see B1-B4 below).
A. Different social communication and interaction as evidenced by the following:
Differences in communication- tendency to go off on tangents, tendency to talk passionately about special interests, and tendency to not engage in small talk.
Differences in nonverbal communication, including stimming while talking, looking at something else while talking, and being bored with conversations.
Due to above differences in communication, autistic people tend to be shunned by neurotypicals and therefore are conditioned to believe that we’re somehow less social.
B. Repetitive behavior or interests as evidenced by at least two of the following:
Stimming or engaging in echolalia
Security in routines. Autistic people do not have a sensory filter, so the world is perceived as a constant state of chaos. Routines and expectations give comfort to overwhelmed autistic people.
Special Interests (SPINs)- Due to hyperconnected brains, autistic people feel more passionately about what we love, so when we have a special interest, we tend to fawn over and fixate on it.
Hyper or hyporeactivity to stimuli- Again, due to hyper-connections, we feel things more intensely. Sometimes, however, we feel things less intensely because we tune them out in favor of other stimuli.
C. We’re born with these traits but have learned how to mask them. Sometimes, they only show up when stressed and we have let our guards down.
D. These traits cause other people distress. Note- the DSM ONLY indicates impairment when it affects other people or jobs, but not when it’s a daily issue that we learn to live with.
E. It’s not due to intellectual disability.
