I am a Speech and Language Therapist based in the UK. I have a few qualms with neurodiversity movement. I am all for equality, changing some aspects of our practice and language. But I’m looking through recent research studies on ASD, and there’s a big emphasis on neurodiversity and how certain aspects, that will usually work on, needs to be challenged and accepting autonomy which doesn’t seem all to be that evidence based.

As an example, an SLT colleague of mine commented that we shouldn’t be trying to develop Autistic children’s play, that we shouldn’t be encouraging play with our view on what neurotypical standards. I just had to silently roll my eyes. She obviously forgot about extensive research on the huge benefits of developing play skills within young ASD children, including cognitions and understanding of the world. I then I thought to myself- I’m so sure, if it was about speech and we all said we shouldn’t be trying to change our kiddos with Articulation and Phonological Disorders to fit within neurotypical standards of speech, there would be uproar . Anyway I digress.

Looking at research practice, I want to read about whether certain (current) or innovative interventions are useful for our children with ASD to increase their quality of life. So far, recent research is just about neurodiversity this, neurodiversity that. In the UK, ASD children are one of the caseloads that receive the least amount of therapies. If you have an ASD child who is non verbal child plus Comorbid learning difficulties, deafness or whatever, you can just forget it, all they are good for is a consultancy model approach, and they may get 9 visits from the SLT across the year! But what about extra support for parents, provision which properly accounts for their child’s complex needs.

I’m glad there’s awareness of neurodiversity now but I wish they also awareness about better access for families, more support from services (especially SLT) and more studies on service pathways, interventions which yield great improvements for our young people with ASD and their quality of life.