This is a much different blog than I anticipated writing. Two days ago, I (Robin) posted a reaction to a recently shared video of a mother crying in her car about her experiences parenting her autistic child. There was a reaction I did not expect. A post from my mostly-private Facebook page, where I have 200 friends, went viral. The reactions fell into two camps: Autistic people and allies who resonated with my critique and Read more…
We have been asked a lot lately how our model differs from other models. It’s a complicated question because it involves some theory and some work that has existed in Disability Studies work for a long time, but has not made it to the mainstream entirely, and has yet to be even really engaged with in schools, education and clinics. The work of FDM is grounded in the “Social Model of Disability.” For Disability Studies Read more…
The Foundations are designed to be integrated into schools and therapy settings. In order to understand how FDM fits into the IEP process and therapy goal-setting, this entry will explain what accommodations are, how they are working (or not working) in school settings now, and how FDM works to address this. To start, we need to recognize that there is a failure of imagination among many teachers and parents when it comes to visualizing what Read more…
Foundations for Divergent Minds is an approach to designing accommodations in key foundational areas. These areas can be areas of impairment for autistic and neurodivergent children because of the lack of consistent and supportive accommodations in their environment. When children interact with a world that is not designed for them, there is bound to be some struggle. We argue that by making accommodations in the environment, we can reduce struggle and increase confidence, autonomy and Read more…
What is Foundations for Divergent Minds? Foundations for Divergent Minds is a new training and educational model for use by parents and professionals working with autistic and neurodivergent children. The model uses the concept of foundations to create a systematic approach to designing accommodations and supports in classrooms and at home that create a supportive base from which growth can occur. The five foundations are sensory regulation, emotional regulation, communication, socialization and executive function. Parents Read more…