Neuro-responsive social scaffolding is a term we use in the Imagine Create Belong program which we have not seen used elsewhere to date. We developed the term to capture the way of facilitating group and individual work with specific flexibility needed to work with neurodivergent young people. It involves adjusting our expectations of social interactions amongst individual participants according to where they are comfortable at that present moment. While we start with the participants’ comfort zone, we gradually introduce small variations, but always building on participants’ comfort and interests. We never demand a participant relinquish any item or behaviour that comforts or supports them in a social situation. One example is the use of iPad or other electronic devices during group. Rather than insist they stop using it, we recognise that having access to it is providing support for them to manage their feelings while in the group.
Over time we would observe how the participant interacts with the device and consider how their knowledge and use of it could contribute to the activities in the group. For example, the participant may enjoy making sound effects with their device and this knowledge and interest can be built on for them to provide their unique and valuable contribution to the group’s movie they create.
Neuro-responsive social scaffolding draws on the work of Vygotsky (1934/1986) who advocated for scaffolding abilities – starting with a participant’s comfort zone and providing a bridge to gradually support them to grow and develop. It also draws on the work of Rogers (Meador & Rogers, 1973), placing the young person and their experiences and preferences at the forefront in a person-centred way. For neurodivergent young people it is important to accept whatever they are comfortable with (person centred) and draw on repetition of social processes with variation (social scaffolding) for them to continue to feel a sense of safety, acceptance and belonging in a group situation. As we demonstrate in the Imagine Create Belong program, routine and predictability are very important to lessen anxiety and support neurodivergent young people to feel comfortable. Once anxiety levels are reduced, they are more able to learn and grow, and enter the all-important ‘fun’ or ‘in the zone’ feeling that true play and all its benefits is associated with. In addition, as with all young people, acceptance is crucial to a sense of belonging. It is particularly important for neurodivergent young people given they may experience a lack of accommodations to and understanding of their needs and experiences in many spheres of life, making it likely they feel anxiety on a regular basis.
References
Meador, B.D & Rogers, C.R. (1973). Client-centred therapy. In R Corsini (Ed.), Current Psychotherapies (pp. 119-165). Illinois: Peacock Publishers.
Vygotsky, L (1934/1986). Thought and language. (Trans. and edited by Alex Kozulin). London: MIT Press.
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