The Quirky Kid Grows Up: Being Sensitive to Neurodevelopmental Differences in Your Client
Awareness of neurodevelopmental differences continues to grow and expand in our field, and the public consciousness. Great strides have been made regarding diagnosis and treatment, however, more subtle presentations can be missed, especially as people move into adulthood and have developed strategies for dealing with a neurotypical world. Dr. Seth Ubogy provided a lively presentation in which participants were able to begin to develop a more neuro inclusive lens for working with clients. One of the most powerful exercises was to work in small groups to come up with potential diagnoses based on case vignettes. These same vignettes were then revisited at the end of the lecture to highlight how diagnostic framing can shift when we allow for the possibility of NDDs.
Dr. Ubogy drew on his vast level of experience with these populations to give better insight into how folks with NDDs learn, process, behave, and feel, and therefore how to think about delivering effective therapeutic services. He also provided a framework for developing more robust assessment strategies that would help to identify NDDs, but also to help in differential diagnosis. Given the crossover of NDD traits with several diorders and personality traits, it is important that we be able to accurate make these distinctions. Throughout the training, Dr. Ubogy brought a wealth of experience, humor, and caring that helped to enliven the clinical material while simultaneously.
Justin Forman, Ph.D., RPA Vice President 2018
