FAQs 1 — Affirming Support Collaborative

Resources

How is our approach different?

Affirming Support Collaborative is a passion project started by 3 Neurodivergent therapists determined to provide outstanding services that reflects our values of connection, compassion and relationship based care, as well as the families wants, needs and priorities.

Our therapy is rooted in enjoying who your child is, and using their natural strengths and interests to guide our play and our progress. The lived experience piece of our therapists is what sets ASC apart. Our team understands and remembers what it is like to be a Neurodivergent child learning to navigate a big Neurotypical world. Our therapists connection to your family and your child, comes from an authentic and natural place of lived experience. Along with top level care and continued education among our team, advocacy is a priority to our team. ASC has big plans to advocate for Autistic and Neurodivergent voices to be heard. This will include providing services and assistance to underserved communities, creating original content that can be used as a learning tool for parents, caregivers, friends, and everyone to better understand the lived experience of Neurodivergent peoples and much more. ASC is so honored to serve the Los Angeles area, and can’t wait to include you in what’s to come.

Thank you for being here!

Why is it Play-based and Child-led ?

ASC believes in the power of play and connection. Evidence suggests that naturalistic and developmentally focused approaches (NDBI- naturalistic and developmental behavioral Interventions and DRBI - developmental relationship based interventions) can lead to great gains during childhood, but especially in the area of social engagement and play. These strategies can provide families with the skills to connect to their child on a deeper level.

Why DIR/DRBIs are child led

Six benefits of child-led learning

The power of play for children’s mental health and behavioral challenges

What’s the difference between “pure” behavioral and more developmental approaches?

The interdisciplinary council on development and learning explains the two core differences between traditional behavioral approaches and DRBIs/NDBIs (Read more about this on our services page):

1. Differences in understanding human growth and development.

Behaviorists believe humans can be fully understood through our behaviors and our learned responses to the world we live in. They often do not believe that “internal” experiences, such as thoughts, feelings or sensory processing are important. DIR is a developmental model that believes the behaviors we see on the surface are the result of a complex developmental process we all go through as our brains and bodies grow.

2. Differences in the underlying values and guiding principles

ABA traditionally values helping children learn normal behaviors and comply with social norms. ABA principles are rooted in making the child look and behave normally. Normal is a subjective concept and sends the message that individual differences are either “good” or “bad”. While some behaviorists have adopted naturalistic/developmental approaches, there is a belief that using methods that may cause the child distress or even pain are acceptable if the goal is positive behavioral change or shaping (e.g. “working through a behavior” while a child is crying). ABA believes the relationship with the interventionist is not as important as the scientific analysis of the skills being learned and behaviors of concern reduced.

Developmental approaches values individual differences (e.g. neurodiversity) and helping every person achieve their fullest potential as a unique person. The vision of ICDL is "A world where individual differences are embraced and everyone achieves their fullest potential." While the outcome of this growth and development process typically includes a reduced behaviors of concern and an improved ability to interact and connect with others, the goal of DIR is not normalization. We seek to understand, accept, and appreciate every person for who they are in their own unique way of being. Our goals for treatment focus on overall improvement in development and quality of life. It should not be painful. We value relationships and we understand that relationships fuel development. This is why parent involvement is key! (ICDL, 2021)