ASI Wise & Sensory Project

ASI Wise & Sensory Project Position Statement on Neuro-affirming Assessment

ASI Wise & The Sensory Project

Position Statement on Neuro-affirming Assessment

At ASI Wise and The Sensory Project, we see every person as a sensory being. Neurodiversity is part of the richness of human experience, not something to be measured only against a “norm.”

Currently, most health and education systems still depend on standardised assessments that draw on normative data. These tools are often required to evidence need and secure resources, but they inevitably compare people to a constructed average. This approach can be practical for services, yet it does not fully honour the lived experience of neurodiverse people.

We believe assessments can, and must, do more.

What we mean by Neuro-affirming Assessment

A neuro-affirming approach:

• Starts from a place of respect — recognising difference as difference, not deficit.
• Balances the system’s need for normative measures with tools co-created with the person.
• Prioritises self-understanding, strengths, and meaningful participation.
• Brings the person’s own voice and chosen supporters into the heart of the process.
• Results in clear, practical recommendations that make sense in everyday life at home, school, work, and community settings.

How We Hold Both

We know that systems require scores and percentiles. We also know that people need more than numbers to understand themselves and move forward.

That is why we pair necessary standardised measures with co-produced tools such as:

• Sensory Ladders – personalised maps of sensory states and actions that support self-regulation.
• Sensory Spiders – visuals that show sensory patterns and preferences in a single snapshot.
• Sensory Grids – ways of organising insights into clear, shared plans.
• Sensory Tracks and About Me Plans – living documents that capture what is tried, what works, and what needs adjusting.

These tools shift the focus from deficit to participation. They create a shared language between the person, their family, educators, and clinicians. They provide practical next steps that can be tested and refined together.

Why This Matters

When we hold both — the data that systems require and the co-produced tools that make sense to people — assessments become more than a gateway to services. They become an opportunity for:

• Self-discovery – the person sees themselves reflected and understood.
• Collaboration – everyone around the person shares the same map and language.
• Action – recommendations are meaningful, doable, and reviewable.
• Change – services still get the evidence they require, but the person’s own lived narrative enriches decisions.

Our Commitment

At ASI Wise and The Sensory Project, we commit to:

• Embedding co-produced tools into every pathway we design, teach, and support.
• Training practitioners to balance normative requirements with affirming, participatory approaches.
• Continuing to develop resources that honour the voices of those we work alongside.
• Advocating for wider change so that future service models no longer rely on deficit-based comparisons, but instead invest in truly neuro-affirming approaches.

In Closing

Neuro-affirming assessment is not yet fully realised in current systems. But together, we can move practice closer. By blending the measures required by services with tools like Sensory Ladders, Spiders, Grids, Tracks and About Me Plans, we create respectful, collaborative, and life-enhancing assessments.

This is how we honour both the reality of service systems and the dignity of every person as a sensory being.