Strengths-Based Approach

An approach that focuses on identifying and building upon individuals' existing abilities, interests, and resources rather than concentrating on deficits and limitations. In disability and accessibility contexts, strengths-based approaches design technology and support systems that leverage what disabled people can do and want to do, rather than defining them through what they cannot do. For autistic individuals, a strengths-based approach might focus on supporting intense interests, pattern recognition abilities, attention to detail, and systematic thinking, rather than solely targeting social skills deficits or behavioral compliance.