Neuroaffirming practice (also known as neurodivergent affirming practice) has been gaining momentum in recent years in healthcare in terms of working with neurodivergent individuals. It's the idea that individuals have differences in their abilities and how they interact with the world around them - differences which are not considered to be deficits that need to be “fixed”. Rather, those who view individuals in this light consider neurodiversity to be natural. In this talk, Bryden and Katherine will share ideas and examples on how neurodivergent affirming practice can work.
(Note from licensee: This title has to be shortened due to the need to fit KZfaq title length requirements.) Bryden Carlson-Giving is a neurodivergent, doctoral student at Boston University and a pediatric occupational therapy practitioner with experience in pediatric outpatient and inpatient rehabilitation settings. Bryden’s work includes encouraging a shift away from an impairment-based perspective and returning to strengths-based, occupation-centered practices. He seeks to promote neurodivergent affirming practices, amplify the voices of the disabled community, and challenge ableism within healthcare and research. From helping individuals discover and embrace their sensory processing differences to collaborating with their family and education team to improve their ability to be neurodivergent affirming, Bryden aims to maximize his client's quality of life and well-being to support authentic, neurodivergent development.
Katherine is currently an occupational therapy student who has a passion for disability justice. She is currently conducting qualitative research to assist practitioners in understanding how to utilize a neurodivergent affirming approach when working with autistic individuals who exhibit self-harm and aggressive behaviors. In the past, she has worked with adults and children with developmental disabilities. Her main goals are to improve the quality of life for autistic and other disabled people. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx