Practical Neurodiversity-Affirming Practices

Strength Mapping Through Play

Purpose: Build self-identity beyond "challenges"

How:

Create a collage or drawing of:

• "Things my brain does well"
• "Things that help me when it's hard"

Let the child lead the narrative.

Environment as Support (Not the Child as the Problem)

Purpose: Reduce unnecessary stress

Examples:

• Movement breaks
• Sensory tools
• Visual schedules
• Quiet recovery time

Frame changes as supports, not accommodations for deficits.

Curiosity Instead of Correction

Purpose: Shift from control to understanding

Replace:

"Stop doing that."

With:

"I wonder what your body needs right now."

This alone often reduces escalation.

Repair After Rupture

Purpose: Teach resilience, not perfection

How:

After hard moments:

• Acknowledge impact
• Name feelings
• Reconnect without blame

Children learn safety through repair, not avoidance of mistakes.

Micro-Flow (Neurodiversity Lens)

Behavior appears → Pause interpretation → Get curious → Adjust environment or support → Collaborate with child → Strengthen trust

A Simple Unified Flow Map (All Three Approaches)

You may imagine this as a circle rather than a line:

Child experience → Adult pauses & regulates → Play or presence offered → Child expresses safely → Adult reflects & contains → Integration & settling → Connection strengthened

No fixing. No forcing. Just relationship.

Closing Reflection for Caregivers

Nothing here requires mastery. These practices work because they are human, not because they are perfect.