Therapist Neurodiversity Collective

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Therapist Neurodiversity Collective’s Ethics & Values

Roberts, J. (2021, December 11). Therapist Neurodiversity Collective’s Ethics & Values. Therapist Neurodiversity Collective. https://therapistndc.org/therapist-neurodiversity-collectives-ethics-values/

  • We are advocates for Disability Rights and Civil Rights.
  • We are advocates for equitable inclusion, and unrestricted access to supports, modifications, and accommodations.
  • We use ethical billing practices in all settings.
  • We adhere to ethical sales of therapy/parent materials/apps/programs.
  • We provide therapeutic programs that are respectful of neurodivergence, such as autistic differences and sensory processing differences, and address the individual’s specific needs as opposed to a diagnostic label.
  • We practice with a presumption of competence and respect for personal agency.
  • We apply a Strength-Based Approach.
  • We oppose the use of ABA, including Positive Supports and Positive Reinforcement (PBS and PBIS), or any type of operative conditioning or respondent conditioning (behavior modification through conditioning).
  • We use humane and trauma-informed approaches to Feeding Therapy.
  • We provide access to robust AAC with core language, aided language stimulation, and modeling. There is no gatekeeping for access to AAC. AAC is helpful for non-speaking, minimally speaking and speaking individuals—everyone!
  • We respect bodily autonomy.
  • We do not use Seclusion and Restraint in our Practices.
  • We do not act as Social Skills Trainers/Interventionists.
  • We practice with cognizance of the potentially harmful effects of social skills programs that promote masking.
  • We do not use applications of exposure therapy (any form of “tolerance” or “extinction,” in Vivo and Flooding, Imaginal), as these potentially induce emotional and physical distress, trauma, and PTSD in Autistic and Wider-Neurodivergent individuals as well as patients with acquired neurological conditions. This includes exposure techniques used in CBT and ERP, distress tolerance techniques used in DBT, and sensory system desensitization goals.

What do we think about Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), PBS, and Tolerance and Exposure Therapies (ERP, CBT, DBT)? 🤔🤔🤔

❌  ABA or behavioral/compliance-based models (ABA, NDBIs) or techniques in therapy practices, or the use of positive reinforcement. There are better ways to address behavior and therapy.

❌ Therapy goals with outcomes of desensitization, tolerance, or extinction.

❌ Therapy goals or programs designed for neuronormative social or sensory outcomes (training autistic people to mask their sensory systems, monotropic interest systems, anxiety, etc.)

❌ Therapies that employ the techniques of exposure or tolerance (any form of “tolerance” or “extinction”, in Vivo and Flooding, Imaginal), including CBT, ERP, DPT, sensory system desensitization, or any type of operative conditioning or respondent conditioning (behavior modification through conditioning)

❌ Therapy goals for programs for social skills training. We practice differently.

Our neurodiversity-affirming therapist members agree to not use exposure, tolerance, and compliance-based behavioral approaches or any form of ABA or provide therapy services for neuronormative social skills training.

Therapies that do not meet membership criteria:

  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – this includes “modified” and “altered”
  • Dialectical Behavior (DBT) – this includes “modified” and “altered”
  • Exposure Therapy: In vivo exposure, imaginal exposure, virtual reality exposure, graded exposure or tolerance exposure, flooding, systematic desensitization
  • Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBIs)
  • Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT; Koegel et al., 2016) – NDBI
  • Early Start Denver Model (ESDM; Rogers & Dawson, 2020) – NDBI
  • Joint Attention Symbolic Play, Engagement, and Regulation (JASPER; Kasari et al., 2006) – NDBI
  • Incidental Teaching (McGee, 2005) – NDBI
  • Project Improving Parents as Communication Teachers (Project ImPACT; Ingersoll & Wainer, 2013). – NDBI
  • PECS® 
  • ABA + relationship-based therapy (ABA used in conjunction with DIRFloortime, SCERTS, Hanen, or similar.)
  • Verbal Behavior (VB)
  • VB-MAPP
  • The Lovaas Approach
  • Pivot Response Treatment (PRT)
  • Natural Language Paradigm (NLP)
  • Discrete Trial Training (DTT)
  • Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI)
  • Intensive Behavioral Intervention (IBI)
  • ABA Derived Errorless Learning Therapy Models
  • Intensive Behavioral Intervention (IBI)
  • Positive Behavior Support (PBS)
  • Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS)
  • Relationship Development Intervention (RDI)
  • Social Thinking®
  • The PEERS® Program
  • Social Skills video modeling with the intent for the Autistic person to mimic Neurotypical Social Skills, and mask Autistic characteristics
  • Any neurotypical Social Skills training program that teaches Autistic masking or has goals for Neurotypical Social Skills outcomes