OTtheory&practice

BBC apologises over Thought for the Day ‘xenophobia’ claim against Jenrick Corporation says Krish Kandiah’s criticism of senior Tory not appropriate for faith-based radio segment

Jenrick’s comments were the definition of xenophobia; how I look forward to the day when the BBC can have a spine again. www.theguardian.com/media/2025/a...

Yes Tomatis in this case. 😳

Update: it didn’t take too long Googling to confirm my suspicions. It’s hard work keeping abreast of all the nonsense and pseudoscientific guff out there!

I’m seeing more autistic and ADHD kids who have gone through an “auditory stimulation” program. Do any of you know much about this? My impressions of it from what I’ve seen online are NOT good; pseudoscientific and aiming at compliance. Am I wrong or missing something?

I hear that all the time - even that specifically “but they like heavy metal!” 🤘

Some of the talk OTs do around sensory seeking and avoidance seems to assume that we autistic people don’t live in a meaningful world, with interests, values, projects, preferences. It’s too cause and effect. Even bees who seek pollen are AT something. Be curious about our world.

That post was brought to you by… DOING ADOS-2 TRAINING 🙄

Autistic identification should be a collaborative process of discovery, not a matter of “ask the expert”.

In Deyan Sudjic’s book on history of design he points out there are chairs that feel great to sit in, and others that are great to look at when not sitting in it. Similar in this cafe internal spotlights make the place look lovely from the outside, but make the cafe a nightmare to sit in. Caffè Nero

I was totally ignorant about it 4 years ago, but now I’m scandalised by non ND-affirming practice. We need to be generous to those who are trying, but what about those who aren’t? After initially being puzzled, I zipped it, listened and changed. #autism #neurodiveristy #adhd

You can imagine a mic drop after every aphorism. 😂

His Ubermensch didn’t have much time for disabled people, if my memory of The Anti-Christ serves! 😂 But I do love Nietzsche, as he was a full time Mad Bastard.

Reclaiming Autistic Food Identity: Feeding Shame and Swallowing Stigma - The Autistic Advocate In this article Kieran Rose discusses reclaiming Autistic food identity and how Autistic people are so often shamed for the way they eat.

This insightful post by @kieranrose.bsky.social is essential reading for anyone involved in supporting/researching eating or ARFID in autistic folk theautisticadvocate.com/reclaiming-a.... A reminder to challenge your own assumptions/values/biases + remain curious as to how others experience food.

They’re not talking about disability, they’re talking about disability as defined in the Disability Act which, as it is interpreted in wildly liberal ways, is not the same thing.

When our physiology becomes our psychology | BPS Steve Hartshorn and Michael O'Brien have a theory borne out of their work with athletes…

The link between hypermobility and anxiety from the perspective of sports science.

When our physiology becomes our psychology

Steve Hartshorn and Michael O'Brien

www.bps.org.uk/psychologist...

It’s strange to see goals for autistic kids around becoming more “independent”. We autists are already pretty damn independent (as far as that is possible, it’s an interconnected world) and want to be allowed get on with it. AUTO - AUTistic. PDA - persistent drive for AUTONOMY. Let us do our thing.

This is like late 90s internet when it was still fun and joyful.

@wadeywade.bsky.social I almost came up to you and said hello after a St Etienne show once, you were with Jude Rogers (would have been their Tiger Bay shows in London). You and I were Facebook contacts, which isn’t a strong bond, and it felt weird so I didn’t. But I always enjoy reading your stuff!

I’ve tended to be on the fence about “condition” because of the echo of the term “human condition”. But I’m aware for most people it will have echoes of “medical condition” and on that basis I should pick a side and reject the word.

The book is nuanced, and defers to the autistic community while acknowledging shifting perspectives. States “condition” is rejected by community. Even advises against “autism” on its own and recommends “autistic people”, “autistic experience” and “autistic neurology” instead.

The cover of the book The Neurodiversity Affirmative Child Autism Assessment Handbook by Dr Maeve Kavanagh and others.

As an autistic OT, working with autistic people, I often find certain terminology icky without completely knowing why: autism being treated as a “condition” is a case in point. I’m ok with idea of the “human condition”, but in autistic context it feels wrong. This book helps make sense of it.

YouTube video by Chronically Jenni 7 Everyday Hacks You Wouldn’t Have Without Disabled People! #DisabilityAwareness

Love this. Accessibility benefits everyone.

youtube.com/shorts/_3fjq...

I recently quit a shitty job. I announced to my (lovely) ex colleagues that I was going on “eternity leave”.

I think rather than instances of slipping up linguistically, consistent denial or ignorance of values associated with the ND movement is more egregious. I’ve just left a job because the manager was like that.

You have to wonder if after a point it’s wilful. I think it’s easy to slip up now and then. Mind you it’s not so easy to confuse the words “diverse” and “divergent” is it?

Yes when organisations don’t put the effort in to get it right, that’s really frustrating.

I think it’s down to people’s lack of knowledge or confidence with the language. They’re technical terms, easily confused. I don’t think it’s for lack of caring.

I would say the four presentations of autism are Earth, Wind and Fire and Donna Summer.

I am VERY into this.

Yes! Early on I heard a lot of “you can’t be autistic because I do that too…”