New from me: I talked to CDC staffers about the new vaccines and autism page. They said things like: “The best way I can put it is it feels like we’re on a hijacked airplane.” “I think people are starting to see that we can’t fulfill our mission here.”

The further dismantling of the Department of Education is bad not only for impeding its Congressionally-approved functions but because of what it signals about how little we actually value education in this country.

I went on CNN's One Thing podcast last week, talking about how absurd & ass-backwards last week's White House Big Autism Announcement was. But as not everyone listens to podcasts, here's a thread of the conversation: www.cnn.com/audio/podcas... #autism #TylenolDoesNotCauseAutism #neurodiversity 1/

SR: I think it would be a wonderful thing if [the Administration] were looking at the right issues. You know, what autistic people want? They want better supports. Our families want more respite. We want better paid home aides so there's not such a high turnover. 18/

SR: I think [pregnant people] need to understand that disability is natural. They need to prepare themselves for the possibility that anything could happen—not in a negative way but in terms of being ready to accept the kid they have & look for the info that will help them live their best lives. 28/

millennials are band directors now and I think that’s terrific

We're going to see a lot of bullshit in the coming days and weeks about "causes of autism", and most will be based on flawed, over-interpreted observational studies (1/n)

The U.S. Department of Education will provide expected competitive grant funding for hundreds of in-progress special education projects nationwide in time for the upcoming fiscal year, reassuring grant recipients and advocates nationwide who had feared widespread cancellations.

Probably should’ve posted the Ai statement separately - not sure how it displays with the rest. It’s not so different from what I originally posted, but prefer people get the final version. Have at it & hope it’s useful to you in your classes. All on my site here spinweaveandcut.com/fall-2025-sy...

*Grabs megaphone* 📢 It's the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. What do we want? ACCESSIBILITY! When did we want it? 35 years ago!

Cory Booker. 👇👇👇

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 More. Of. This.

The Trump administration proposes moving special education oversight to HHS. What does that mean for students, teachers and schools? hechingerreport.org/special-educ... via @hechingerreport.org #K12 #education #specialed

It's the anniversary of the Capitol Crawl, a demonstration to push for passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. And I, for one, think another spectacle like this is long overdue. www.history.com/news/america...

Trump is bulldozing the Education Department, which helps homeless and disabled kids gain access to school, while he does a car commercial at the White House for the richest man in the world. Robber barons are waging class warfare on the rest of us.

This is a dramatic loss for schools and the communities they serve. Make no mistake…cutting educational research will directly harm children. Full stop.

Dear higher ed, Can y’all get together and at least spread out your giving campaigns? Getting bombarded with money asks from 3 alma maters and a current employer simultaneously is too much.

Here is really good info on what indirect rates are and are not. TL;DR - the Republican administration’s plan to cut indirect rates will make Americans sicker, poorer, and more vulnerable. Call your congressional representatives to tell them to fund American success. research.unc.edu/wp-content/u...

Looking for a one stop shop for #educationadvocacy resources?! We’ve got you. Click the #toolkit link in our Linktree (link in bio!). #edpolicy #teachered #specialeducation #sped #education #school #educationadvocate

Such an important article full of immediately actionable ideas for teachers. Grateful to have been a small part of it!

BULLETIN: Setting the Record Straight: The U.S. Department of Education’s Anti-Opportunity “Dear Colleague Letter” is full of disinformation. Read LDF fact check. #SHARE - www.naacpldf.org/education-de...

Thankful for good news on a Friday evening for a change…

Loved this post from a postdoc who lived through the Bolsonaro years in Brazil: "The best 'fuck you' to fascists? Thriving. Publish that paper. Build that collaboration. Laugh with labmates. Science outlives dictators—but only if we stay in the fight." www.reddit.com/r/labrats/co...

Up to 169 IES contracts have been canceled, threatening critical education research. This is a major setback for educators & children with disabilities who rely on evidence-based practices. Urge Congress to protect IES research! #4SpecialEducation exceptionalchildren.org/takeaction?v...

not paying indirect costs for research is like only paying the players in the Super Bowl. can't have a Super Bowl without coaches, referees, security, janitors, announcers, stadium staff, and a stadium - and you can't have research without supporting people and facilities

In North Carolina: NIH FUNDING: $2.28 billion JOBS SUPPORTED: 25,081 ECONOMIC ACTIVITY SUPPORTED: $5.34 billion

Executive wants to frame the NIH indirects cut as $4B in savings. But given that NIH returns $2.5 on every $1 investment, this would actually cost US economy a net $6 BILLION (per year!). Not to mention the human costs of wrecking education and research sectors and the communities they serve.

Research universities are often the largest employers in their region. They are often the primary health care providers to communities. This funding shift will not only reduce US research leadership, it will put working people out of work and reduce healthcare access.

Read this whole thread. Teachers’ beliefs and unexamined biases matter.

THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IS A DEPARTMENT CREATED BY STATUTE; IT CANNOT BE ELIMINATED BY EXECUTIVE ORDER! EXECUTIVE ORDERS CANNOT REPEAL STATUTES! JUST LIKE DEPARTMENTS CANNOT BE CREATED BY EXECUTIVE ORDER! she shouts into the void

Disabled people DID NOT cause the tragic plane crash on the Potomac. Hiring people from diverse backgrounds does not cause tragedy. Recognizing the diversity of humanity does not cause tragedy. Tragedy, however, can be caused by rejecting the fact that humanity is diverse.

My occasional reminder to folks on tenure and promotion committees that there will be a cohort of people whose early careers were defined entirely by the pandemic and *waves vaguely* this nonsense, and it *will* impact their productivity. It can't not.

This sudden freeze in federal funding is so sweeping that it could cause widespread harm across our state—delaying disaster recovery, undercutting law enforcement, and affecting children and veterans. It violates constitutional power over federal spending, and I’m taking legal action to stop it.

By attempting a total freeze on federal funding, Trump is, in fact, attempting another coup; this one designed to seize power from Congress and the courts in order to place that same power under his Executive control.

I think some people hear “grants” and think that without them, scientists and government workers just have less stuff to play with at work. But grants fund salaries for students, academics, researchers, and people who work in all areas of public service. “Pausing” grants means people don’t eat.

“Saying “I can’t,” or, “this is too hard,” or “it’s too much,” is sometimes the only way a kid has to self-advocate, other than with their behavior, especially if that kid doesn’t have a lot of ability to effectively communicate to begin with.” therapistndc.org/not-allowed-...

Today, The Nora Project released its Standards for Inclusive Schools! I am so proud to be a lead author and am excited for the impact these groundbreaking Standards will have on students and educators everywhere. Check them out and spread the word! #EduSky

Happy first Friday of a new semester from the professor who forgot to update the course schedule link from spring 2024 and confused half her students. #cheers

No notes 😂 www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/cla...

Having spent 10 years teaching in a largely online program, I will also say one problem is that students are attempting to slot degree programs into very complicated lives. They are working, they have families. They are being told they can also learn do academic work in this context and its *hard.*

The thing about starting a new semester with a hospice cat at home is that sometimes, productivity is just going to lose out to cuddles and pets, and maybe that’s how it should have always been. (Her name is Penny and she is perfect.) #academiccats

Promoting a neurodiversity-affirming classroom amidst the struggles of today’s educational system is not easy, but taking some of these practical steps can make a big difference for students. Sara Woods, PhD, at TPGA. thinkingautismguide.com/2025/01/how-... #neurodiversity

Lots of support for this practice and tool, and I know it works for many. But, if you have a tendency for compulsive thinking or behavior, this may not be healthy for you. It wasn’t for me. 🧵

Thinking that my professional New Year’s resolution will be to re-engage with social media (aka here) as a space to share my work and learn from others. I’ve been detached since the demise of the other place and I miss it.

If a student is having trouble with an assignment, the goal of intervention time isn't to get through the assignment. The goal of any intervention is to improve the transferable skill that is at the root of the challenge. Homework help isn't intervention. #LeadInclusion #EduSky #InclusiveEd

Okay, an article for teacher educators that I’m super proud of seems like a good first post here…check out how we’ve brought disability studies into intro special ed courses! @naimab.bsky.social @johnandresen.bsky.social openjournals.bsu.edu/JOSEP/articl...