Supporting Neurodivergent Children and Youth Through Affirming Practices
No Thumbnail Available
Authors
Zdravkovic, Anastasia
Issue Date
2026-05-01
Type
Capstone
Language
en
Keywords
neurodiveristy , neurodiversity-affirming , neuroaffirming , autism
Alternative Title
Abstract
The focus of this capstone project explores the application of neurodiversity-affirming practices in counselling and education settings with the goal of providing support to neurodivergent children and youth. A neurodiversity-affirming approach will be discussed through a literature review to address the research question: How does using a neurodiversity-affirming approach help to promote positive mental health and academic performance in neurodivergent children and youth? Traditional views of neurodevelopmental differences have used a deficit-based model which focuses primarily on creating normalcy and behavioural compliance. In contrast, the neurodiversity paradigm conceptualizes neurological variation as a range of natural ways in which humans can function. Additionally, it emphasizes the environmental and systemically based influences on the experiences of neurodivergent individuals. A synthesis of current literature from the fields of counselling and education was done to explore how neuroaffirming practices can be applied in various contexts. Important results of these studies indicated that the establishment of relational safety, strengths-based approaches, epistemological humility and flexible environments were important support for neurodivergent children’s self-regulation, identity development, and ability to participate meaningfully. The results of this research propose a neuroaffirming social story that can assist children in learning about what it means to be neurodivergent, and develop supportive environments for them through clinical, academic, and familial settings.
Description
Citation
Publisher
License
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States
openAccess
openAccess