Why we do things differently.

At Pathways, we believe in, study, practice, and fiercely advocate for neurodiversity-affirming principles. We welcome the opportunity to explain to you what we do and why we do it that way. If you are a parent of any child, but especially a parent of a neurodivergent child (e.g., autistic, ADHDer, etc.), we hope you’ll find this page informative.

At Pathways, we are a neurodiverse team who believes in the importance of affirming all neurotypes. Our team is made up of both neurodivergent and neurotypical clinicians who work together to provide affirming, client-centered, trauma-informed care.

We believe our strengths are in our differences, and value creating a space where people of all neurotypes can thrive.

What we believe to be true.

At Pathways, we provide family-centred, child-led, and trauma-informed care. We aim to create a safe and inclusive space that looks at each and every client we encounter as an individual with unique abilities and needs, and who deserves to be understood, accepted, supported, and included in all aspects of their life.

We believe neurodivergent individuals (e.g., autistic, ADHD, dyslexic, etc.) are different, and not less, than their peers. The neurodivergent population is working hard to advocate for acceptance and understanding, and we honour their voices, preferences, and lived experiences in the work that we do. The neurodiversity-affirming movement did not start with us, but within the hundreds of thousands of neurodivergent people across the world who are speaking up for the right to be understood, included, and ultimately accepted, just as they are. Our team is dedicated to respecting their values and joining their advocacy efforts.

As a team of clinicians, we believe it is our job to support you/your child as you are, with all your unique abilities and needs that are part of who you are, and help you/your child to grow and develop to live your best life. We do not believe in fixing or curing disabled/neurodivergent individuals, but instead supporting them to live happy, inclusive, and full lives.

What exactly is neurodiversity-affirming care?

When working with neurodivergent children, or any child for that matter, it is important that services provided are safe (meaning that they do not cause harm or trauma), appropriate (meaning that they stand to benefit the individual person’s abilities and needs), and effective (meaning that the person stands to achieve gains/benefit as a result of the service).

When providing neurodiversity-affirming care, our team focuses on ensuring the following key principles with every service we provide:

  1. Prioritizing a safe and secured relationship and connection amongst our team and your child/family.

  2. Presuming competence in your child to expect infinite potential in all children

  3. Following a strengths-based approach (highlighting abilities, not weaknesses)

  4. Using identify-affirming language (e.g., autistic, not “person with autism”)

  5. Respecting sensory/emotional regulation above all else; not letting therapy goals, methods, or plans override a client’s needs to be regulated and feel safe

  6. Respecting each client’s bodily autonomy; adults putting their hands on children for any reason does not respect their bodily autonomy. We do not touch anyone without their expressed consent for the purposes of therapy goals. If a child is physically, or developmentally unable to perform a task, there are other ways to support growth without using hand over hand techniques.

“Do the best you can until you know better. When you know better, do better.” — Maya Angelou

What does the research say?

Recent research is showing that therapy is most effective when it supports a person’s natural way of thinking, learning, and engaging with the world. Neurodiversity-affirming therapy recognizes that differences in attention, communication, sensory processing, and social interaction are not deficits — but part of natural human diversity. Approaches that are child-led, play-based, and strengths-focused help children feel understood and respected, which in turn builds their confidence, motivation, and connection with others (Prizant, 2015; Rogers & Dawson, 2010). Studies also show that when therapy is designed around a child’s interests and preferences, rather than imposed expectations, children are more engaged and better able to develop emotional and social capacities over time (Fletcher-Watson et al., 2019). This kind of supportive, responsive therapy promotes a sense of agency and helps children learn and grow while feeling safe and valued (Sainsbury & Martin, 2021).

At the same time, growing evidence highlights concerns with older, compliance-based behavioural therapy models. Research has identified potential long-term harms associated with these methods, such as increased stress, anxiety, and trauma-related symptoms, particularly when therapy focuses on making a child appear “more typical” instead of supporting their authentic self (Bottema-Beutel et al., 2021; Sandbank et al., 2020). These concerns have led many clinicians and researchers to call for a shift away from traditional behaviourist models like ABA and toward more ethical, holistic, and inclusive practices (Lalvani & Polvere, 2020). Today, the best-supported therapy practices are rooted in collaboration, compassion, and respect for each child’s neurotype. When we honour a child's unique brain and let them take the lead in play and learning, we create space for real growth, connection, and joy (Fletcher-Watson et al., 2019; Prizant, 2015).

Research References

  • Bottema-Beutel, K., Crowley, S., Sandbank, M., & Woynaroski, T. (2021). Research Review: Conflicts of interest and spin in autism early intervention research. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 62(4), 444–456. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.13285

  • Fletcher-Watson, S., Adams, J., Brook, K., Charman, T., Crane, L., Cusack, J., ... & Pellicano, E. (2019). Making the future together: Shaping autism research through meaningful participation. Autism, 23(4), 943–953. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361318786721

  • Lalvani, P., & Polvere, L. (2020). Historical and contemporary perspectives on autism: Advocacy, culture, and the politics of inclusion. Disability & Society, 35(7), 1064–1083. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2019.1680344

  • Prizant, B. M. (2015). Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism. Simon and Schuster.

  • Rogers, S. J., & Dawson, G. (2010). Early Start Denver Model for Young Children with Autism: Promoting Language, Learning, and Engagement. Guilford Press.

  • Sandbank, M., Bottema-Beutel, K., Crowley, S., Cassidy, M., Dunham, K., Feldman, J. I., ... & Woynaroski, T. G. (2020). Project AIM: Autism intervention meta-analysis for studies of young children. Psychological Bulletin, 146(1), 1–29. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000215

  • Sainsbury, C., & Martin, N. (2021). Neurodiversity and Inclusion in Schools. Routledge.

Lived Experience Informed Practices

As a team of therapists, we are bound to provide evidence-based practices. This means that in all the methods we use, someone had better have tested the methods out through research to make sure the methods work. While research is absolutely valuable, we also know that research conditions do not always mirror real life or adequately represent the population. Research also doesn’t typically account for lived experience.

Lived experience is the evidence and data we collect from real people who have lived through and experienced different therapies, methods and strategies, and situations that have shaped their lives. When working with disabled and/or neurodivergent people, the information gained from the lived experience of disabled/neurodivergent adults is extremely informative on the practices we should use. In short, if a large group of disabled/neurodivergent adults say that a therapy method is harmful and/or caused them hardship/trauma/harm, this is vital evidence that should be considered when deciding on therapy methods.

Ultimately, in listening to the voices of disabled/neurodivergent adults, our team ensures that those voices are amplified in the research our team does when supporting children. The lived experiences of disabled/neurodivergent individuals is a priority consideration and is a large part of the evidence we review, along with research and evidence-based data, when deciding how to best support our clients.