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Tom Adams

@sonofswiss.bsky.social

Head of user research at Department for Education. Will try and moan less about the trains on here than I did on twitter.

82 Followers  |  68 Following  |  109 Posts  |  Joined: 27.10.2023  |  1.9737

Latest posts by sonofswiss.bsky.social on Bluesky

EIGHT YEARS

26.10.2025 20:32 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

It didnโ€™t make the snail happy.

22.10.2025 18:13 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Big fan of getting milk from a milkman (no plastic, satisfyingly retro/nostalgic). But not a fan of grabbing a bottle from the fridge to find Iโ€™ve actually just grabbed a big snail that had crawled up the side of it ๐Ÿ˜ฑ

22.10.2025 11:32 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Am at the very first UK Gov research operations conference today, which is very exciting. A room full of public sector people doing innovative things on shoestring budgets to help us do better research with government service users more quickly and efficiently. Inspiring ๐Ÿ™Œ

21.10.2025 10:01 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Quick Check Needed

I am recruiting a Senior Accessibility Specialist to be part of the Government Digital Service accessibility and digital inclusion team. Applications open until Sunday 26th October. www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/csr/index.cg...

#a11y #Accessibility #AccessibilityRegulations

07.10.2025 11:35 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 7    ๐Ÿ” 19    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 2

Well you didnโ€™t need to tell me that, Kate.

08.10.2025 21:51 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
a monster is burning in a dark room with flames coming out of it 's mouth Alt: a monster burning in a dark room with flames coming out of its mouth

Yes and this happened? Probably fine.

08.10.2025 13:48 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Also, what a great weekend. Did you watch it with the kids, or secretly on your own? (no shade/maximum respect if so)

08.10.2025 09:12 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Iโ€™m less distressed about this because at least he was meant to be 30 years younger between 1955 and 1985.
(I watched BTTF2 a few weeks ago, and I think thereโ€™s a whole PhD thesis to be written about how the school teacher already looks past retirement age in 1955, but not a day older in 1985)

08.10.2025 09:10 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Photo of an indoor wall. There is a light switch in the middle with a picture hook above it.

Photo of an indoor wall. There is a light switch in the middle with a picture hook above it.

Moved a picture to a different room, and remembered it was hiding a MYSTERY LIGHT SWITCH. As far as I can tell it controls no light or anything else electrical in/outside the house, so assume instead that it controls some kind of terrifying portal to hell? Will cover it up again with a new picture.

08.10.2025 09:04 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 4    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Love this. Whatโ€™s it been replaced with, digitally? Itโ€™s not Facebook marketplace or anything like that. Maybe Craigslist or something in the US, but not over here. Iโ€™ve genuinely no idea - is this a completely lost piece of wonderfully barmy culture?

08.10.2025 08:54 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

(Just checked and THANK GOD I still have eleven years before Iโ€™m as old as Connery was in that gif. Harrison Ford - not such good news ๐Ÿ˜ญ)

06.10.2025 16:42 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
indiana jones and the last crusade movie poster with two men ALT: indiana jones and the last crusade movie poster with two men

Canโ€™t find the proper Donovan ageing/โ€œhe chose poorlyโ€ gif, but this sums up my feelings reasonably well.

06.10.2025 16:40 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Just read something that said Michael Palinโ€™s Around The World In 80 Days was the start of his โ€œlatter-day careerโ€ and yep Iโ€™ve just checked & Palin was younger than me when he did 80 Days - which is an unnecessary reminder for a Monday of both my general decay & my minimal overall life achievements

06.10.2025 16:33 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 3    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Thanks, really appreciate you checking! (and this is my second nice interaction with kidsโ€™ authors in the last 24 hours, after Nadia Shireen was LOVELY with my son, signing the new Grimwood at our local bookshop/attacking him with a Sharon The Party Crow puppet. You guys are all brilliant.)

20.09.2025 22:33 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Came here to ask the same question @jamiesmart.bsky.social! (Although mine is dancing lesson, not cub camp)

20.09.2025 08:36 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

My loft is a bit chilly, otherwiseโ€ฆ ๐Ÿซข

18.09.2025 14:15 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

(Am now gutted I canโ€™t remember the rest of the mixtape. Itโ€™s probably up in the loft, although even if I spent half of Saturday looking for it [not completely out of the question] I of course donโ€™t have a tape player to play it on)

18.09.2025 11:50 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Been listening to Ash recently, from the 90s, who I had sort of forgotten existed. Remembered a) how great Ash were, b) a mixtape I made in 1998 or so that started with Jesus Says - which is a banger of an opener. Donโ€™t want to big myself up too much, but I was an absolute premier league mixtaper.

18.09.2025 11:50 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Re 1: in addition to the medical definition (which is important to understand for diagnosis) Iโ€™d like expert summaries of non-formal but commonly accepted features. Eg RSD & emotional dysregulation arenโ€™t in the definition, but discovering theyโ€™re a thing in ADHD was the biggest โ€˜oh!โ€™ moment for me.

17.08.2025 03:39 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Whereas e.g. Fast Minds, by Craig Surman, Tim Bilkey, Karen Weintraub is a lot less personal and more academic. Iโ€™m aiming to go back to it, because the first few chapters were full of really useful concepts - but it wasnโ€™t what I needed right then.

17.08.2025 03:29 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Two books I really got a lot from in the first year or so after my diagnosis: Jess McCabeโ€™s How To ADHD and Alex Partridgeโ€™s Now It All Makes Sense. The personal stories were what I wanted to hear at that time, and both really helped me relate and process my own life and experiences.

17.08.2025 03:24 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Maybe a community-curated book reading list with some narrative on what the book is (and therefore if itโ€™s what Iโ€™m looking for right now). There are so many books out there, but finding the right ones to read/listen to for the stage of journey Iโ€™m on has been really hard.

17.08.2025 03:24 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Am in a nearly deserted jungle tent hotel in Thailand, with a poorly 9 year old. Everybody else is out doing activities, and all I can hear is birds and insects and the room fan. Thereโ€™s nothing to do except lie/sit and read, and I could absolutely get used to this (apart from the poorly 9 year old)

17.08.2025 02:40 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Can highly recommend a cordless iron - I got one because I hated the cord getting all tangled up around the board and clothes. But the unexpectedly transformational part is that, because it has to be re-docked every minute or so to reheat, itโ€™s forced me to slow down which isโ€ฆ sort of really nice?

17.08.2025 02:33 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
I gave all my Apple wealth away because wealth and power are not what I live for. I have a lot of fun and happiness. I funded a lot of important museums and arts groups in San Jose, the city of my birth, and they named a street after me for being good. I now speak publicly and have risen to the top. I have no idea how much I have but after speaking for 20 years it might be $10M plus a couple of homes. I never look for any type of tax dodge. I earn money from my labor and pay something like 55% combined tax on it. I am the happiest person ever. Life to me was never about accomplishment, but about Happiness, which is Smiles minus Frowns. I developed these philosophies when I was 18-20 years old and I never sold out.

I gave all my Apple wealth away because wealth and power are not what I live for. I have a lot of fun and happiness. I funded a lot of important museums and arts groups in San Jose, the city of my birth, and they named a street after me for being good. I now speak publicly and have risen to the top. I have no idea how much I have but after speaking for 20 years it might be $10M plus a couple of homes. I never look for any type of tax dodge. I earn money from my labor and pay something like 55% combined tax on it. I am the happiest person ever. Life to me was never about accomplishment, but about Happiness, which is Smiles minus Frowns. I developed these philosophies when I was 18-20 years old and I never sold out.

Steve Wozniak on why he sold his Apple shares (via @gruber.foo). More Woz in the world, please.

16.08.2025 01:16 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 4    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
Your ADHD assessment experience The information collected will be used to understand and describe the experiences of people seeking ADHD assessment. There is no identifying information collected with the form unless it is typed into...

ADHD care in the UK is a postcode lottery.

Different rules. Long waits. Services that donโ€™t talk to each other.

Weโ€™re mapping all this, starting with lived experience.

If youโ€™ve been through ADHD assessment, diagnosis or treatment, your story matters.

No personal info, just what happened.

11.08.2025 08:26 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 13    ๐Ÿ” 16    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2    ๐Ÿ“Œ 1

Iโ€™m happy to ๐Ÿ‘

02.08.2025 22:33 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Love all of this, but particularly โ€œNo sudden scale. No false urgency.โ€ Can I ask: as a group of people with ADHD, where a shared impulse to Do All The Things Now! is presumably pretty strong, was it particularly important to state this out loud as a reminder to check back into & hold yourselves to?

01.08.2025 17:05 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Definitely better to be safe than sorry ๐Ÿ‘

31.07.2025 19:51 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

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