This is a somewhat valid concern (I’ve written about this; will link below), but we have plenty of high-support-needs autistics with sufficient language to serve as the experts in this area. We don’t need neurotypical “autism mommies” speaking for autistic folks.

White people truly believe the distinction of whether they’ve just said something racist is open to debate and opinion. I truly cannot fathom being white and ARGUING with a Black person who’s just called out my racism.

PLEASE SHARE: There is currently no waitlist for several of my weekly low-cost LGBTQ youth Zoom groups. These spaces are particularly needed for our youth right now. Note that no records are kept and youth register with just a first name. blog.erikashira.com/2025/06/no-w...

And it's just an ableist construct. It doesn't actually provide useful shorthand for support needs. I know many autistic folks (and some folks with other diagnoses) who require 24/7 significant support, can't go places alone, and don't have intellectual disability/can do academics/employment. 1/

Young people running conferences: I love the enthusiasm and the tech skills, but I beg of you, stop using our e-mail boxes like your personal social media feed! We do not not need several e-mails per day full of hashtags and gimmicks begging us to "upgrade our ticket" and all this. 1/

100%. Professionals, STOP ENCOURAGING THIS. The MA state agency that handles adoptions is particularly awful with "the parent is bringing up 'adult matters' that the child hasn't initiated" when foster/kinship/adoptive parents mention information that is the child's right to have.

“We recommend listening to neurodivergent people to find out about their preferences and using the words that they prefer, instead of solely being led by traditions which have developed without the input of the communities we are referring to.” theconversation.com/what-neurodi... #neurodiversity

So I have e-mails that confirm that the behavioral health network Masshealth uses has intentionally programmed their website to flag clinicians with a none/other/nonbinary or trans status on their CAQH profile and give an error message. Folks are OK with this?

So Carelon has written back after months and said that, yes, their website is programmed to flag clinicians with a none/other/nonbinary or trans status on their CAQH profile and not let them apply, but they assure me they are committed to inclusion and there was nothing queerphobic here.

I swear, if I see another flyer for a social event for disabled folks that either requires people to attend with a caregiver or to stick with the group the entire time regardless of needs... Can people not wrap their heads around how people with the same disability can have varying skills? 1/

Suicide prevention is not telling suicidal people to call a number for cops to take them to the psych ward. It’s being community for people. People suffer alone. You abandon your sad & mentally ill & lonely friends because they bum you out. We’re the ones with the duty of caring for each other.

Yes! When I first got trained in writing gender letters 20+ years ago, the aim was to gatekeep that the person had absolutely no psychiatric disability. It's shifted some, but not enough. It's ridiculous, because it's not the standard we use for deciding someone can't make other life decisions. 1/

It also likely reflects low expectations. People constantly say this in response to observing basic language skills or self-help skills that are typically displayed in early childhood. It also often means “I expected a disabled person to be disruptive/unpleasant and you weren’t.”

Is any action being taken re: state agencies that still refuse to have three gender/sex options years after Massachusetts enacted this? I know several of the state disability agencies refuse to update in addition to Masshealth. @gladlaw.bsky.social @masstpc.org @massgovernor.bsky.social

So I've finally gotten someone to respond. They had a workaround for the broken code. But apparently to take Masshealth you must disclose your "biological gender." That's...not a thing. And pretty sure it violates MA laws as we can self-select three legal sexes. @massago.bsky.social @masstpc.org

Can't get anyone to even respond anymore. Provider website for Carelon (thing that manages Masshealth mental health) has broken code in it so I can't get past the first page. @massgovernor.bsky.social @massgov.bsky.social any interest in MH providers actually being able to see Masshealth kids?

Two weeks later, still can't log onto this thing. Carelon and Availity are sending me back and forth to each other and blaming each other. I'm an available provider trying to see some people with Masshealth who are on my waitlist, but I can't. @massgovernor.bsky.social we need single payer.

NEW: Just weeks after the FDA removed its webpage warning about fake autism "Cures" that could harm autistic kids, RFK Jr. nominated numerous members to the government's autism advisory committee that promote those same crank cures. www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...

People in Massachusetts should know that Seth Moulton is still standing by his transphobic comments about youth sports. In this interview with @catsonacouch.bsky.social he says he didn't "intend" to hurt anyone but never apologizes for what he said. 1/

disabled people apologize all the time for unintentionally causing harm. you would know this if you didn’t become an ableist warrior yesterday because you think it provides an excuse for spewing racial slurs. it doesn’t. listen to more disabled people.

It doesn’t matter if it’s something that can’t be helped When harm is done, then effort needs to be made to make amends. And it’s actually ableist to treat a disabled person like a child and exempt us from making those amends

Yes. If someone's condition puts other people at risk, they sometimes don't get to be places. HOWEVER, we should also understand that people with Tourette's can experience intrusions/compulsions re: the worst possible thing to say in a situation. It isn't an indication of someone's "true thoughts."

@wbur.org likes to run stories about how there's a shortage of clinicians who take MassHealth. I've spent hours of today messaging with the help desk at Availity, which you have to use to interact with Carelon, which handles most of Masshealth's behavioral health. They all blame each other. 1/

100% agreed with how this shouldn’t be put out there in mass media as clickbait nonsense, but hypotonia is much more prevalent in autistic toddlers/preschoolers than in the general population, and lordosis/APT posture is one of the markers in hypotonia evaluation.

Well-meaning white women™: You are doing disabled kids, especially Black and brown ones, a disservice when you make these posts about how enlightened you are that you are completely unfazed when a dysregulated child is swearing and destructive. This is some privileged nonsense. 1/

This is so frustrating in the context of an agency that already doesn't remotely follow its own meager policies regarding respecting gender and sexuality of children or parents. Most workers I interview for court evals tell me they would never ask kids or parents about gender or sexual orientation.

PSA: Chanukah is a minor holiday and all we do is light candles. It's well-meaning to offer to cancel meetings and such, but it's also frustrating coming from organizations that don't ever acknowledge Shabbat or the major holidays when we ARE forbidden to work. 1/

I currently have a few slots for urgent needs and can accommodate a few with non-urgent needs in the next few weeks.

I'm used to families having a school or provider freak out that they're mentioning a condition that's been suggested but not 100% formally diagnosed. But this is a new one; school livid that kid claims to have anxiety because no formal diagnosis on file. Self report is 5000% valid for anxiety. 1/

With alt

More than a million people in MA rely on SNAP — mostly children, seniors, and people with disabilities.   None of them will get the help they need on November 1 if Donald Trump refuses to act.    The money is there. The hunger is real. Cutting off SNAP is a choice — and it’s the wrong one.

a trans girl in vermont was kicked off her swimming team and committed suicide and at the very same time, the discourse in d.c. today is about whether the democratic party should’ve abandoned her sooner in order to win votes a day in an american life

We hope this one does everyone justice: paperpile.com/shared/sJ6WH...

How can autistic people recover from short-turn autistic burnout? @mx-joyner.bsky.social has very specific, tried-and-true strategies that might help you or your autistic loved one, at TPGA (and yes this includes kids and adults with high support needs). thinkingautismguide.com/2025/10/we-g...

For many with interoception difficulties, these signals all register simply as "something is wrong." "I'm a little dehydrated" or "I need to use the restroom" or "my sleeves are too tight" all feel the same. Having appendicitis or a stress fracture might also feel the same as these things. 1/

"When you're open about [your child's autism] diagnosis, not only will they have an answer as to why they behave the way that they do, but they'll be more accepting of themselves." TY @autiebiographical.bsky.social, image description in post. www.facebook.com/autiebiograp... #autism #autistic

I want more people to care that SNAP benefits are being cut off on November 1. 40% of SNAP beneficiaries are children. This is callous and vile.

Normalize saying "please put away electronic devices unless being used for a disability, and please silence electronic devices to the extent possible." People shouldn't need to explain they have it out because they are using a magnifier, insulin pump, AAC, hearing device controls, and so forth. 1/

Please share. I’ve got several places that have confirmed they can prescribe and a few that can serve as the primary care provider. Several Fenway patients confirm they’ve still gotten no communication beyond the original portal message.

Transhealth has released a statement in response to Fenway Health’s decision to stop gender-affirming care for people under the age of 19. Read our statement at transhealth.org/transhealth-remains-committed-and-open-for-care

10/17, 4 PM. Outside Fenway Community Health. We stand together and make it clear that we will not abandon our trans youth and young adults. We do not bend a knee to the unlawful threats of wannabe tyrants. This is Boston. We do not comply in advance.

Boston - THIS IS TOMORROW! Let’s get out there and let Fenway Health know how we feel about their cowardly abandonment of one of the most vulnerable trans populations!

Hi Erika, We are accepting new patients 21 & under for both gender-affirming primary care and specialty care- in-person and telehealth. We are about to open specialty gender-affirming care for adults as well. & we offer surgical letters. For more info folks should visit transhealth.org/new-patients

www.trueuclinic.com - All telehealth - All private pay - Confirmed they will see minors with parental consent - Confirmed they will do obgyn hormonal meds

www.syzygyhealth.org/faq - Prescribes HRT ages 16+ - Telehealth available - Takes Masshealth and most others - Prescribes a range of obgyn meds and should be able to do progesterone etc. but I haven't confirmed - Does not appear to do blockers/younger kids

Posting here as I find places that can get minors in quickly for refills of blockers or HRT (as well as not-for-gender obgyn medications that Fenway is refusing to prescribe to minors any longer). Finding queer-friendly PCPs with openings is proving harder, but working on that as well.

I have a couple of other practices that will do telehealth visits to write bridge prescriptions. Masshealth and most everything else accepted. They don’t want to be listed publicly but schedule a consult through my practice website and I can get you referred ASAP.

Posting here as I find places that can get minors in quickly for refills of blockers or HRT (as well as not-for-gender obgyn medications that Fenway is refusing to prescribe to minors any longer). Finding queer-friendly PCPs with openings is proving harder, but working on that as well.

With an email on Indigenous Peoples' Day and no ideas about resources besides "We'll call you soon" to say what? where will they go? abrupt d/c of these meds can result in severe side effects, including suicide & also things like premature osteoporosis these are prescription medications, fellas!

Update: @clrhenrysantana.bsky.social's office is on it. #medsky prescribers licensed in MA, please let his office know and let me know if you can squeeze some kids in for refills ASAP (or if you're a trans-friendly/neurodivergent-friendly primary care provider who can take some kids on longer term).