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The International Journal of Exercise Science (IJES) Working Group for Opportunity, Representation, and Diverse Perspectives was tasked with developing a position stand to provide guidance in critical areas of inclusion. We present to authors, reviewers, and all readership IJES ideals to utilize in practice. Key points are presented, followed by a deeper look with greater explanation into the areas of inclusive language, diversity and inclusion in research, and accessibility. The same approach is presented for the areas of age, disability status, gender identity and sexual orientation, race, and ethnicity with attention to Indigenous Communities, religion, socioeconomic status, and neurodiversity. Person-first language is encouraged, with the acknowledgment that the preference of different community members may vary. IJES is committed to maintaining an environment that is welcoming to all identities so that they feel valued, respected, and included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inclusion of neurodivergent learners in English language lessons has gained significant attention to promote equitable and effective learning environments for all students. This article presents reflections stemming from my role as a mentor in an English language practicum. It is within this context, supporting studentteachers, that I have helped to develop lessons designed to embrace autism as a unique neurological diversity within the realm of English Language Teaching. Employing narrative inquiry as a research methodology, the transition from instrumental to humanizing perspectives regarding lesson planning is examined providing insights into meaningful practices for teacher education. The narratives inspected reveal the potential to contest normative curricula perpetuating oppression, silencing, and marginalization. Insights into challenges, opportunities, and meaningful practices associated with neurodiversity inclusion in English language teaching (ELT) settings are provided, along with implications for teacher education. The study underscores the adaptability of lesson planning to address the diverse needs of neurodivergent students and highlights how teaching practicum experiences enhance student-teachers' abilities to cultivate inclusive and effective learning environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the discussion on concept of societal performance and the pressures individuals, especially those from marginalized groups, face to conform to social norms. Topics include phenomenon of "passing" and "masking" among neurodivergent individuals, the emotional toll of these behaviors; and the importance of understanding neurodiversity through a folkloristic lens.

Importance: Since the first descriptions of autism, difficulties with affective contact (e.g., interpersonal exchanges of feelings between individuals) have been considered a common feature of autism spectrum disorder, and these difficulties frequently manifest in occupational therapy interventions. Objective: To (1) explore how autistic young adults describe their emotions and (2) suggest ways to improve the affective contact between autistic clients and their therapists. Design: Virtual focus group interviews. Setting: Online (Qualtrics) survey and Zoom focus groups. Participants: Autistic adults (N = 24) who met the following inclusion criteria: self-reported diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder or Asperger syndrome, age 18–35 yr, able to understand English, and able to participate in a focus group or individual interview using verbal or written communication. Results: Two themes were noted and are presented in this article: (1) Autistic people experience complex emotions and (2) autistic people's emotions are often (mis)measured and (mis)understood. Conclusions and Relevance: The findings indicate that autistic people experience diverse, complex, and intense emotions and that these are connected to occupation. This suggests that occupational therapists must be attuned to the emotional dimension of occupation when working with autistic clients and that autistic clients may benefit from the use of embodied language to reference their emotions. Occupational therapists can help autistic clients recognize their bodily changes when experiencing emotions and to better identify and regulate their emotions. The results also show that there were many cases nonautistic people misinterpreted the emotions of autistic people on the basis of their facial expressions or words. Plain-Language Summary: This article provides information about the emotional experiences of autistic people. The study found that autistic people experience complex emotions and that those emotions are often misinterpreted or misunderstood. The author provides information on how occupational therapists can use a neurodiversity-affirming and person-centered approach to support the emotional experiences of people in the autism community. Positionality Statement: In this article, identity-first language is used when referring to autistic adults. This deliberate choice aligns with the principles of the neurodiversity-affirming movement. Autistic self-advocates have indicated a preference for this style of language over person-first language. The author would also like to acknowledge their positionality. As both a neurodivergent researcher and a self-advocate for the disabled community, this style of language aligns with their own experiences of and beliefs about their disability. This study explored how autistic young adults describe their emotions and suggests ways that occupational therapists can be more attuned to the emotional dimension of occupation when working with autistic clients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been a paradigm shift within research exploring autistic experience in recent decades towards greater participation, agency and voice for autistic researchers and the autistic community more generally (Fletcher-Watson et al., 2019). This approach has shown a greater focus on research oriented towards the priorities or preferences of the autistic community (Fletcher-Watson & Happ'e, 2019; Pellicano et al., 2014), curtails concerns regarding epistemic injustice and has influenced understandings of autistic ontology and neurology. Co-produced research, characterised by the inclusion of diverse stakeholders, builds trust between participants. Nonetheless, co-production in research requires careful planning and support (Stark et al., 2021), sometimes proving 'turbulent' and 'challenging' (Worsley et al., 2021). This chapter explores the experiences and reflections of a team of autistic and non-autistic researchers conducting co-produced research amid the global COVID-19 pandemic. With research practices and systems altered due to increased remote work, online communication and limited in-person interaction, this topic is especially pertinent. With the increasing emphasis on involving members of the autistic community in research at all levels of development, the impact of the pandemic on how participatory research is carried out may be complex. This chapter has implications for planning and conducting co-produced research in our new reality, considering both the opportunities and obstacles it presents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective communication with patients and colleagues is key to a pharmacist's ability to provide effective person-centered care. Neurodivergent patients face many barriers when interacting with health professionals; increased awareness and understanding are therefore paramount to the pharmacist's role. This paper describes an innovative teaching partnership between a school of pharmacy and an inclusive theater company which aims to develop awareness and skills of undergraduate pharmacy students in relation to communicating with patients with autism and/or learning disabilities. Forum theater and role-plays were used to complement existing communication skills teaching in Years two and four of the undergraduate MPharm (Master of Pharmacy) program. The sessions were designed and delivered in partnership between academic teaching staff and a theater company of neurodivergent actors. An online evaluation form was used to obtain student feedback on these sessions (two Likert-style questions and three open format questions). Of the 241 students who attended a session in 2021, 70 (29%) provided feedback. Feedback was positive, with 99% of respondents finding the session useful. Students spoke about how they found the sessions supportive and enlightening, helping them to reflect on their own communication skills. As a result, the teaching has been developed and now expanded through all years of the undergraduate program. While conscious of challenges such as funding and finding the right partner, the authors recommend this rewarding initiative to fellow academics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This classroom study explored how to make positive psychology exercises more accessible to neurodivergent college students. Neurodiversity is an umbrella term for identities linked to autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other neurodevelopmental differences. Students participating in the study engaged in weekly evidence-based activities to support well-being, such as gratitude, acts of kindness, and using strengths as part of a one-credit positive psychology course. Throughout the semester, they provided written responses about the impact, barriers, and accessibility of the activities. Comments indicate that the exercises had a positive impact on perceived wellbeing. We report student feedback and discuss potential applications in student life outside the classroom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breaking down language barriers in paediatric care is pivotal for effective communication and positive health outcomes, particularly for vulnerable groups such as refugees, asylum seekers, the deaf and neurodivergent patients. This paper highlights the importance of culturally competent care. The specific needs of children with deafness and neurodiverse conditions are also considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To increase diversity and inclusion in IT enrollment and employment, we must first answer the question: What makes one intrinsically interested in technology in the first place? To the extent that one's choice of an IT education and career is driven by such intrinsic interest, the answer to this question will inform the various educational and organizational efforts to enhance social inclusion through increasing neurodiversity and gender diversity. Building on prior literature on the empathizing-systemizing (E-S) theory of autism, we employ two studies to explore the influences of autistic tendency and gender on intrinsic interest in IT. In Study 1, survey data from a U.S. sample provide support for autistic tendency as an antecedent of IT interest. The data also show that after controlling for individual variations in autistic tendency, the seemingly higher IT interest exhibited by U.S. men versus women becomes nonsignificant, demonstrating autistic tendency as an underlying mechanism by which differences in IT interest manifest between men and women. In Study 2, we replicate the model with respondents from India. Survey results again provide support for autistic tendency as an antecedent of IT interest and further show that there exists no significant gender difference in IT interest in India, regardless of whether autistic tendency is controlled for. This research offers a belated academic acknowledgment of the autism-IT linkage for the IS field and a comprehensive introduction of the E-S theory as a theoretical lens for multiple areas of IS research, including social inclusion, adoption, neuroIS, and evolutionary theory building. The finding of a nonsignificant difference in IT interest between men and women in the U.S. and India dispels a gender stereotype and demonstrates that collective-level gender labels may yield misleading results when individual-level factors, such as autistic tendency, masquerade as gender differences. Implications for IS practice are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intricate ensemble of human wellbeing resounds inside both our actual developments and the unpretentious songs of our psyches. While conventional medical services frequently centers around either, a hole exists in grasping the perplexing exchange between them. This examination, named "Body as Information, Brain as Guide: A Combination of Brain and Actual Signs for Customized Medical services," overcomes this issue by investigating the capability of multimodal information combination in driving customized protection and remedial mediations. The human body is an ensemble of information, where development and thought complicatedly interweave. Customary medical services frequently compartmentalizes these signs, sitting above the rich embroidered artwork of data woven from both physical and brain action. This research plunges into the unfamiliar domain of biosignal combination, endeavoring to divulge the maximum capacity of joined brain and actual information for customized medical services. Make an exhaustive system for biosignal combination, coordinating information from different sources such that jam security, guarantees moral information dealing with, and enables people to take part effectively in their medical services venture. Objectives: This examination plans to: Foster an original structure for multimodal information combination that incorporates continuous biosignals (EEG, EMG, physiological) with actual work information (development sensors, GPS) to make an extensive image of individual wellbeing status. Distinguish and separate key biomarkers from the melded information that precisely reflect individual varieties in wellbeing, mental prosperity, and sickness risk. Plan and execute simulated intelligence fueled customized intercessions that influence the experiences acquired from biosignal combination to forestall infection, improve wellbeing ways of behaving, and oversee ongoing circumstances. Investigate the moral and cultural ramifications of multimodal information combination in customized medical care, resolving issues of information security, algorithmic predisposition, and evenhanded admittance to innovation. This exploration will utilize a blended strategies approach, consolidating state of the art man-made intelligence calculations for information combination and examination with true information assortment from different member gatherings. This multi-pronged methodology will guarantee the generalizability and clinical significance of the discoveries. This exploration is supposed to: Advance the field of customized medical care by giving a structure to far reaching biosignal combination and its ensuing interpretation into noteworthy experiences. Foster novel simulated intelligence fueled mediations custom fitted to individual requirements and wellbeing weaknesses for deterrent and restorative applications. Illuminate moral structures for mindful information assortment, examination, and use with regards to multimodal medical services. Add to a future where human wellbeing isn't only observed however effectively directed by the agreeable combination of body and brain. This examination vows to open the extraordinary capability of biosignal combination for customised medical care. By organising the ensemble of information from our bodies and brains, we can move towards a fate of individualised medical services mediations, enabling people to become dynamic guides of their own prosperity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the term 'neurodivergence' is increasingly heard in discussions about the prison population, you are not alone if it feels unfamiliar. A 2021 report found that 86 per cent of the study's prisoner sample were also unclear about its meaning.1 The term was first introduced in a doctoral thesis by Judy Singer, in 1998. Singer offered a different lens through which to view the variability of the human nervous system. She argued that the world is a neurodiverse place, since no two individuals are exactly alike in the way they think. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Importance: Occupational therapy practitioners need evidence to support interventions that promote subjective well-being among autistic people and their families through optimal engagement and participation in occupations. Objective: These Practice Guidelines are informed by systematic reviews to expand knowledge of interventions that promote access, inclusion, engagement, and optimal participation in occupations that are meaningful to autistic people. Our intent was to foster occupational therapy practitioners' clinical decision-making and reasoning when working with autistic people and their care partners. Method: These Practice Guidelines were developed on the basis of four systematic reviews, supporting evidence and literature, along with continued revisions and integration through an iterative and collaborative process. Results: A total of 98 articles were included in the systematic reviews, which are the foundation for practice recommendations in these guidelines. Forty-eight of the systematic review articles were used to inform the clinical recommendations included in these Practice Guidelines. Conclusions and Recommendations: Strong to moderate evidence indicates the need for multidisciplinary, goal-oriented interventions to support autistic people in different contexts. Although there is only emerging evidence in the inclusion of autistic people's strengths, interests, and perspectives to guide occupational therapy interventions, such practices can enhance the delivery of neurodiversity-affirming and trauma-informed practices. In addition, evidence is needed to support participation in activities of daily living (ADLs) for autistic youths. We recommend the use of strengths-based language to describe autistic people and the use of environmental adaptations, care partner education, and coaching to enhance occupational therapy service delivery. Plain-Language Summary: The literature is sparse regarding neurodiversity-affirming and trauma-informed practices for autistic youths, as well as for participation in activities of daily living (ADLs). These Practice Guidelines provide new information on positive mental health development; self-determination; ADLs, instrumental ADLs, play, and leisure occupations for children, adolescents, and adults; person-centered planning for adolescents and adults; and rest and sleep. Information on health management is also provided. Positionality Statement: This article uses the identity-first language autistic people. This nonableist language describes their strengths and abilities and is a conscious decision. This language is favored by autistic communities and self-advocates and has been adopted by health care professionals and researchers (Bottema-Beutel et al., 2021; Kenny et al., 2016). However, we respect the use of person-first language and have made a conscious decision to include research articles that have used this language. These Practice Guidelines support interventions that promote access, inclusion, engagement, and optimal participation in occupations that are meaningful to autistic people across the lifespan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This literature review seeks to chart the current landscape of research related to drama, therapy and young autistic children needing support with communication. Beginning with key concepts to set out definitions for the review, I then demonstrate the search process as a scoping exercise and discuss the findings of two separate collections of studies: one of wider practices using drama as therapy, including group dramatherapy, and one collection of studies describing one-to-one drama as therapy. The aim of the review is to gather the available evidence of whether drama as therapy can support the communicative strengths of young children on the autism spectrum, in particular those described as non-verbal or minimally verbal. I then seek to extrapolate how this might occur through presenting the outcomes of a theme analysis of seven case studies of one-to-one drama as therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This literature review seeks to chart the current landscape of research related to drama, therapy and young autistic children needing support with communication. Beginning with key concepts to set out definitions for the review, I then demonstrate the search process as a scoping exercise and discuss the findings of two separate collections of studies: one of wider practices using drama as therapy, including group dramatherapy, and one collection of studies describing one-to-one drama as therapy. The aim of the review is to gather the available evidence of whether drama as therapy can support the communicative strengths of young children on the autism spectrum, in particular those described as non-verbal or minimally verbal. I then seek to extrapolate how this might occur through presenting the outcomes of a theme analysis of seven case studies of one-to-one drama as therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The study aimed to investigate the challenges that teachers encounter when teaching learners with autism at a high school in Zimbabwe, and to identify strategies to enhance the academic performance of these students. Method: Twenty teachers participated in the study. A cross-sectional survey was used to collect data from them with the help of a questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data. Results: Key challenges reported by the teachers were: time management, meltdowns, difficulties in coping with routine changes, obsessive compulsive tendencies and being easily distracted. Their confidence levels when teaching learners with autism were reported as: 5% not confident at all; 15% slightly confident; 65% fairly confident; 10% more confident; and 5% extremely confident. Most of the strategies currently employed in school relate to the use of visual teaching materials like colour coding, objects, videos, and worksheets. Participants recommended the adoption of new strategies such as provision of therapies at the school, advocacy to raise awareness on the educational needs of children with autism, and changes to curriculum delivery. Conclusion: Despite using a range of strategies to support learners with autism, the results imply a significant need for the teachers to be trained on autism and how to better support these learners to enhance their academic performance. However, the findings may not be generalisable to other schools as the study focussed on only one high school in an urban area of Zimbabwe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the potential synergy between neurodiversity and advanced technology within Industry 5.0, focusing on the integration of neurodiverse individuals in the workforce through Human-Machine Collaboration and Reciprocal Learning (RL). A cognitive load (CL) assessment procedure is developed using fuzzy logic inference across the dimensions of attention, memory, language, math, logic, and reading. A case study evaluates the effectiveness of RL in assisting assembly tasks. Different error-handling scenarios are compared. Experimental results show how RL can reduce the CL while improving assembly tasks efficiency, underscoring the value of intelligent systems in inclusive manufacturing, enhancing productivity and facilitating the integration of neurodiverse workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Przegląd Socjologii Jakościowej is the property of Redakcja Przegladu Socjologii Jakosciowej and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The paper focuses on the interpretation of living metaphors, through the analysis of data collected within the framework of a wider project concerning reading and pragmatic abilities in neurotypical adults. In particular, the items considered for this paper (selected from a standardized battery in Italian, APACS) aim at investigating the ability to understand and explain the meaning of figurative expressions, which are presented out of (or with a minimum) context to elicit generalized verbal explanations. The testing procedure was completed with a repetition of the same items inserted in a textual context, which was supposed to facilitate the task. The results show that, differently from idioms and proverbs (which were also included in the test), living metaphors are more easily explained in the presence of a context, although the qualitative analysis of answers reveals that the linguistic nature of the elements of each metaphor influences the reaction of the respondents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Sosiologia is the property of Westermarck Society and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This is a film review of Just Right (2023), directed by Camille Wormser. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environment of formal education systems can be a difficult place for neurodiverse individuals to exist, navigate and thrive. This clinical comment explores the impact of these structures on individuals with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The evolutionary theory underpins the article's argument that ADHD 'symptoms' could be considered adaptive depending on their environment, yet a plethora of neurodiverse people experience feelings of failure and negative life trajectories, so it is imperative that education systems reconsider their structures. To further support the case for educational restructuring, trauma-informed research is used to highlight flaws in the United Kingdom's mainstream education system that parallels the gaps that neurodiverse learners fall through. This article uses an autoethnographic lens to look at the problems within these structures and how they impact both learners and employees, from children to adults. The Sesame Approach to Drama and Movement Therapy (DMT-Sesame) is considered as a comparative structure, which focuses on the body, creative freedom, exploration, authenticity, and individuality, and could accentuate the quality of many neurodiverse traits. DMT-Sesame could therefore inspire the changes that ought to be made to formal educational structures, whereby learning environments are accessible to every individual and enable self-discoveries that support successful development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has demonstrated that diverse teams perform better and are more creative and innovative. As such, many firms in industry have established DEI programs, especially those where forward-thinking design cognition are competitive advantages. These efforts correspond with a global talent and worker shortage and align with the realization that neurodiverse populations are eight times as likely to be unemployed, while most actively desire and seek work opportunities. The technology sector has been the first to consistently identify, build, and promote programs supporting the neurodiverse population, leveraging a largely untapped resource. With an estimated 15-20% of the global population considered to be neurodiverse, greater attention is being paid to the different needs and skills of this growing and diverse. To promote a potential competitive advantage, and address the needs of a neurodiverse workforce, certain firms are adopting biopsychosocial interventions in the workplace, including integration of behavioral education, redesigning hiring, resource training for managers, and environmental adaptations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Importance: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic highlighted unique neurodiversity-affirming practices that may support autistic people's mental health, many of which run contrary to typical notions of autism. These insights are critical for occupational therapists working with this population. Objective: To (1) understand the self-reported mental health experiences of autistic adults during the COVID-19 pandemic and (2) identify ways that occupational therapy practitioners and other clinicians can help autistic adults during unexpected and challenging times. Design: This qualitative interpretative phenomenological study used surveys and interviews to collect data between August 15, 2020, and May 1, 2021. Two researchers independently coded interview transcripts. Any disagreements were resolved through consensus. Setting: Qualtrics survey and Zoom interviews. Participants: Participants (N = 34) met the following inclusion criteria: self-reported diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder or Asperger's syndrome, ages 18 to 35 yr, residing in the Eastern United States, able to understand English, and able to participate in a one-on-one interview using verbal or written communication. Recruitment was conducted via snowball sampling through local agencies serving autistic people. Results: Two themes emerged from the data: (1) autistic adults' social experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic paradoxically supported and hindered their mental health and (2) during the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health was tied to daily activity among autistic adults. Conclusions and Relevance: Participants reported feelings of anxiety and depression, as well as a need for social interaction on their own terms. Clinical recommendations are provided. What This Article Adds: This article includes suggestions generated from autistic people's input on how clinicians can support this population. The suggested supports and alteration to occupations can be both applied in the case of another unexpected event (e.g., another pandemic) and incorporated to promote the participation and well-being of autistic adults. Positionality Statement: We use identity-first language (e.g., autistic person) throughout this article because disability advocates and scholars assert that person-first language (e.g., person with autism) contributes to disability stigma (Collier, 2012; Gernsbacher, 2017). This article includes suggestions generated from input from people with autism spectrum disorder or Asperger's syndrome for how to support the mental health needs and promote the participation and well-being of autistic adults in case of another pandemic or other unexpected event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the importance of adopting more interactive and inclusive methods for assessing literacy, especially for children with neurodiversity. Topics include the use of drawing tasks, drama activities, and games as effective tools for assessing comprehension and vocabulary development in diverse learners; and the need for flexible strategies that incorporate kinaesthetic and interactive approaches to enhance literacy learning.

Introduction: Song creation--spontaneously singing words and melodies in a flowing stream of consciousness--has documented psychological benefits. Recorded song creations become artefacts that can be reflected upon and shared. However, there is little research exploring the potential of song creation to tap into the innate musicality and individualised passions of autistic individuals. Process: This longitudinal arts-based study shares the song creation and personal reflections of two autistic former music therapy participants as they engaged in, and reflected upon, collaborative song creation in a focus group. The focus group included their former music therapist/researcher, former co-music therapist, and two music industry collaborators who met face-to-face at a regional conservatorium. The two participants joined remotely via Zoom due to geographical distance. The music industry collaborators supported the process of song creation, recording, production, recruitment, and reflection. Outcomes: The arts-based output "Man in the Mirror - A Cross-Dimensional Duet" is a music video of a song creation originally improvised by one participant as an 11 year old child in music therapy, including their interpretation of the same song over a decade later, the whole group's musical additions to the song, and both participants' reflections on the process. Conclusion: Findings suggested engagement in collaborative song creation supported participants' expressive confidence, which was used as a resource to support their mental health. This aligns with neurodiversity-affirming music therapy practice and, as such, warrants further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artistic practice can be fueled by a sense of wonder connected with the natural world and all of its layers of color, pattern, texture and movements. As an autodidact I have pursued an understanding of the sciences in the time my life allows, listening to audible sources such as books and podcasts and watching film content. I am also very comfortable in the outdoors hiking and camping my whole life and experiencing and observing nature is an integral piece of my artwork. Being neurodivergent in some undiagnosed way is my path, I search out what nurtures and excites my brain and I try to bring the beauty and experience to the canvas in acrylic paint. My intellect searches for edification as I can find it, and that is how my work has arrived in your publication. My self-teaching is a trail of breadcrumbs, and I would welcome any correspondence from the members of this organization sharing scientific material relating to any of my paintings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This perspective draws from my insights in advocacy and therapeutic practice as an African art therapist in Australia. Along with my own positionalities, I have often been involved specifically producing projects related to LGBTIQA + people, migrant communities, First Nations people and other minoritised people in advocacy work. As a therapist, it is not only necessary to be attentive to the ways intersectionality operates as it relates to people who are frequently framed as 'complex' and diverse', these locations and the often pathologising framework of our positions are amplified by where and how neurodiversity is understood for people in the position of therapeutic work. The national sentiment in Australia often frames engagement with those who are complex and diverse through intentions around social inclusion, so multiculturalism and diversity shape the sociocultural as well therapeutic space precisely because they fail to capture the connected structures of power people are engaging, and a transformative ethical intentionality. That is, that questions related to power, and the force of cis-heteronormativity, neurotypicalness, white supremacy, classism and ableism. More specifically, in therapeutic practice, the onus is often on me to confront what sickness, trauma, pain, or even treatment mean when we decentre the biomedical models of mental health that frame our operations. I reflect on how I moved from state-operated practice to build my own practice intended to intentionally make a safer space for Black, indigenous and people of colour, LGBTQIA+, neurodivergent and disabled communities. I engage with the continued complexities of building multiple processes of meaning-making as a form of healing justice. I also explore my practice as it is shaped and informed by a transnational, decolonial and feminist praxis. Finally, I engage with the ways that even in attempting to invent this space of dwelling, coming up and against a broader sentiment of an 'even' and inclusive national sentiment, and a denial of the operational and constitutive forms of difference that are echoed in law and policy and have affective and structural effects in how we move and live in the world, is a practice that routinises my own exhaustion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the current understanding of neurodiversity with an emphasis on the lived experience and opinions of neurodivergent individuals. It offer ideas for what it means to create more inclusive voice training, care, and performance spaces through a neurodiversity affirming lens. It mentions vocabulary of autism as developed by autistic individuals.

Objectives: Despite suggestions of strengths and abilities of autistic people, it has been an underexplored area in autism research, the primary focus of which has been on examining differences and atypicalities as deficits rather than strengths. Understanding the self-reported impediments via first-person accounts of autistic adults for facilitating the strengths is an important prerequisite for an in-depth comprehension of the unique diversities and potentialities of autistic people, and roadmap development. Methods: The study is based on qualitative phenomenological inductive thematic analysis through in-depth interviews with 10 verbally- and cognitively-able autistic adults, following purposive and snowball sampling. Results: The impediments at home, school, and communities are presented through the five inductively extracted themes. Additionally, the study proposes future pathways for fostering an effective environment to nurture the innate potentialities of autistic people via a strength-focused lens. Conclusion: The study endorses the paradox of strength and atypicalities and advocates a shift from a deficit-focused approach to a strength-focused approach of support, and promotes the neurodiverse model of acceptance and embrace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, two learners in self-directed degrees based in the workplace reflect on their experiences in learning from each other and in communities of practice. Deane and Steve will each introduce themselves and their relationship to learning through their neurodiverse lenses. Then they explore designing for inclusion in formal education through the three dimensions of Student Centred Learning: humanism, cognition and agency (Starkey, 2019). They explore "ako," which in te reo Māori means being in a reciprocal learning relationship where teachers are not expected to know everything. In particular, ako suggests that each learner brings knowledge with them from which all are able to learn (Keown et al., 2005). Their discussion is transcribed from a speechto- text app because both speak better than they write. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]