The pendulum is swinging – again. Clinicians who have been in practice for twenty years or more remember the ’90s, when we shifted our practice toward intentionally teaching “social skills” and “perspective taking” to students on the autism spectrum. I remember when a teacher complained to the principal that the SLP wanted to observe the student on the playground and in her classroom. Was this really our scope of practice? Why couldn’t we test in our own room instead of observing him in HER space?
Now, we are questioning our “old methods” of shaping students into neurotypical communicators. Among the questions we’ve been asking are: What is masking, and what is the impact? How do we identify the client’s goals and support them in critical life skills such as self advocacy and executive functioning? What does the ASHA Practice Portal report on the evidence?
Like you, I am at the “baby steps” level of understanding how considering neurodiversity might modify my approach. I’m not there, if there is a there, but I am improving. Pendulum swings are GOOD – the key is to learn more every day and broaden our lens. As SLPs, we will be leaders in this shift – let’s learn together!
As small steps toward a balanced approach, here’s an article to consider:
The Therapist Neurodiversity Collective: Includes some sample goals
Two Sides of the Spectrum Podcast
