Words Matter: Exploring Neurodiversity Affirming Language

01/31/23 • 15 min

Exploring Neurodiversity with Adina Levy from Play. Learn. Chat

So... you’re ready to be part of the Neurodiversity Affirming movement to support an autistic and neurodivergent child in your world. Awesome, welcome in! The language you use matters. I’m kicking off this podcast series by sharing the language that you need to put in the bin, and the language to use instead.

In today’s episode, we delve into neurodiversity versus neurodivergent, why identity first language is preferred by most autistic people. We discuss getting comfortable with the term ‘autistic’ rather than ‘on the spectrum’ and why ‘high-functioning’ & ‘low-functioning’ terms should be left in the past.

Tune in for these ideas and more!

In this episode, you’ll learn:

One person with a different type of brain from others is neurodivergent, while a group of people can be neurodiverse
Being autistic doesn’t have to be limiting or a problem. The problems arise when an autistic person lives in a world that does not support and accommodate their needs
Why we should drop the D (Disorder) in ASD
It’s not a compliment to refer to an autistic person as high-functioning - this negates someone’s internal experience and only describes your opinion of how ‘normal’ they appear to you
Referring to an autistic person as low-functioning indicates low expectations of them, and it’s an awful term.

Get the free Cheatsheet PDF highlighting the terms that you should and shouldn’t use when talking about autism and neurodiversity - https://playlearnchat.ck.page/48f9b202e1

Transcript available on my website: https://playlearnchat.com/podcast-1

If you found this episode helpful, please share it with a friend, family member or a colleague!

Links

Podcast Link: https://pod.link/1625478932

Website: www.playlearnchat.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/play.learn.chat/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/play.learn.chat

Tune in for these ideas and more!

In this episode, you’ll learn:

One person with a different type of brain from others is neurodivergent, while a group of people can be neurodiverse
Being autistic doesn’t have to be limiting or a problem. The problems arise when an autistic person lives in a world that does not support and accommodate their needs
Why we should drop the D (Disorder) in ASD
It’s not a compliment to refer to an autistic person as high-functioning - this negates someone’s internal experience and only describes your opinion of how ‘normal’ they appear to you
Referring to an autistic person as low-functioning indicates low expectations of them, and it’s an awful term.

Get the free Cheatsheet PDF highlighting the terms that you should and shouldn’t use when talking about autism and neurodiversity - https://playlearnchat.ck.page/48f9b202e1

Transcript available on my website: https://playlearnchat.com/podcast-1

If you found this episode helpful, please share it with a friend, family member or a colleague!

Links

Podcast Link: https://pod.link/1625478932

Website: www.playlearnchat.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/play.learn.chat/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/play.learn.chat

Previous Episode

Exploring Neurodiversity with Play. Learn. Chat - Coming Soon!

Welcome to the Play. Learn. Chat - Exploring Neurodiversity podcast. Here, we're going to share conversations to help you connect and grow with your autistic or neurodivergent child. Join me, speech therapist, Adina Levy, as I share realistic ideas, practical strategies, and open conversations to help you better understand and celebrate your autistic or neurodivergent child. We'll discuss your child's strengths, their unique mind, preferences, their challenges, and the supports that they need to thrive.

I bring a neurodiversity-affirming approach, an open heart and an open mind to the pod world. Let's connect! Subscribe and join me for some wonderful conversations and chats with me, with other professionals and with parents of autistic and neurodivergent children.

I can't wait to chat soon!

www.playlearnchat.com

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/play.learn.chat/

Next Episode

Neurodiversity Affirming 'Social Skills' Support for Autistic Children - Part 1: The Big Ideas

'Social skills' is a massively important area of support that we all need to pause and examine what we've been teaching neurodivergent kids. We need to check if the programs, resources and goals we've worked on previously still apply under a Neurodiversity Affirming approach. There's a lot that we need to change. In short, we do not want to be teaching neurodivergent kids that they should act 'more neurotypical' to be accepted and socially connected. Today we discuss some of the bigger ideas that underpin what affirming social supports look like, and in the next episode we'll cover specific aspects of support that form a neurodiversity affirming approach to supporting social skills and social interactions for autistic kids. In this episode you'll learn about:

The importance of unlearning old practices and adopting Neurodiversity Affirming approaches to support for autistic children
Understanding neurodivergent communication styles can be different to neurotypical communication styles, but not wrong - we discuss the 'Double Empathy Problem'
Why we should focus should on respecting the unique strengths, challenges, quirks, and preferences of each child, instead of trying to make neurodivergent kids conform to neurotypical 'norms'
The impact of sensory differences on socialising, for neurodivergent people