OTtheory&practice

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?

Infographics on MOHO and rebels at work and phenomenology

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.

“ChatPGT, mock up an autism infographic will you? Don’t pay any attention to facts or spelling.”

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.

Microsoft Virtual Events Powered by Teams Microsoft Virtual Events Powered by Teams

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?

Neurodiversity Affirming Glossary of Key Words - for families and professionals | Autistic Realms (Glossary written & and originally published for THE PDA SPACE SUMMIT 2023 ) A full version of The Neurdodiversity Affirming Glossary is now avai ...

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

Totally agree with you

What do you think about “Autism Levels 1, 2 and 3” (which we are being obliged to use in my workplace)? They don’t make sense, but I’m being told we HAVE to use this terminology or the HSE won’t accept our reports! (Me, I’m Level 42 Autistic, I can’t resist the jazz-funk. 😂)

I agree with all of the above, and experienced these barriers in a previous workplace, HOWEVER my manager was not interested in my descriptions of how I work best until I had a cert in my hand that said I was autistic. Even then she was awful and inflexible. And this in disability services!

I have two say two jobs in the public sector almost broke me, and almost completely depleted my self esteem as an OT and even person! Terrible managerial failings. But now I’m in a new job and doing better so I want to get back into the groove of promoting OT.

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

I try to avoid conflating behaviourism and ABA or PBS. Behaviourism is a bigger and older subject. But of course I’m totally against ABA and PBS.

Lava lamp / Bloom (Brian Eno and Peter Chilvers app) combo.

So I’d prefer to say “behaviourism: fascinating, and I can see how it took hold and where it’s useful. But PLEASE stop turning into a simplistic intervention program, that is NOT its place.”

But! One useful (I think) counterpoint to behaviourism is the idea of intersubjectivity. It’s the answer to the (very reasonable) question: “if not behaviourism, then what?”

Programs or intervention strategies which are rooted in behaviourism and can’t see beyond it are coercive, damaging and misinterpret human activities. Behaviourism itself though is just based on the idea that as we don’t have access to each others’ internal states we have to interpret what we see.

This is what we’re up against

Sometimes if you’re autistic your strengths and abilities can be used to condemn you; to a pattern of being misunderstood or not having your needs met because people decide you’re “high functioning”. #occupationaltherapy #autism