What does 'neuro-affirming' actually mean?

I imagine you've seen 'neuro-affirming' on a lot of therapist profiles, including mine but it's rarely explained and I think it deserves to be.

Where the term comes from:

Neuro-affirming grows out of the neurodiversity movement, which stated with autistic advocates in the 90s. The idea at its centre is the differences in how people's brains work, including ADHD, autism, dyslexia and dyspraxia, aren't disorders to be corrected. They're natural variations, the same way height or handedness varies from person to person.

'Neuro-affirming' is what that idea looks like in practice, particularly in therapy, healthcare and education. Being neuro-affirming in therapy means a therapist doesn't try to make a neurodivergent person think, communicate or behave more neurotypically. Instead, support is led by what that person actually wants and needs, not by a standard they're being quietly measured against within our neuronormative society!

What this actually changes about how I work:

In practice, being neuro-affirming means a few concrete things, not just a philosophy:

• I don't see masking less, making more eye contact or sitting still as goals in themselves

• I follow your lead on what you want to focus on, rather than working from a fixed programme

• I use identity-first language where that is someones's preference (eg Autistic, not 'person with autism')

• Accommodations like fidgeting, not making eye contact, needing things repeated, taking your shoes off, these aren't exceptions here, they're just how sessions work

• The goal isn't to help you function more neurotypically, it's to help you build a life and a relationship with yourself that actually fits how your brain works

What it isn't:

Neuro-affirming isn't a single technique, a tickbox or a training certificate that someone's completed. It's more of a stance, a way of being/seeing the world that encourages you to live in a way that works with your brain instead of going against its natural ways.

If any of this resonates:

I write more specifically about what this looks like for ADHD, Autism and neurodivergence more broadly or if you want to know more about me and where this comes from personally, you can read my About page too.