Important, powerful research & thread on rights & justice for #autistic people. Teachers, if you’re wondering why parents/carers of autistic YP might feel you ought to be making schools safer & more #neuro-affirming, you will find Gerald’s post super helpful. #burnout #attendance #masking

Understanding Autism: The Ecosystemic Model Of Distress Building on Luke Beardon's golden equation of 'autism + environment = outcome' this article proposes that distress and mental health problems are generated by the human ecosystem, highlighting that to improve the wellbeing of Autistic people…

I've always felt that the term SEND minimises the reality of disability and specifically obsfucates the social model idea that the barriers created in education are not an inevitable consequence of impairment, or the 'fault' of the individual, but are instead structural and our responsibility to fix

The first installment of "Understanding Autism", a blog series that will explore concepts from Autistic lived experience. First installment looks at the theory of monotropism. dghndconsultancy.co.uk/2025/12/19/u... #UnderstandingAutism #Monotropism #Monotropic #ActuallyAutistic #autism

It’s also misleading because a formal diagnosis is not needed in law for a child to have SEND - needing provision which is additional to/different from.

Resharing my starter pack of neuro-affirming Autistic advocates, orgs and charities if you are looking for a good list of people to follow go.bsky.app/9N5UEUC

Worth remembering: “SEND is a construct. It’s a convenient fiction. And it’s a neatly-boxed label designed to solve a problem the education system created, and refuses to take responsibility for.” TY @kieranrose.bsky.social theautisticadvocate.com/there-is-no-...

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham starts off strongly but then reveals he has no understanding of SEND or how EHCPs work…doh! www.politicshome.com/news/ar...

It's only a few weeks now until our interactive workshop, featuring talks by @thewoodbug.bsky.social, @petewharmby.com and more fantastic presenters. It's free to attend and will be in hybrid format. Sign up here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/focused-in...

Here we go! “Diagnosis has become the unofficial currency of support, not because the law demands it, but because the system has outsourced its moral & legal responsibility to a clinical gatekeeper.” theautisticadvocate.com/there-is-no-...

“SEND is not a framework for inclusion, but an administrative construct created to manage difference without requiring the education system itself to change. A way of locating the problem in the child, while protecting the structure that excludes them.” TY @kieranrose.bsky.social #SEND #inclusion

They definitely do 'push' schools but it's worth remembering that some schools refuse to play the game. If nobody played it, the game wouldn't work. The profession needs to reflect on that imo along with 'outstanding' Ofsted banners while complaining about Ofsted.

Really to happy to hear from the publisher today that our book on inclusive, neurodiversity-affirmative education is a "hot new release" in education, according to Amazon: www.amazon.co.uk/gp/new-relea... Flyer attached for a discount if you buy direct from the publisher - valid through January.

"If we truly want to support dysregulated students, especially neurodivergent ones, we need to stop putting the burden of managing big emotions solely on them & instead take a hard look at the environments we create." From @endseclusion.bsky.social: endseclusion.org/2025/07/10/n... #neurodiversity

Wonderful news and fantastic to see some of @thrivingautistic.bsky.social community members have contributed towards this book including @claruineill.bsky.social @autisticrealms.bsky.social & @fergus.oolong.co.uk ! An inspiring and accessible introduction to neurodiversity in educational settings

Something that always strikes me about these reports is that parents withdraw their children when inflexible systems are put in place and they can't cope. So in the end it becomes a way of removing learners with higher levels of needs, whatever the original intention. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

People asking why there is an increase in pupils declaring SEND: 1. There is less stigma associated with admitting you are struggling 2. The 'academic' curriculum introduced by Gove does not meet the needs of lots of pupils 3. Many 'behaviour policies' make schools inherently SEND non-inclusive.

“Rather than the myriad ‘social skills’ interventions that encourage autistic people to learn non-autistic social norms, it is time to consider how non-autistic people can meet autistic people halfway.” #doubleempathy

Lovely article from my friend and colleague @cjcrompton.bsky.social exploring the intersection of the double empathy problem and autism diagnostic criteria: www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

Great to see #neuro-affirming T&L methods championed for all students by #EdPsy - “Sensory processing is not solely an occupational therapy concern. It intersects directly with psychology, learning & behaviour”

a lot of education is still based on the assumption that there is an objective frame of reference that contains all the right answers and all you need to do is gain access to it and repeat what it tells you

NEW POST: Focusing on “over-diagnosis” is ignoring data and evidence, says SNJ’s @rachel.stopsafetyvalve.uk. She argues it won’t cut costs & wastes money that should be spent on urgent support www.specialneedsjungle.com/a... #Disability #SENDSky

UK Government is trying to co-opt neurodiversity movement through claiming neurodivergents may simply be different & not disabled, when we advocate we are both (& disability is social-relational). We need more diagnoses - research: self-identified autistic ppl have more distress & higher unmet needs

Increased rates of autism, ADHD, and other mental health conditions are evidence of decades of unmet need. Wes Streeting is missing the point, writes Rowan Humphries-Massey

Another fantastic resource! ✨

We need a national wellbeing measurement system to gather consistent data on the kind of support young people need. Our Young Champions just handed in letters urging the Secretary of State for Education to consider this. Stay tuned… 👀

This

Completely agree with Ben that conversations around neurodivergence can get messy. Luckily, many #neurodivergent researchers, professionals and experts thru lived experience are sharing #neuro-affirming info & good practice. Thank you @autisticrealms.bsky.social for your recent guidance for fams ✨

Fantastic episode ✨

I am excited to share that I will be presenting at this event with @ndhumanities.bsky.social next year alongside @emergentdivergence.com Free tickets! Find out more: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/neurodiver...

Think you or your child might be Autistic? Explore neuro-affirming next steps. Resources from @embraceautism.bsky.social, @thrivingautistic.bsky.social, @stimpunks.org, @pebbleautism.bsky.social, @gr0ve.bsky.social, @ausometraining.bsky.social and more! autisticrealms.com/think-you-or...

#Oliverscampaign We didn’t suddenly create more neurodivergent people. We finally started listening. Diagnosis is not a trend, it’s visibility, understanding, and long overdue recognition

Or maybe diagnosis is at last catching up with the crises so many have been enduring, which have for so long been minimised, dismissed or ignored. share.google/1aKjHRJ596x6...

Thanks Isabelle - you might also find this post worthwhile, looking at the insane variation in SEN unit / RB funding - some are funded better than special, others are funded on a beanbag room & single TA basis www.specialneedsjungle.com/send-funding...

What a confusing article conflating diagnosis of ADHD with 'mental illness' and the debate around 'incapacity benefits', then publishing a quote from The National Autistic Society? Come on lads, do better. (Also yikes to this review as the outcome seems rigged already) www.bbc.com/news/article...

Join our free Autism Central webinar on 19 Dec with Pete Wharmby on the ‘brain motorway’, where we explore more about monotropism, flow states, self-regulation and stress management: www.autismcentral.org.uk/events/brain...

What I find particularly odd is how levels of autonomy go *down* as children and young people progress through the system. In early years they have so much independence and I really wonder why that has to disappear the older they get. Surely we need a balance of adult and child centred pedagogy? 3/3

Learners deserve school systems that support all kinds of minds to flourish! @drrachaeldavis.bsky.social, @suereviews.bsky.social and I are thrilled to share a new handbook, It Takes All Kinds of Minds we co-edited with the input of some amazing contributors.

I’m so excited to share the Neuroaffirming Advent Calendar 2025 I created with @commonsenseslt.bsky.social ! 🎄🐧 Each day opens a window into helping you build your own Autism-affirming library. #Neurodiversity #AutisticJoy #Autism #AdventCalendar autisticrealms.com/free-2025-ad...

Schools that are serious about supporting (un/diagnosed) autistic YP thru KS2-3 transition will find @autisticgirlsnet.bsky.social’s suggestions helpful: “Our survey found that the period most autistic YP fell into crisis after transition to secondary school was by the February half term of Y7,

1/ The @HLAutismActCom reports that many autistic children feel unhappy at school or are out of school altogether.

🧵 Just a few thoughts on the SEND/'bad behaviour' discussions that I'm seeing atm. Firstly I wish we would stop using 'bad' when talking about behaviour. We're not engaged in a moral judgement. Calling behaviour 'bad' doesn't sit well with having unconditional positive regard for young people. 1/5

“Rather than the myriad ‘social skills’ interventions that encourage autistic people to learn non-autistic social norms, it is time to consider how non-autistic people can meet autistic people halfway.”

My fantastic PhD student @tanachikaura.bsky.social has published her first first-author paper today on self-reported lifetime traumatic experiences, psychological distress, and risk of suicidality among autistic adults. As the paper provides details on these issues, please take care when reading

Oooh this looks good! “Key concepts in the development of a neurodiversity-affirming practice” by autism research specialist Dr. Damian Milton, on 16th December 13:00-14:00 GMT. This event is free! events.teams.microsoft.com/event/e80ea6...

Nice to see Empire of Normality recommended here. blogs.lse.ac.uk/lsereviewofb...

“It is a painful truth that many disabled children and their families are being traumatised - not by illness, not by accident, but by the very public services that are meant to be their lifeline” 😔 #SEND

The "answer" to the pressure on the SEND system does involve better funding, better training and better systems. It does not, and must not, involve making it harder for children to access support. www.theguardian.com/education/20...

Unauthorised Absence Film 🎥🚸 Parents & Schools in a SEND Crisis - children & families harmed by education policy Please make a pledge to support this film and please share this content with anyone else who might be able to support and/or donate www.kickstarter.com/projects/nat...