Differences are Easily Distorted into Deficits
My fifth and final article in a series about how MCCs can be applied to more effectively supporting Autistics
As I’ve mentioned previously, I am currently studying cultural competencies in counselling.
As I’ve been reading, I’ve seen more and more parallels between practices which facilitate multiculturally competent counselling and approaches which can provide more effective and appropriate support to Autistic clients.
The Multicultural Counselling Competencies address five main requirements:
Awareness of one’s own and of clients’ cultural heritage and the influence of culture on attitudes, beliefs and experiences
Willingness to learn from clients and their families
Knowledge about different cultures and cultural perspectives
Awareness of systemic barriers faced by neurodivergent (ND) clients and families
Skills to utilize culturally appropriate approaches
Steps for overcoming barriers to culturally competent practice
The textbook from which I am studying outlines four steps to overcoming barriers to culturally competent practice. These align very well with the MCCs listed above. They are:
Controlling the tendency to stereotype;
Respecting diversity and individual differences;
Learning from clients; and
Practitioner self-awareness
I discussed the first two in my recent article, and will discuss the final two here.
Learning from clients
Respecting the individual as an expert in their own experience is a philosophy most professionals would agree with in principle, but is something which can be difficult to put into practice.
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