The Neurodiversity-Affirming OT Goal Bank and Guidelines:

Developing IEP goals that are neurodiversity-affirming and strengths-based requires that we honor students' neurobiology and unique traits. Using this extensive resource, occupational therapists will be able to truly support neurodivergent students in their learning and their overall school experieinces. Furthermore, you will help them to develop their self-advocacy, self-confidence, and ultimately their self-empowerment.

In the OT goal bank, there are 300+ goals in 3 broad categories of neurodiversity-affirming and strengths-based goals, as follows:

1- Strengths-Based Occupations

* Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)

* Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs)

* Education

* Social Participation

* Rest and Sleep

* Play and Leisure

2- Strengths-Based Skills

* Communication

* Accessing Cognition

* Motor and Perceptual Abilities

3- Client Factors - Autistic Self-Empowerment

* Sensory Processing

* Emotional Regulation

* Development of Self-Advocacy

* Cultivating Self-Empowerment

A specific template for developing neurodiversity-affirming goals has been designed by the author, Dr. Lisa Marnell, who is autistic herself.

This template requires that accommodations are included within goals, providing the OT a choice of many ways to support students. These address students' unique learning, sensory, communication, motor, and executive function supports. Including accommodations within goals also considers environmental and contextual factors, such as social factors, characteristics of locations, time elements, and student strengths.

Neurodiversity-Affirming IEP BUNDLE for OTs - (295 pages)

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With this accommodations bank and guide, over 400 accommodations enable neurodivergent students to thrive in school, in a manner that aligns with their unique neurobiology.

IEP or 504 accommodations allow students to access their grade-specific curriculum. They consist of adaptations to the school environment and to the instructional methods and materials.

In this neurodiversity-affirming and strengths-based accommodations bank and guidelines, there are 10 categories of accommodations, each with 4 different types of accommodations.

The 10 categories of accommodations include the following:

1- Teaching Accommodations

2- Communication Accommodations

3- Sensory Accommodations

4- Executive Function Accommodations

5- Motor and Perceptual Accommodations

6- Accommodations for Social Interactions

7- Neurodivergent Self-Empowerment

8- Setting-Specific Accommodations

9- Occupation-Specific Accommodations

10- Studying/Testing Accommodations

Within the above accommodation categories, the 4 types of accommodations include the following:

1- Presentation of Information:

These ensure that modalities, materials, and task demands align with student’s neurodivergence.

2- Student Responses/ Actions:

These encourage students to respond with actions that support their neurodivergent learning and function

3- Setting:

These adapt physical, social, and sensory environments/contexts to cultivate regulation for learning and function among neurodivergent students

4- Time Contexts:

These enable students to feel regulated and to be able to learn via schedules/routines and through providing them with necessary processing time

Neurodiversity-Affirming IEP BUNDLE for OTs - (295 pages)

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Neurodiversity-Affirming Accommodations Bank