| Description |
Pediatric PTs and PTAs who work with autistic children have likely experienced challenging behaviors that prevent them from targeting their physical therapy goals. This can be frustrating for the therapist, the child and their family. Historically, challenging behaviors were addressed through methods to extinguish them and maximize compliance. However, the tides are currently changing as autistic self-advocates publicly describe their negative experiences with compliance-based approaches. The Neurodiversity Paradigm proposes that natural variations in human neurology contribute to our rich human diversity and should be embraced, rather than “cured.” The Neurodiversity Movement has gained traction in other rehabilitation professions such as Speech and Occupational Therapy. In alignment with our oath to “do no harm,” Pediatric Physical Therapists face a similar moral imperative to embrace the Neurodiversity Paradigm and provide neurodiversity-affirming care. A neurodiversity-affirming lens reframes problem behaviors as a need for regulation, allowing the therapist to understand the individual's internal experience. This leads to effective, compassionate and culturally competent support strategies that build mutual trust between the patient and practitioner, and improve the autistic child’s self-directed outcomes. In this course, designed for both PTs and PTAs, we discuss the Neurodiversity Paradigm, how it is used to “get to the bottom of” challenging behaviors, and provide strategies to reduce harmful behaviors while maximizing the autistic individual’s well-being and autonomy in physical therapy sessions.
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