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Abstract

School counselors are champions for advocacy, systemic change, and social justice. They serve all students, particularly those who have been historically marginalized, which includes students with disabilities. The neurodiversity movement has received increased recognition in recent years as a strength-based paradigm grounded in civil rights and social justice. While neurodiversity has been acknowledged in allied professions such as psychology and occupational therapy, there is a lack of such scholarship within school counseling. This article addresses a gap in the literature, describing neurodiversity and how to infuse neuro-affirming practices in school counseling. Specifically, we outline neuro-affirming practices as part of school counselors’ comprehensive school counseling programs and Multi-tiered Systems of Support, centering: (a) advocacy and systemic change through a critical lens; (b) collaboration and teaming; (c) the use of data-driven practices; and (d) organizing supports into a three-tiered continuum of Tier 1 school-wide prevention and Tiers 2/3 targeted/individualized intervention.

Keywords

neurodiversity school counseling comprehensive school counseling programs multi-tiered systems of support

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