Psychology/Neurodiversity/Fit, not deficit

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Neurodiversity

Fit, not deficit

Six principles that determine whether a support plan describes a person or describes a situation — and therefore whether it can work.

Six principles

  • Strengths are recorded first. Not as a courtesy, and not as a preamble to the real list. A plan that does not name what somebody is good at will produce accommodations that remove the conditions in which they perform best.
  • Describe conditions, not people. “Left the room after nine minutes in the hall with the fan running” is usable. “Cannot cope with assembly” is a verdict.
  • Distress is information about fit. It signals a mismatch between demand and current capacity, not a defect. The correct first response is to look at the demand.
  • Capacity is variable, not fixed. The same person, the same task, a different day and a different result is normal — and it is a finding, not an inconsistency to be doubted.
  • The person is the primary source. Their own account outranks your inference. Where somebody communicates differently, change the channel — do not conclude there is no account to be had.
  • Nothing here classifies anybody. No screener, no scoring system, no threshold, no indicative profile.

Language that keeps the record honest

Instead of Write Because
Cannot cope with noise. Left the room within 10 minutes on 4 of 5 occasions when the hall fan was running. The first is a limit placed on the person; the second identifies a fan.
Poor social skills. Joined group work when paired with one named peer; did not join when the group was formed at random. One is a trait; the other is a grouping decision you control.
Refuses to follow instructions. Began the task 40–60 seconds after a written instruction; did not begin after a spoken instruction given to the whole room. The behaviour was a channel problem, not a compliance problem.
Low motivation. Completed 6 of 6 items when the end point was visible; 1 of 6 when the task had no stated end. Motivation was never the variable.
Attention seeking. Approached an adult 7 times in 20 minutes; each approach followed an unannounced change in the activity. Names a predictability gap rather than a motive.
Rigid. Asked “what is next?” 5 times; the visual schedule was not displayed that day. Points at a missing support, which is fixable.

Four questions before any plan is written

  1. What are this person’s strengths, and in what conditions do they appear?Twelve entries before you move on. This is the form people skip and the one that changes the plan most.
  2. What does the person themselves say helps?In their own words, in their own channel — speaking, writing, typing, drawing, choosing from options, or a trusted person relaying. Record which channel was used.
  3. Does this appear in both settings, or only one?If only one, it belongs to the setting at least as much as to the person.
  4. What is the environment asking that it does not need to ask?This is usually where the cheapest and largest change is available.

Accommodations without a review date are good intentions

Every accommodation must name the condition it changes, the person responsible, a start date, how you will know whether it worked, and a review date. Five of five, every time.

PMA Support Profile One-Pager

The language that keeps a support record honest, the four questions that must precede any plan, and a one-page profile to complete with the person rather than about them. (5 pages, PDF)

Free download

Educational scope. Everything published on PMA Science Psychology is provided for education, study and professional documentation. Nothing here is a diagnostic instrument, a psychometric test, or a substitute for assessment, treatment, supervision or emergency care by a qualified professional.

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