The magic of being a Wikipedian! Hope this blog will inspire more #OccupationalTherapists and their professional bodies to get involved for maximum, international impact. www.rcn.org.uk/news-and-eve...

More understanding and talk about embodiment is needed if we are going to clarify the risks and benefits of AI. There is no reason in the world that AI should kill OT if we do our jobs properly. But the main threat posed by AI might come from who owns it and how they utilise it to do their bidding.

Calling transphobia a 'gateway drug' to the far right undersells it. It's pure accelerant. Grimly fascinating to guess what crankery becomes any famous transphobe's secondary obsession, cos they all have one: 15 minute cities are fascism! Grok noncing is cool! ICE are good! We should kill all dogs!

I worry that with any social media ban, young ND people will lose opportunities to deep dive, infodump, and find their community. I’m also unaware of compelling evidence that using devices like iPhones or iPads negatively affects cognition, but plenty that the reverse is true (extended mind).

Have you ever tried telling a behaviourist that they need to change their behaviour? Wild consequences, I tell you.

SEDSConnective doing great work.

Yes-creative! I have over 30 years of observing the evolving iterations of DSM 'catagorisation'. The need to classify and box individuals for the ease/ profit of the 'practicioner in control' has outweighed the stigma/harm of the 'deficit based' labelling!$ www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

This is powerful.

I am in surthrival mode. Moving beyond survival, considering ways I can thrive.

There is a new autistic barbie out, but no one is talking about her mother, undiagnosed computer engineer barbie about to get the surprise of her life when she starts to argue with the evaluator that these are all normal childhood behaviours that she had when she was the same age.

And ALSO you know the weird Barbie from the film? SHE is much more my idea of neurodivergent.

I think this is a good effort. I suppose on the stereotyping issue it’s difficult because we’re in the realm of making a “hidden disability” (or difference) visible. To be seen, we are literally stigmatised. For real inclusion, a neat idea would be to say of any given Barbie, “this one’s autistic!”

The "largest long-term study of brain development and child health in the United States", finds "no evidence…that screen time impacted [children's] brain function or well-being", even among "participants who had high rates of digital engagement" #smma www.oii.ox.ac.uk/news-events/...

I had been looking for straightforward tips on writing Alt text, so glad to see this.

BSP Podcast - Episode 159 - Book Discussion | Laura Jane Nanni – The Porosity of the Self: Husserl's Philosophy of Self and Personhood (2024) Nanni presents on her recent monograph in conversation with Associate Professor Timothy Mooney. www.thebsp.org.uk/2026/01/07/b...

As some people are adding me from starter packs, a quick intro for any OTs. I’m an Occupational Therapist, and I’m autistic. I work with autistic clients. I’m neuroaffirmative in practice. I’m a strong skeptic when it comes to Ayers Sensory Integration. I campaign against ABA/PBS. I love MOHO.

As an autistic adult I find coffee shops are often a massive test of patience. Try telling a barista what you want without them asking you questions back. Try dealing with the dishonest upselling. The dance begins. No I don’t want anything else, yes paying with card, no I don’t want medium roast…

Absolutely thrilled that our Autistic SPACE for Inclusive Education was Neurodiversity Journal’s “most read paper of 2025”! Delighted for the team, but mostly for the next generation of autistic kids. Let’s get this into schools everywhere!

On the 11th day of Christmas, I give to you four starter packs of occupational therapists UK OTs can follow @thercot.bsky.social @rcotpolicyuk.bsky.social @rcotpolicywales.bsky.social @rcotpolicyscot.bsky.social & @rcotpolicyni.bsky.social go.bsky.app/Vi6XVVs

In 2026 I’m going to try to challenge neurodiversity-lite (including in my own practice) before switching attention to OT beyond the paeds setting. (In the previous job I was battling applied behaviourism, that’s how retrograde that was!) we can address ND-lite through spoken and written framing.

OT for me in 2025: I spent time in a poorly led, ethically inconsistent system that relied on control and ambiguity. I recognised it, tried to work within it, and eventually chose to leave rather than betray my values or wellbeing.

On the fourth day of Christmas, I give to you a starter pack of yet more occupational therapists. If you want a community of OTs on Bluesky, follow all the OTs on my starter packs. Let's see if we can make it happen. go.bsky.app/JxmUjnc

Every time I'm in a restaurant I remember Kevin McAleer's reply to a waiter who told him the Soup Of The Day. "Where there any other contenders?" "Um, no?" "A hollow victory, then".

"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

I absolutely love MyNoise so I’m delighted to see its creator has started a vlog. youtu.be/5sfR4XUc4eY?...

A reminder: Please don't force autistic kids (or adults) to sit still or use “whole body listening” (what Carol Greenburg @autisticenough.bsky.social calls “Whole Body Oppression”) or shame them for stimming when they need to move to listen or self-regulate. thinkingautismguide.com/2022/01/auti...

I wholeheartedly agree with Kieran Rose’s views in this post. We need to make schools and society at large genuinely inclusive; things like SEND (while currently necessary) are as he says “a workaround”). theautisticadvocate.com/there-is-no-...

I don’t find using Still Face Experiments to explain the importance of parental bonding is that helpful when applied to neurodivergent people, and here are some thoughts on why. youtu.be/uyrEcgjdwLA?...

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.

I use the term “Occupational Phenomenology” sometimes, and here is what I mean by it. youtu.be/jKemKys2v6A?...

I’m trying to branch out into YouTube (and possibly even Instagram) to get involved in mingling with the neurodivergent / research community. Definitely feel BlueSky is more limited than Twitter used to be, but here’s a link to my channel. Comment, like, share, collaborate. youtu.be/lL-jks3JtoQ?...

Nnena Kalu becomes first artist with a learning disability to win Turner prize

Mean girl finds a new target

Is anybody doing something like #ottalk on BlueSky? #occupationaltherapy Or am I just deluded to think this site can be like Twitter when it was good?

From my work desk, January 2023. Includes work by @mohospark.bsky.social and rebelsatwork.com

we wanna grow our youtube channel +make it England's National Autism Peer Education space where everyone can access psychologically informed information about #autism, #autistic people, autistic #mentalhealth, autistic joy and more Join our kind and vibrant community www.youtube.com/@AutismCentr...

I’m wondering if I’ve - or perhaps WE have - reached the point where it doesn’t make much sense to be on Bluesky. Feels a bit like continuing to contribute to an email group long after Y2K.

Is dying an occupation? (I think so.) #occupationaltherapy

Incredible work to pull all of this together from Helen - Autistic Realms. Will be showing this to everyone who comes into the clinic.

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...

This Bluesky account grew out of a Twitter account with the same name which I started in April 2022. Original purpose was to discuss Occupational Therapy but being identified as autistic sidelined that. Will focus more on OT but keep promoting neuroaffirming content too. Please like/repost/follow!

'Neurodiversity-affirming autism assessment and support: a scoping review' includes monotropism in its table of important neurodiversity-affirming theoretical concepts, along with the social model of disability, double empathy, stimming, stigma and camouflaging. helda.helsinki.fi/items/4e1849...

Misusing language about neurodivergence has happened in the past. To keep doing it is linguistically oppressive in action just as it is with race, gender or religion.

Two Public Health Nurses - with decades of experience - approached me to try and find ways to support autistic children in schools accept / enjoy hearing tests. We had really productive conversations before being told by management to drop it.

Unless an organisation has a way to allow bottom up innovation, it will flounder. In the HSE I found change was only mandated in top down ways (only my experience, may not be universal).

Looks good. I think Occupational Therapists should attend things like this. Will there be any there?

Fab guide by @autisticrealms.bsky.social to correct terminology here: autisticrealms.com/neurodiversi...

I am the newly appointed Chair of this #NHS commissioned programme, run by #AnnaFreud. Working with hundreds of peers to coproduce and codeliver trully neurodiversity informed, evidence based and psychologically informed education and peer support. #autism