Measuring what matters: Operationalizing neurodiversity‐affirming practices through participatory design of STEM workshops for autistic youth

Limited research has examined how neurodiversity‐affirming approaches are (1) co‐created with autistic people, (2) operationalized, (3) implemented, (4) assessed and (5) iterated. Across a 3‐year program of research, we co‐developed and iterated game design and employment workshops for and with autistic youth. After encountering difficulties enacting authentically neurodiversity‐affirming approaches during the Year 2 workshop, we developed neurodiversity‐affirming principles that guided hiring, training, curriculum development and student and staff advocacy opportunities in Year 3 workshops. We assessed fidelity to these principles. This paper examines if these changes were associated with increases in: 1) neurodiversity‐affirming staff practices and (2) student engagement with workshop content. Masked coders analysed the following data sources from Years 2 and 3: (1) video recordings of staff teaching practices, (2) pre‐ and post‐workshop staff surveys and (3) students' ratings of engagement with workshop activities. Staff used neurodiversity‐affirming practices more frequently after the aforementioned changes. Student‐reported engagement did not differ across years and was generally high. However, in Year 3 only, student engagement improved within workshops following intentionally advocacy‐oriented student feedback loops. Findings show that redefining fidelity as a flexible, values‐driven process offers a model for inclusive program design that fosters socially valid, responsive learning environments.