By: Dr. Amy Nasamran, Licensed Psychologist
Neurodiversity is about celebrating the different ways our brains work and think—there’s no right or wrong way of thinking and learning. Neurodivergent children have many unique strengths and ways of learning from the world around them. Here are some tips to consider as you use Teleo to work with neurodiverse clients.
1. Allow agency and autonomy
Allowing neurodivergent clients to take the lead and make choices can empower their sense of independence and individuality. Try:
Personalizing the Welcome poster to an image your client chooses or creates themselves.
Asking your client to choose which room background they prefer.
Saving your client’s artwork or activities in the personalized album to reference or come back to later
2. Provide structure
Many neurodivergent clients appreciate having a predictable structure to sessions so that they can know what to expect in therapy. Try:
Using the Whiteboard to create a session agenda together.
Starting and ending the session with a child-led activity, such as watching a video, drawing together, visiting a website, or playing a game of your client’s choosing.
Interspersing breaks into the session as needed.
3. Incorporate special interests
Incorporating your client’s interests and passions into sessions can promote engagement, interest, and motivation. Neurodiversity-affirming practices promote inclusion of clients’ passions into therapy to build rapport and help them make connections to new concepts they’re learning. Try:
Adding images of your client’s favorite characters and hobbies to activity sheets or the room poster.
Watching videos about your client’s topics of interest to build rapport, make connections, and facilitate discussion
Adding your client’s favorite websites or games as items into their room
Treating your client as the expert on their topics of interest
4. Utilize different methods of learning and communication
Neurodiverse clients learn and think in different ways. Teleo is built to allow for many kinds of learning, including visual, audio, and written content. Try:
Using activities in the format your client learns best and allowing your client to complete activities in their preferred way (e.g., accepting verbal responses instead of writing or typing, or vice versa)
Making sure fonts on written activities are readable and accessible
Turning on closed captioning on videos
Pairing verbal and written instructions with a visual, such as adding diagrams or pictures as items to the room
5. Consider sensory needs
It’s important to take your client’s sensory needs into account, as neurodivergent clients process sensory information from the world in different ways. Sometimes sensory input can become overwhelming. Try:
Making sure your client has a quiet, organized, and private area to meet
Ensuring your background is free from distractions
Allowing your client to turn video on or off as needed
Taking breaks to engage different senses, such as a movement break after a reading or video activity
Helping your client find a few fidgets they have at home to have readily available, as these can promote regulation and concentration
Incorporating these tips when using Teleo with neurodiverse clients can create a more inclusive and supportive experience, helping to meet each individual’s unique needs.
Did you try these tips? Let us know how it went in the Teleo Clinician Community!
✍️ Amy Nasamran, PhD, is a licensed psychologist, bestselling author, and neurodiversity-affirming therapist based in Michigan. Amy specializes in working with exceptional kids and adults who think, see, and feel things a bit differently in this world.
Learn more about Amy’s work at www.atlaspsychologycollective.com