1. Understand the basic cultural practices of the neurodivergent community.
2. Understand which aspects of psychotherapy can be problematic for neurodivergent patients
3. Have a basic understanding of how traditional psychotherapy methods can be modified to be more accessible for neurodivergent patients.

Matthew Ryan Lunsford is a Deafblind, disabled, and neurodivergent DSW candidate, BCBA and licensed behavior analyst, special education teacher, Supervisee in Clinical Social Work, and yoga therapist from Fredericksburg, VA. Mr. Lunsford holds board certifications in behavior analysis and special education and has been in private practice since 2021 as the owner and sole clinician of Lunsford Behavioral Consulting & Yoga, LLC. Mr. Lunsford holds an MSW in clinical social work from the University of Kentucky, an M.Ed. in special education from the University of Mary Washington, an MS in psychology from Southern New Hampshire University, a BA in English and creative writing from the University of Mary Washington, and an AAS in education from Germanna Community College.

Mr. Lunsford’s research focused on discovering the components of neurodivergent culture and then leveraging that knowledge to develop a novel form of psychotherapy called the Lunsford Method that was designed to assist neurodivergent patients in accessing therapy in a way that aligns with their neurotype. Mr. Lunsford has been featured on the Autism Roundtable Podcast where he has spoken briefly on his research surrounding the necessity of considering individual neurobiology when developing behavioral interventions.