Do People with Disabilities Need Mental Health Care

Do People with Disabilities Need Mental Health Care

I didn’t always think persons with disabilities needed mental health care either.
But I’ve changed my mind.

by – Kimberly Van Ryn

Early Assumptions About Therapy and Disability

I had been trained in both traditional and non-traditional therapeutic techniques. As a Child and Youth Worker and Trauma Informed Practitioner I have studied the theory and philosophy of “Play Therapy” which is a technique we use with children who have experienced pre-verbal trauma – and I knew that there were techniques available to work therapeutically with people who “don’t talk” but I didn’t know anyone who was utilizing these techniques with adults.

I had also heard over and over, devastatingly, about my disabled clients: “They have no therapeutic insight”. Or, “They can’t remember the past, so why would it bother them.” Even worse, “Their disability means they have the intellect of a 4-year-old so therapy just won’t work, they don’t understand.”

I often thought, “Well, we can do “non-verbal” therapy with children, why can we not adapt if for adults?” But, the professional assumption that developmentally or intellectually disabled people “don’t understand therefore don’t need therapy” has long stood as a massive barrier to disabled people in the therapy world.

Barriers to Mental Health Care for People with Disabilities

I talk to therapists, clinicians, doctors, social workers, front line workers and nurses who all tell me: we just aren’t sure HOW to do therapy with disabled people, their timelines can be mixed up, maybe the person communicates differently so “talk” therapy doesn’t work. Sometimes, the disabled person processes the trauma in such wildly different ways than neurotypical clients that support people, with no training and no resources just don’t want to take disabled people on in their practice. I worked with a non-speaking client who communicated with a letter-board and he had been to see 8 doctors, psychiatrists and therapists to try and process his trauma who said they would not work with him as he didn’t “talk”.

Then, there is the reality that there is no funding or financial support, at all, for people with disabilities to access therapy. People with disabilities sometimes, not always, live off fixed incomes. The government funders will pay for recreation, sometimes (not often) housing, 1:1 support, respite supports and social supports – but not mental health care. People with disabilities are the largest marginalized group in the world (https://www.3blmedia.com/news/wethe15-creating-change-worlds-largest-marginalized-group).

There is little doubt that if you are born with a disability, you will encounter multiple types of traumas: medical, social, personal, and systematic very early in and throughout your lifetime. But in Ontario, there is no support for people with disabilities and mental health care.

The Systemic Challenges That Prevent Access to Therapy

These factors all work against people with disabilities to get mental health supports that align with their life experiences.

No funding or financial support
Discrimination and assumptions
Lack of clinician knowledge
The client is non-speaking or differently communicating

Why Clinicians Often Lack Training

And, I don’t EVER think the lack of clinical knowledge is the clinician’s fault. No one teaches doctors and human services professionals HOW to interact and do therapy with people that have neurological differences. Why? Because the assumption has always been – they don’t really need it.

That’s the wrong assumption.

Mental Health Care Is a Human Need and a Human Right

People with disabilities need mental health care, counselling, therapy and trauma support just like any other human being that has been through life. Mental health care is a human need, and a human right – regardless of a person’s processing style or communication type.

 

Learning From People With Lived Experience

How did I learn to be a counsellor to people with disability, neurodiversity and complex trauma? I studied a lot, but more importantly, I talked to people with lived experience. I have asked of my clients and their supporters again and again: what does good service look like to YOU? How can we best strategize around your needs…written, verbal, visual? What have your mental health experiences been in the past so I can continue what worked for you and stop what was not working? What do you need? And most critically: How can I support you? And then, I BELIEVE and INTEGRATE their answers.

And there is no one response that fits each person sitting before me. Each time the person will explain and describe, in their own way what it is they need, and from there I listen, and listen some more, and even some more – then we make a plan.

The Therapeutic Process Is Different for Everyone

I have never, ever met a disabled person who could not participate in the therapeutic process and tell me in some way what it is they need to feel heard and to belong. I would say that my disabled clients are my most astute clinical teachers and mentors. They show me the way, not the other way around.

Moving Toward Accessible Mental Health Care

I invite you to stay with us as we continue to explore mental health and disability. There will be more rumination and idea sharing on this very topic as we move into a world where everyone can have access to the mental health care they want, and deserve.

The world can be a hard place – but when we can pause and listen to even the most marginalized and discounted in our community, we can create a soft place for each person to land, a listening ear and a BELIEF that all humans need the support and compassion of a great mental health support circle.

Frequently Asked Questions About Mental Health Support for Neurodivergent Adults

Do people with disabilities need mental health care

Yes. People with disabilities and neurodivergent individuals experience trauma, stress, and life challenges just like anyone else. Mental health care should be accessible and responsive to different communication styles, sensory needs, and lived experiences.

What is neuroaffirming mental health support

Neuroaffirming mental health support recognizes neurodiversity as a natural part of human variation. Therapy and counselling approaches are adapted to respect each person’s communication style, processing differences, and strengths.

Why do many people with disabilities struggle to access therapy

Common barriers include lack of clinician training, assumptions about communication ability, limited funding for therapy, and systemic discrimination within healthcare systems.

Are there mental health supports for neurodivergent adults in Ontario

Yes. Some organizations, including community-based support services, offer trauma-informed and neuroaffirming mental health supports designed specifically for neurodivergent adults.

Local Mental Health Supports in Orangeville and Dufferin County

Branching Out Support Services is based in Orangeville, Ontario and supports neurodivergent adults across Dufferin County, Caledon, and surrounding communities. Our mental health supports are trauma-informed, participant-driven, and designed to meet people where they are.

Learn more about our services, philosophy, and community programs by visiting our website or contacting our team.