When Being Normal Isn't the Goal: How Therapists Co-Transform Beyond Normal with their Autistic Clients
| dc.contributor.author | Tillett, James Ian Skipper | en |
| dc.contributor.committeechair | Russon, Jody M. | en |
| dc.contributor.committeemember | Grafsky, Erika L. | en |
| dc.contributor.committeemember | Sanner, Caroline | en |
| dc.contributor.committeemember | Shivers, Carolyn | en |
| dc.contributor.committeemember | Walker, Nick | en |
| dc.contributor.department | Adult Learning and Human Resource Development | en |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-01-24T09:01:36Z | en |
| dc.date.available | 2025-01-24T09:01:36Z | en |
| dc.date.issued | 2025-01-23 | en |
| dc.description.abstract | For over a century, attempts to fix, capture, and control a way of being now known as "autism" have haunted and harmed countless autistic people, all under the guises of medical care and treatment. These unjust events precipitated from rigid Western scientific and cultural paradigms about what is real and what is normal, leading to the deep misunderstanding and social oppression of autism and other non-normative ways of being. Presently, autistic people still endure oppressive and traumatic behavioral interventions and minority stressors (such as internalized prejudice and discrimination) in consequence of living in an "autistiphobic" world – a world that is preoccupied with being normal. Yet, non-normative ways of being such as autism generate new possibilities, which can liberate and facilitate connections between people. Systemic and cybernetic therapy frameworks – in combination with insights from the neurodiversity paradigm of autism – may offer insights into co-transformative psychotherapy practices with autistic clients and people close to them, enabling more authentic autistic being in the world. This study used interpretative phenomenological analysis to explore how neurodiversity paradigm-embracing therapists retroactively make sense of their co-transformations with autistic clients; specifically, their reinterpretations of social normativities and connectedness. Results showed that participants came to both 1) recognize and oppose normative oppression in their therapeutic practices and 2) align with neurodivergent authenticity, autonomy, and connection as therapists and people. Implications of this research for therapeutic practice and broader sociopolitical issues are discussed at the end of the project. The goal of this research is to offer curious therapists possible paths for ethical, liberatory, and generative work with autistic clients. | en |
| dc.description.abstractgeneral | For over a century, attempts to label and control a way of being now known as "autism" have haunted and harmed countless autistic people, all under the guises of medical care and treatment. These unjust events precipitated from rigid, historically rooted belief systems about what is normal, leading to the oppression of autistic people and anyone else labeled non-normal. Presently, autistic people still endure harmful behavioral interventions and social prejudice and discrimination, as a consequence of living in a world preoccupied with being normal. Yet ways of being considered "not normal," such as autism, allow for new and vital possibilities in relationships and society. Relationship therapy frameworks – in combination with the concept of neurodiversity – may offer insights into providing more ethical therapy for autistic clients and people close to them. This qualitative study explored how ethical therapists – who do not view autism as a disorder – look back at their experiences of changing along with their autistic clients. Specifically, the study will examine how these therapists and clients, during the course of therapy, change their perspectives about what it means to be normal and to connect with others. Results showed that participants came to both 1) recognize and oppose the enforcement of being normal in their work as therapists and 2) align with authentic ways of being neurodivergent as therapists and people. Therapeutic and broader implications of this research are discussed at the end of the project. The goal of this research is to offer therapists ways of liberating themselves and their autistic clients from being normal during therapy. | en |
| dc.description.degree | Doctor of Philosophy | en |
| dc.format.medium | ETD | en |
| dc.identifier.other | vt_gsexam:42267 | en |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/10919/124343 | en |
| dc.language.iso | en | en |
| dc.publisher | Virginia Tech | en |
| dc.rights | In Copyright | en |
| dc.rights.uri | http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ | en |
| dc.subject | Autism | en |
| dc.subject | Neurodiversity Paradigm | en |
| dc.subject | Phenomenology | en |
| dc.subject | Systemic Therapy | en |
| dc.title | When Being Normal Isn't the Goal: How Therapists Co-Transform Beyond Normal with their Autistic Clients | en |
| dc.type | Dissertation | en |
| thesis.degree.discipline | Human Development | en |
| thesis.degree.grantor | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | en |
| thesis.degree.level | doctoral | en |
| thesis.degree.name | Doctor of Philosophy | en |
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