1 Ethics CEU: Advocating for Neurodiversity-Affirming Practices

Learn how to advocate for neurodiversity-affirming practices at work — ethically, effectively, and without burning bridges.

This 1 Ethics CEU training gives BCBAs the language, tools, and confidence to advocate for neurodiversity-affirming care in clinical and educational settings. You'll work through real-world scenarios, learn to handle organizational resistance, and leave with practical scripts for difficult conversations grounded in current BACB ethics standards.

What You'll Learn

• Build the ethical case for neurodiversity-affirming ABA using current BACB standards
• Navigate pushback from supervisors, colleagues, and school teams professionally
• Use practical scripts for the most common difficult conversations about affirming practice
• Document ethical disagreements correctly to protect yourself and your clients
• Take meaningful action within systems that aren't fully on board yet

Who Is This For

BCBAs committed to ethical, affirming practice.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Describe key principles of compassionate, neurodiversity-affirming care, including the concepts of autonomy, assent, self-advocacy, and compassion over compliance.
• Identify signs that a learner's autonomy or assent may be overlooked and evaluate how behavior support practices can be adjusted to promote dignity, safety, and self-determination.
• Apply neurodiversity-affirming advocacy strategies to real-world situations by responding to common concerns and communicating recommendations that prioritize respect, collaboration, and learner well-being.

About the Instructors

Morgan van Diepen, M.Ed., BCBA is the founder of ABA Visualized, where she has been actively integrating neurodiversity-affirming practices into visual language and clinical content since 2019. This work has included ongoing engagement with peer-reviewed research, continuing education, and direct collaboration with neurodivergent individuals and autistic self-advocates over more than five years.

This course was co-created and co-presented with Michelle Vinokurov, B.S., BCaBA. Michelle is a District Behavior Specialist with experience across clinic, home, and school settings. As an autistic individual who received early intervention, she brings both professional expertise and meaningful lived experience to her work with learners, families, and clinical teams. Morgan and Michelle have collaborated for over eight years.

ACE Provider Information

ABA Visualized | ACE Provider #IP-22-0233 | 1 Ethics CEU | Online Asynchronous | Published: August 20, 2025

Disclosures

This course may reference content from ABA Visualized published books and/or the BIP Visualized platform, both of which are owned by the instructor.

Complaints and Concerns

Questions or concerns about this course can be submitted in writing to support@bipvisualized.com. If a complaint cannot be resolved directly, participants may file a Notice of Alleged Violation with the BACB at bacb.com/ethics.

Access this course as part of your BIP Visualized subscription.