Neurodiversity and Autism Intervention: Reconciling Perspectives Through a Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Intervention Framework.
Rachel K Schuck, Daina M Tagavi, Kaitlynn M P Baiden, Patrick Dwyer, Zachary J Williams, Anthony Osuna, Emily F Ferguson, Maria Jimenez Muñoz, Samantha K Poyser, Joy F Johnson, Ty W Vernon
PMID 34643863WHAT IT FOUND
This is a theoretical paper arguing that autism interventions should align with neurodiversity.
It offers no new evidence on treatment outcomes.
What this paper is
This paper is a theoretical and historical review that argues for reconciling Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBIs) with the neurodiversity paradigm. It discusses the history of autism treatment, defines NDBI principles, and offers recommendations for clinicians to make interventions more respectful and person-centered. It reports no new data, methods, or outcomes from a study of patients, so there are no clinical findings to act on here.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this paper as evidence that NDBIs are more effective than other interventions. It is an argument for how to practice them ethically, not a report of how well they work.