For those who missed it last year, I'm doing a re-run of my webinar about the impact of trauma on Autistic people's communication and relationships. This is aimed at
#Autistic
people and parents/carers.
This week I officially received my diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) at age 33. I am also proud to say this week I became a Band 6 (Specialist) Speech and Language Therapist supporting autistic children / teens. What a life-changing week 🌈
#SLT
#ActuallyAutistic
I got married today ❤️
Weddings are quite overwhelming though when you're
#Autistic
. I performed some traditions and did some socialising so that's enough NT for a while 😁
My name is not "Mum". Had my first experience with this today with a health professional and it felt dehumanising. Professionals, plase use the parent/carer's actual name
#SEND
#disability
#autism
#NHS
#SLT
If there are Neurotypical people who are 'Autism experts', does that mean Autistic people can be 'Neurotypical experts'? 😅
#autism
#Neurodiversity
#autistic
#Autistic
people tend to have self-sacrifice and subjugation schemas stemming from trauma. Signs:
- Intense fear of disappointing others
- Difficulties asserting boundaries
- Masking
- Suppressing own feelings, needs, opinions
- People pleasing
- Conflict avoidant
- RSD
People may wonder what drives my activism so that
#Autistic
people are better understood in healthcare. Professionals, THINK about the language you use in reports. Here's a few snippets of my latest medical review:
Speech and Language Therapy: The idea that there is one right way to socialise, pay attention, have friendships, play, and have conversations continues to cause emotional harm to
#neurodivergent
and
#autistic
children and adults. It's based on neuronormativity & ableism.
#SLT
I'm beyond thrilled to announce I've been chosen as a Supporting Author in reviewing & updating Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists best practice guidelines for
#Autism
. This time next year we should have new recommendations informed by CURRENT autism research ♾
#SLT
A note on terminology which has many people confused: One individual cannot be "neurodiverse". The correct term is "neurodivergent". There is no "neurodiverse condition", it is "types of neurodivergence". The word 'condition' goes against the concept of neurodiversity.
I've launched a website!
You'll find heaps of links to
#autism
research / works from
#SLTs
,
#OTs
, advocates and autistic researchers. Learn how to adapt your clinical practice that respects autistic children and allows them to be their authentic selves
Inaccessibility - when GPs only offer appointments by patients needing to ring up at 8am this creates heaps of stress & anxiety for disabled /
#neurodivergent
people. Add on "you've got to be quick cos they fill up pretty much at 8.05". Does anyone else find this problematic?
Today I was given a screening questionnaire for Post-Natal Depression by the Health Visitor. I scored high for depression, despite not being depressed. My GP will be contacted. Let me explain why these forms are flawed for
#Autistic
people.
A thread 🧵
I've compiled a list of common questions I get asked.
What's wrong with Social Skills Training? What's the alternative to
#PECS
? Why is diagnosing
#Autistic
children with Language Disorder problematic? Why is ToM research flawed?
#SLT
#SEND
#OT
A reminder that brains are NOT gendered. There is no male or female
#autism
- it comes down to prejudice and socialisation, as
@KieranRose7
has written about.
"Emily was casually dressed, appeared kempt" - a judgment based on what's acceptable to wear according to the professional, and for
#autistics
who mask, indicates no reflection of their true mental state.
Being an
#Autistic
new parent an ongoing struggle I've had is the constant stopping and starting of tasks through the day. This is my
#monotropism
. Constant interruption & shifting my attention leads to anxiety, dysregulation, agitation, and brain overwhelm. Anyone else relate?
"Facially flat" - no understanding of autistic facial expression and factors that drive a lack facial expression e.g, the person modulating sensory input, language/executive function struggles, Double Empathy Problem between patient & professional.
These seclusion rooms, also known as "quiet rooms" are common in specialist schools for
#Autistic
students. We know they're trauma-inducing. Neurodivergent-Affirming professionals, how do you respond when staff ask:
"But what are we supposed to do if a child is kicking off?!"
New page: "Autism & Trauma". This week it's struck me how important it is for
#autistic
people to be in a emotionally validating environment. I discuss: how psychological therapies re-traumatise
#neurodivergent
people e.g. CBT. And some do's and don'ts.
"Speech: no gross abnormalities" - gross. Language in medical reports is just one example of how
#autistic
people are being dehumanised and failed by services, and what drives our work
@ElaineMcgreevy
This is an example of a Social Story NOT to write. The intent behind it is to tell the child what to do and how to behave. We know this because of statements like "I will". The person who wrote this actually means "you will".
Disappointed & frustrated in the language used surrounding Autism in
@rcslt
Bulletin, especially since I wrote a piece last year on this very subject. 1) Identity-first language is the preference in the community. 2)
#Autism
is not a condition, nor is it "rare".
#parentviews101
: this is meant to be a social story developed by the additional learning needs mentor working with a highly anxious primary aged child struggling with attendance.
Building an
#autistic
child's perspective-taking skills MUST include helping them take their OWN perspective. The strategy of just exploring others' thoughts & feelings is also known as invalidation & gaslighting. Please validate their experience first.
#mentalhealth
#Trauma
If "bringing the profession into disrepute" means abandoning my ethics and not calling out ableist ideologies, then yes, I must be unprofessional.
#autism
#SLT
Announcement: I'm building a website! All things
#autism
,
#autistic
communication,
#Neurodiversity
and how
#SLTs
can practise following a pro-neurodiversity model. And in true autistic fashion it's become an all consuming special interest 😂
Join myself and
@WFarahslt
to discuss changes we'd like to see in Speech and Language Therapy. We believe Activism should be pre-requisite for Social Justice in addressing
#racism
and
#ableism
. Limited tickets available:
A
#SLT
student wrote to me to tell me they've experienced ongoing discrimination by lecturers and placement educators for being dyslexic. This includes disparaging comments and a lack of accommodations for their learning needs. We need more
#neurodivergent
SLTs & less
#ableism
.
We need to bust the myth that there is a female autism phenotype.
#Autistic
boys and men mask just the same as girls and women. And then when we consider the high % of
#trans
& non-binary Autistic people, perpetuating the gender narrative is unhelpful.
The repeated use of ‘female autism’ as if it’s a separate classification. It’s not. Women and girls might experience and present differently to men, but it’s not a different kind of autism. It’s also not an experience/presentation exclusive to women.
@DrHannahBelcher
Horrible. I asked a doctor to not include mental state examinations in my copies of letters because "flat affect", "dressed appropriately", and "made eye-contact" are useless
Positive review but still problematic language: "on the spectrum", describing an
#autistic
person's mother as "the most tolerant and loving parent imaginable" (tolerant?) and "..to experience the world with autism". I don't live 'with autism'
@guardian
As an
#Autistic
person I get really hung up on words. I believe it's due to my literal perception + the trauma of having my words twisted and tone-policed. Anyone else?
The autistic urge to be as precise as possible, then fall into tangent upon tangent trying to ensure everything that feeds into the explanation of your main point is precise, until you’re so far removed from your main point you don’t know how to get back and fall abruptly silent.
This is why
#Autistic
distressed children can't cope in school environments. Inflexible school policies that aren't trauma-informed, yet the students are the ones who are labelled as 'inflexible'
#education
#PBS
#SEND
#SLT
My daughter is trying to go back to school AGAIN. She missed most of last year due to mh and unmet needs. She’s adhd autistic. She just sent me this, she had to sign it or she couldn’t go in the class!!!
#SEND
#actuallyadhd
@ADHDFoundation
@PCamhs
#Autistic
"Autistic children and young people told us having teachers who don't understand them is the worst thing about school". Here's The Double Empathy Problem. This highlights the need for educators to understand autistic experience - we need
#autistic
&
#neurodivergent
teachers!
#AHP
@GMB
You can read our full report and sign our petition here:
The Government's upcoming SEND review is a chance to improve things and to invest in autistic children's futures.
This is the most ableist & offensive thing I've read in a while. "If my therapist said they were autistic, I'd pass"....."if you're a therapist with autism you might want to think about the implications".
#therapy
#ableism
#autism
This is a comment I had on Facebook today from a therapist when I told them their comment that therapy isn't suitable for "people with autism" because they can't process emotions was problematic. The ableism, incorrect reading of my age/ageism, and oppression is rank.
I highly recommend
@AutisticalityAu
infographics about
#Autistic
experience e.g., Monotropism, Double Empathy Problem, Stimming, Shutdowns. Will be recommending to parents and staff.
Consultancy in any other line of work you'd expect to pay for. So why is it different for anything related to social justice? I'm a disabled,
#Autistic
, self-employed
#SLT
who cannot work full time. I wish people would consider this when asking for free labour.
'Talkabout' as with many Social Skill interventions (PEERS, PACT, Lego Therapy..) is rooted in behaviourism, neuronormative social skills, and ableism. As a pro-neurodiversity
#SLT
I do not provide such interventions.
#ActuallyAutistic
#SLT2B
#AHPs
#Neurodiversity
#autism
So can we "talkabout" this. "Talkabout" is a common social skills intervention used in schools in UK and was suggested on my child's statement of "special educational needs". This is taken from Talkabout's "assessment" of the child. How gross is this? 1/
"Without a fundamental shift towards such neurodivergence-affirming support, real progress cannot happen to prevent poor mental health outcomes for autistic people across the lifespan" (McGreevy et al., 2023)
#SLT
#autism
#neurodivergent
#SEND
#OT
This is a common approach used with
#autistic
/
#neurodivergent
people with communication difficulties. It is not trauma-informed. Well-meaning professionals following their own agenda thinking they're helping, with no understanding of sensory distress and autistic experience.
How to overstimulate & antagonise an autistic adult.
I would *hate* to be touched like that, never mind the slimy crafts or multiple voices. He said no but they persisted.
This is why autistic professionals are needed across all sectors where autistic people are cared for 👇👇
Today is my 1st wedding anniversary. I married my best friend. And my other best friend
@ElaineMcgreevy
trekked from NI to be with me. 2 weeks later I gave birth 😅
I wrote a blog for Neurodiverse Connection (
@NDConnectionUK
) titled "Challenges of being an Autistic Speech & Language Therapist". I address how
#SLTs
may claim their practice is ND-Affirming but then are still recommending supports that teach masking -
Nonsense indeed. These are the kinds of SLT targets I see all the time. What if Billy doesn't want to play with them? What if they're boring? Who's this pleasing? Why are we telling children how to play?
#Autistic
#Autism
Early Years SEND Target: ‘Billy will increase the length of time he plays with an adult and one peer from 2 mins to 3 mins’. In the politest possible way, I have to say... this is nonsense.
Disgusted that
@OfficialUoM
for promoting this intervention for
#Autistic
babies. "UoM found that a clinician diagnosis of
#autism
at age three was only a third as likely in children who received the intervention (iBASIS-VIPP). This is basically eugenics.
Describing
#Neurodivergent
workers as having "additional needs" feels wrong. We have the same needs as non-disabled people: to be understood, to communicate & express ourselves, to self-advocate, and to access the same opportunities.
#ableism
#disability
I'll be running a series of 1-hour webinars starting in August! The focus will be on Autism & speech, language, communication. Different tickets available. Aimed at
#SLTs
/ professionals, parents/carers.
Co-production is vital. But too many researchers do not offer payment / gratuity to participants. I understand there might not be a budget, but often autistic people are undervalued & our labour is asked for free. This comes at a huge cost to us e.g. 1-2 hour interviews
#Autism
*Edit from previous post* Neurodivergent people are significantly more likely to experience mental health problems and underlying health conditions. We need approaches that are personalised, empathic, & that focus on removing barriers in the environment
#ableism
#Autism
#AHPs
Next week I'll be presenting a 45-minute talk It will be an introduction to autism. Topics - Understanding the spectrum, outdated terminology, sensory processing, autistic communication. Thurs 1st April 6.30pm GMT. Register here:
#AutismAwarenessWeek
#SLT
I am continually shocked at the language in EHCPs to describe our vulnerable children and young people. I would genuinely love a job re-writing them. The best advice I was given was "imagine that child and their caregiver was reading this"
#education
#EHCPs
#inclusion
#Disability
I love my hoodie from
@sugarandsloth
. After years of masking as a result of being called "weird", "unprofessional" and "no wonder you're bullied if you dress like that", I completely changed my appearance to look more NT. Now I'm embracing my authenticity.
#autism
#autistic
Having just had a baby girl, the amount of pink clothes she's been bought is shocking; she's likely to be
#Autistic
& taught to mask from the moment she's born. There's no female autism phenotype - it's socialisation & prejudice as
@KieranRose7
&
@DrAmyPearson
says.
Re
#autism
interventions and use of social media. "well-evidence interventions are dismissed" What are these evidenced interventions? If it's referring to social skills training & attention building programmes, the evidence is weak.
@RCSLT
I'm excited to be one of the trainers for Anna Freud Centre and AT-Autism. We'll be training mental health professionals in Adult Inpatient settings to improve the care of
#Autistic
people
In prep for our upcoming
#SLT
training (
@DivergentSLT
) I analysed the TOMs. I was so upset at the language used to describe
#Autistics
."Pedantic speech, purposeless behaviour, communicating normally in all situations.."
THIS is why we need something different. We're not broken.
Autistic people are often re-traumatised by therapy due to the therapist's lack of knowledge- "Psychotherapists’ lack of knowledge and expertise seem to be a major barrier for adults with autism to receiving helpful psychotherapeutic support"
@aclientfirst
#Autism
#therapy
A blind spot in mental healthcare? A study by a participatory autism research group provides insight into psychotherapists' knowledge and expertise when treating autistic adults.
Questions: Autistic people struggle with broad, open-ended questions e.g. "Where are you at with what we spoke about last week?", "What's coming up for you?". The cognitive labour of trying to work out the meaning has a huge cost on us. Please be concrete and clear.
#SLT
#autism
After 1.5 years of virtual friendship and sharing voice notes everyday, I finally got to meet my friend and business partner in real life - and her collie
@ElaineMcgreevy
Standardised tests don't measure my empathy, monotropism, sense of social justice, creativity, my ability to see patterns in a set of complex ideas and draw parallels, my ability to hold space for another person. They don't measure my integrity.
When someone is in crisis, executive functioning goes offline. It can be near impossible to access "skills" that require cognitive work. What's needed is self-regulation and co-regulation.
#mentalhealth
i don’t like when i’m actively suicidal and told to “use my skills“ it really irritates me because if it was that simple i wouldn’t be reaching out for help because it takes me a lot to do that.
Are you a
#SLT
who supports Autistic Non-Speakers / minimal speakers? Join myself and
@ElaineMcgreevy
on 28th June 2pm. Discounts available for students. Click here for details:
'Sabotage' as a speech & language technique is not aligned with Neurodivergent-Affirming practice. It's rooted in behaviourism and is not a nice way to learn language.
#autism
#SLT
@rcslt
Ableism in
#SLT
- Teasing, confusing, tricking the child to shape behaviour. Known as 'sabotage'. All kids learn about lang & communication in natural interactions. No trickery needed. It pushes a child with communication difficulty to the edges of coping.
And use
#AAC
My ASC report. This is hilarious yet maddening. 1. Why would I ask an assessor about their life (boundaries). 2. Apparently not asking Q's about how they got to & from work is rude. 3. Ax masquerading as chit-chat much?
#DoubleEmpathyProblem
@NeuroClastic
@KieranRose7
@susanthomsonslt
You're missing the point. Yes people can be experts. But Historically NT academics/professionals have called themselves 'autism experts' which is offensive to us since we've been oppressed, marginalised, silenced. It's be like a heterosexual person saying they're an LGBTQ+ expert
A lot of this is very relatable for me as an
#Autistic
SLT. To this day I haven't been able to get past the interview stage in
#NHS
. I've now gone into private practice because of the sheer amount of barriers.
'Divergent Perspectives' (
@DivergentSLT
) has officially launched! We are an online training provider for Neurodiversity-Affirming models of practice: . Merry Christmas!🎄
#autism
#neurodiversity
I learnt a thing today - 'asynchronous communication' - when someone sends a message without expecting an instant response (email, voice notes, txts etc). As an
#autistic
SLT I value all methods of comm'n - BUT this is my preferred way to communicate and express/describe my ideas
"I am just arguing to respect autistic children’s play as an important part of who they are. If we reject it, we are rejecting them". Pushing (neurotypical) play goals on
#autistic
children inadvertently sets the wheels in motion for masking.
#Ableism
Wow. This powerfully sums up why most therapy harms autistic people. The dominant model of therapy offered is verbally-mediated, failing those with communication difficulties particularly Selective Mutism.
#autism
#SLT
#therapy
#Neurodivergent
When we "get children ready for the real world" by toughening them up, exposing them to harsh treatment and teach them to bury their pain, then this leads to one thing:
Trauma.
#autism
#distress
#trauma
#ABA
#PBS
Language is ever evolving and I always wonder about "Neurodiversity affirming" when we refer to autism. Should we not be saying "Neurodivergent affiming"?
Neurodiversity affirmative (NDA) is the new paradigm in the world of autism.
NDA assessment
NDA supports
NDA education
NDA healthcare
NDA autism research
A neurodiversity affirmative approach will transform outcomes for autistic people, particularly wrt mental health
#ITAKOM_CONF
#Mentalhealth
services often label people as being "demanding" and "difficult" when they self-advocate for better care. This is a form of gaslighting and a way to avoid accountability.
#NHS
I was interviewed on a podcast :)
24:00 - Autism/Verbal Dyspraxia
29:00 - 'Selective Mutism'
38:00 - Barriers to
#AAC
45:00 - Sensory/Communication
51:00 - My journey to diagnosis
01:07 - Why I became a
#SLT
01:10 -
#Autism
& mental health (eating disorders, body dysmorphia)
When I changed my practice to be be Neurodivergent-Affirming, I stopped using most speech and language assessments published for
#Autistic
social interaction. This includes: CCC-2, SSIS.
#SLT
@remembrancermx
Someone suggested that when my baby turns 1 year-old, to make that a celebration of keeping a tiny human alive and to congratulate myself on surviving it, cos the baby will likely not remember. I'm totally getting myself a big cake and going out 😅
I highly recommend this for Speech & Language Therapists who work with
#Autistic
children. We're not taught about the idiosyncrasies of Echolalia & Gestalt Language Processing on our training. It's essential we understand this when supporting language development.
#SLT
@rcslt
A great list of nonspeaker pages for professionals. We have a responsibility to learn FROM
#nonspeakers
, rather than being gatekeepers in deciding what methods of communication we THINK are more superior than others.
#AAC
@AutisticDoctor
Also the typical response you get when trying to amplify Autistic voices by sharing views of the community goes something like this: "But you're just one autistic professional. You're just one autistic person. You can't speak for ALL autistic people. Who are 'the community??"
If nothing changes, nothing changes. Professionals working within the system need to understand that
#Autistic
distress presents as shutdowns, meltdowns, and mental health crises.
@NHS
Hey all - just to let you know I've had to cancel October and November's webinars. I've made a decision to do some radical self-care. Staving off burnout as a self-employed
#Autistic
person is hard when you want to do all the things. Next week's webinar will still be on though :)
I'll be running a series of 1-hour webinars starting in August! The focus will be on Autism & speech, language, communication. Different tickets available. Aimed at
#SLTs
/ professionals, parents/carers.