Abstract
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>Performative inclusion occurs when schools frame proximity to difference as virtue, rewarding neurotypical students for acts of “kindness” while expecting neurodivergent peers to shoulder the emotional and cognitive labor of adaptation. Programs like buddy systems or peer mentorships often center the moral growth and public recognition of neurotypical participants, reducing inclusion to a performance of tolerance rather than a practice of justice. This dynamic reinforces inequity, casting neurodivergent students as passive recipients rather than co-creators of community. Drawing on disability studies and neurodiversity-affirming frameworks, this section critiques the charity and savior narratives embedded in school culture, emphasizing that genuine inclusion must redistribute power, not praise. School social workers are positioned to challenge tokenistic models, reframe inclusion as shared responsibility, and cultivate reciprocal relationships rooted in agency, authenticity, and mutual respect where belonging is a right, not a reward.</jats:p>