Autism has a prevalence of 1 in 44, with an estimated similar prevalence across racial and ethnic groups (Maenner et al., 2021). Unfortunately, effective evidence-based practice for all autistic students remains elusive (Steinbrenner et al., 2022; West et al., 2016). One factor in this knowledge gap is insufficient evidence of how to integrate longstanding theories of child development (e.g., constructivism, behaviorism, social learning) used to train practitioners (and which practitioners apply) with neurodiversity. Meeting the needs of neurodivergent students is urgent and requires critical implementation of neurodiversity with evidence-based practice. In this session, key theories typically used to approach child development in educational contexts will be reviewed and connected to neurodiversity, focusing on intersectional identities (e.g., Black, autistic). These theories will be applied to real-world examples with emphasis placed on practitioners building personal capacity and having the flexibility to navigate between multiple evidence-based practices in context to meet the needs of neurodivergent students. Discussion from this session will include how to chart pathways forward for neurodiversity as a crucial component of training and practice for practitioners. In addition, attendees will reach a fuller understanding of how to navigate through the nuances of neurodiversity in order to best meet the needs of children, students, and clients. The information presented from this session, and resulting discussion, have implications for advocacy. This session directly aligns to increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion within the discipline and the Association (an ASHA strategic objective), as well as to making human communication, a human right, accessible to all.