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'Neurodiversity and grief': advancing a neuro-inclusive service.

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Title: 'Neurodiversity and grief': advancing a neuro-inclusive service.
Authors: Boyle, Paula1 (AUTHOR) neurodiversityandgrief@gmail.com, Zhvitiashvili, Nana1 (AUTHOR), Larsen, Rida1 (AUTHOR)
Source: International Journal of Art Therapy: Inscape. Mar2026, Vol. 31 Issue 1, p27-41. 15p.
Subject Terms: *Parents, *Health services accessibility, *Interprofessional relations, *Neurodiversity, *Culture, *Autism, *Research methodology, *Communication, *Fathers, *Art therapy, *Asperger's syndrome, Family psychotherapy, Social constructionism, Support groups, Health self-care, Grief in adolescence, Interviewing, Affinity groups, Grief in children, Patient advocacy, Thematic analysis, Race, Bereavement, Conceptual structures, Anticipatory grief, Phenomenology, Hospice care
Geographic Terms: England
Abstract: Background: Neurodivergent children and young people face unique challenges in grief, including exclusion from death-related rituals and pathologised grief responses. Limited understanding of their experiences has led to a lack of adapted art therapy interventions. This study was instrumental in re-evaluating a bereavement service for children and adolescents through a neuro-inclusive lens. Aims: This research aims to explore neurodivergent grief from a family perspective and to inform relevant adaptations to art therapy practice, ultimately contributing to the development of neuro-inclusive bereavement services. Methods: As part of a whole-family intervention model, the team conducted nine semi-structured interviews with parents whose children were receiving bereavement care at a hospice. These interviews were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Results: Analysis generated four main themes: (1) Interconnected grief and emotional experiences, (2) Communication and Advocacy, (3) Peer support and validation of parents and carers' experiences, (4) Race and culture. Findings emphasise the need for adaptations to support services for bereaved neurodivergent children and their families, as well as a more nuanced understanding of neurodivergent grief. Conclusions: This study reveals the complex nature of grief in neurodivergent youth and underscores the need for further research. Grounded in social constructionism, the research team co-created a trans-contextual perspective model with service-users, illustrating how grief and neurodiversity intersect across varied environments. Implications to practice: The research informed the development of key adaptations to art therapy practice, including changes to the therapeutic environment, development of neuro-affirmative practitioner skills, and a conceptual framework to guide neuro-inclusive practice. Plain-language summary: This paper explores the adaptations made for pre-and-post bereavement therapy, focusing on bridging gaps for support of neurodivergent children and young people in the Child and Adolescent Bereavement Service (CABS) at Harlington Hospice. Recognising the challenges faced by bereaved neurodivergent children and their families, the authors present their findings from qualitative research alongside their views on modifying art therapy approaches. Given the lack of research on bereavement experiences among individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions, their exclusion from death-related rituals, and the misunderstanding of neurodiverse grief responses, the authors propose a model that examines the connection between neurodiversity and grief. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of International Journal of Art Therapy: Inscape is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Education Research Complete
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  Data: 'Neurodiversity and grief': advancing a neuro-inclusive service.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Boyle%2C+Paula%22">Boyle, Paula</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> neurodiversityandgrief@gmail.com</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Zhvitiashvili%2C+Nana%22">Zhvitiashvili, Nana</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Larsen%2C+Rida%22">Larsen, Rida</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22International+Journal+of+Art+Therapy%3A+Inscape%22">International Journal of Art Therapy: Inscape</searchLink>. Mar2026, Vol. 31 Issue 1, p27-41. 15p.
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  Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Parents%22">Parents</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Health+services+accessibility%22">Health services accessibility</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Interprofessional+relations%22">Interprofessional relations</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Neurodiversity%22">Neurodiversity</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Culture%22">Culture</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Autism%22">Autism</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Research+methodology%22">Research methodology</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Communication%22">Communication</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Fathers%22">Fathers</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Art+therapy%22">Art therapy</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Asperger's+syndrome%22">Asperger's syndrome</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Family+psychotherapy%22">Family psychotherapy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+constructionism%22">Social constructionism</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Support+groups%22">Support groups</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Health+self-care%22">Health self-care</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grief+in+adolescence%22">Grief in adolescence</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Interviewing%22">Interviewing</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Affinity+groups%22">Affinity groups</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grief+in+children%22">Grief in children</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Patient+advocacy%22">Patient advocacy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Thematic+analysis%22">Thematic analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Race%22">Race</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Bereavement%22">Bereavement</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Conceptual+structures%22">Conceptual structures</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Anticipatory+grief%22">Anticipatory grief</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Phenomenology%22">Phenomenology</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Hospice+care%22">Hospice care</searchLink>
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  Label: Geographic Terms
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22England%22">England</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Background: Neurodivergent children and young people face unique challenges in grief, including exclusion from death-related rituals and pathologised grief responses. Limited understanding of their experiences has led to a lack of adapted art therapy interventions. This study was instrumental in re-evaluating a bereavement service for children and adolescents through a neuro-inclusive lens. Aims: This research aims to explore neurodivergent grief from a family perspective and to inform relevant adaptations to art therapy practice, ultimately contributing to the development of neuro-inclusive bereavement services. Methods: As part of a whole-family intervention model, the team conducted nine semi-structured interviews with parents whose children were receiving bereavement care at a hospice. These interviews were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Results: Analysis generated four main themes: (1) Interconnected grief and emotional experiences, (2) Communication and Advocacy, (3) Peer support and validation of parents and carers' experiences, (4) Race and culture. Findings emphasise the need for adaptations to support services for bereaved neurodivergent children and their families, as well as a more nuanced understanding of neurodivergent grief. Conclusions: This study reveals the complex nature of grief in neurodivergent youth and underscores the need for further research. Grounded in social constructionism, the research team co-created a trans-contextual perspective model with service-users, illustrating how grief and neurodiversity intersect across varied environments. Implications to practice: The research informed the development of key adaptations to art therapy practice, including changes to the therapeutic environment, development of neuro-affirmative practitioner skills, and a conceptual framework to guide neuro-inclusive practice. Plain-language summary: This paper explores the adaptations made for pre-and-post bereavement therapy, focusing on bridging gaps for support of neurodivergent children and young people in the Child and Adolescent Bereavement Service (CABS) at Harlington Hospice. Recognising the challenges faced by bereaved neurodivergent children and their families, the authors present their findings from qualitative research alongside their views on modifying art therapy approaches. Given the lack of research on bereavement experiences among individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions, their exclusion from death-related rituals, and the misunderstanding of neurodiverse grief responses, the authors propose a model that examines the connection between neurodiversity and grief. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of International Journal of Art Therapy: Inscape is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1080/17454832.2025.2567263
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 15
        StartPage: 27
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Parents
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Health services accessibility
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Interprofessional relations
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Neurodiversity
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Culture
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Autism
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Research methodology
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Communication
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Fathers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Art therapy
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Asperger's syndrome
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Family psychotherapy
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Social constructionism
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Support groups
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Health self-care
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Grief in adolescence
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Interviewing
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Affinity groups
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Grief in children
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Patient advocacy
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Thematic analysis
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Race
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Bereavement
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Conceptual structures
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Anticipatory grief
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      – SubjectFull: Phenomenology
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      – SubjectFull: Hospice care
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: England
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: 'Neurodiversity and grief': advancing a neuro-inclusive service.
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            – D: 01
              M: 03
              Text: Mar2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
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