Autistic people are criticised for catastrophizing. The problem is not that we are wrong; thanks to our pattern recognition abilities, our predictions are usually spot on. The real issue is that we typically highlight issues that are supposed to remain hidden.
They desperately want us to believe that autism and ADHD are now being 'overdiagnosed'. The alternative is to admit that for generations, neurodivergent people have been systematically ignored and failed.
Neurodivergent people receive more negative feedback over their lifetime than neurotypical people. Often for completely inconsequential things.
When we're repeatedly told that everything we do and say is somehow wrong maintaining some sense of self-worth can be incredibly hard.
Autistic people are often criticised for reading too much into things and catastrophising. People don't want to listen despite our predictions being pretty accurate thanks to our pattern recognition abilities. I think the real issue is we often highlight what others want hidden.
The rates of unemployment for autistic people are very high. There are 100 layers of random social rules for interviews and job hunting, and if you fail any of them, you don't get hired. It would be great if more employers could rethink their approach.
If your autistic child is lonely and wants to make friends don't put them in a “social skills” group to learn how to perform like NT. Instead help them find groups and clubs linked to their special interest. That can lead to authentic connections.
Autistic people, especially autistic children, may not realise might not know that they don’t have to push on through pain if they are told to do something and it hurts. The literal interpretation of 'try your best' is often to keep going at all costs.
ADHD kids grow up to be ADHD adults, and autistic kids grow up to be autistic adults. Unfortunately, NHS mental health services are set up as if we all just disappear on our 18th birthday.
One of the autism diagnostic criteria in ICD10 that bothers me the most is 'adherence to non-functional routines'. It projects NT prejudice so clearly. Those routines absolutely have a clear purpose.
Autistic people’s sensory sensitivities are not the same as phobias. Repeated exposure doesn't help.
We are not afraid of loud noises for no good reason. We become distressed by pain or overstimulation.
Let us wear ear defenders and earplugs!!
Autistic people shouldn't have to justify their existence by having special talents and gifts that are valuable to the economy.
Judging everyone's worth in terms of productivity and economic activity is the first step to eugenics.
Autism assessments put too much emphasis on external signs and behaviours. There is little consideration of the internal world and direct experiences. The criteria need to be rewritten and diagnostic tools updated with direct input from
#ActuallyAutistic
people.
Autistic burnout is real. You are worthy of rest.
That means not replying to messages, declining invites, postponing tasks and limiting access to people who have been accustomed to draining your reserves.
Autism can't be 'cured', only hidden for the benefit of others. It eventually leads to autistic burnout.
Pushing infant masking through ABA-based early interventions is a seriously misguided approach.
The latest trend of proclaiming that autism isn't a disability is rooted in ableism. You can be proud of being autistic without throwing everyone with support needs under the bus.
Boy, 7, died of undiagnosed eating disorder as he lived on just 'a few biscuits'. Meanwhile, many ED services are fighting to distance themselves from ARFID and to continue to be anorexia centric.
Please stop and think before filming your autistic child's meltdowns and sticking those videos on the internet or having them broadcast on TV is another level.
I can't think of anything more humiliating than having my worst moments filmed and broadcast without consent.
It's commonly understood that autistic individuals don't cope well with change, but it's more than that. It's about predictability. If we can anticipate something, we can cope with it. In essence, the more mundane our lives are, the better.
Autism assessments rely way too much on observable external signs and behaviours.
You don't make any other psychiatric diagnosis with so little consideration of internal ward and direct experiences. Diagnostic criteria need to be rewritten.
Insisting that neurodivergent people must only show their strengths and not their struggles is another form of ableism. Superpower narrative can be as damaging as excessive focus on deficits.
@ashleyann_atx
Many people experience cognitive dissonance when they meet an autistic person who doesn't fit their schema of autism. It's easier to reject the notion of that person being autistic than change their beliefs.
Introducing the SAPAS, an 8-question screening for personality disorders, in primary care is a recipe for disaster. It's a perfect excuse to offroll, exclude and delegitimise patients in an already overwhelmed system with 1.6 million waiting for mental health services.
@laurenancona
The sensory requirements are absolutely valid but when the menu of options that are acceptable is so narrow that person will literally die of malnutrition then I personally think it fits a definition of a disorder and requires intervention.
I would pay good money for an Administrative Support Worker? Someone with understanding of executive dysfunction to open my mail, pay my bills, schedule appointments, make phonecalls and help me with other aspects of adulting? Why is this not a thing?
@apnoeaboy
I wish this honest portrayal could be made a part of the daily broadcast. Too many people think that being put on a ventilator is an easy fix and have unrealistic expectations regarding prospects of recovery.
@Dr_BellaR
Have you moved into my old rented house? Sounds so familiar. It reflects the state of housing in the UK that even a professional wage is not sufficient to rent something decent and simultaneously save for a house deposit.
If the scientific community was more inclined to hear autistic voices when we are still alive there would be perhaps less need for posthumous examination of diaries. 🤔
Supporting neurodivergent students requires more than just 'inclusion' in mainstream classrooms. Dig deeper. What exactly are we 'including' them into? The one size fits all behavior management programs dominating in English secondary schools cause damage on daily basis.
@DPhilipJones
Unless they have called the police and you were arrested, no one can stop you from leaving the supermarket. It is false imprisonment and is a crime in its own right.
@laurenancona
Not everyone who has ARFID is autistic (even if there is a big overlap). Sensory issues aren't the only underlying cause. In terms of accommodations who is going to support parents to implement those if they don't have access to dieticians, salt etc experienced with feeding?
@SethornelgTales
What they think of as 'desensitization' is learning how to ignore your pain, don't trust your own body and bend over backwards for convenience of others. That's not a good preparation for healthy adulthood.
Genuinely horrific how many people in the mental health community take their own lives and their last tweets look like this. Mental health services can be so woefully inadequate and until that changes, people will continue to die.
RIP
@TraumaPhDandMe
.
@laurenancona
Personally I think that flagging up autistic people at risk of death through malnutrition and offering them dedicated support is useful but we can agree to disagree.
It's important to grasp that the spectrum isn't linear. Each and every autistic person has their own profile of strengths and difficulties. Just because an autistic person thrives at university and has a professional career, it doesn't mean they don't have support needs in other
Cllr Hammersley responds to being told that children with SEND were institutionalised with "they must have had better ways of dealing with them. Let's go back to some of those ways"
@draevans
Different. It can be difficult to quantify. Pulling a 'high functioning' autistic person out of a pit of severe mental illness often takes much more energy and resources than arranging a care package to support someone with their activities of daily living.
The default response of many autistic people to any change of plans is 'NO!' Our brains perceive a threat and quickly go into fight or flight mode. Please be patient and try to give us some notice and time to adjust.
Autism and ADHD are not just childhood disorders. They persist across the lifespan and significantly impact daily life.
We need more resources and support for neurodivergent adults, including elders.
Sensory rooms are fashionable at the moment in psychiatric hospitals as a way to help autistic people. Overwhelming bombardment of harsh lights and loud noises isn't remedied by providing intermittent access to a room with a lava lamp in a corner.
I often say that you can't CBT yourself out of autism. However we need to make a distinction between autism and other co-occurring conditions like ARFID or OCD, which respond well to CBT.
@AnnMemmott
If it did work, I would be seriously worried about potential side effects. The way it feels to me is that my brain is making too many connections, and accelerating this process even more seems somewhat unwise.
There is a strong conviction that if we close all psychiatric hospitals patients will be happily supported to live their best lives in the community. The more likely outcome is that another institution will take over.
Idaho didn’t have a state mental health unit so they’ve just been putting severe mentally ill patients in maximum security prison!!! They just now approved funding.
The noble idea behind closing inpatient CAMHS beds was to 'move care into the community. Instead, we moved it into paediatric wards in acute hospitals.
Do you ever wonder why so many autistic people have a seemingly short fuse? We go about our daily lives with a very high base level of stress. Constantly teetering close to the edge. Navigating communication challenges, sensory overload, overstimulation and more.
@AnnMemmott
If the choice was between bunch of people holding me down and mechanical restraints I would definitely prefer mechanical but to describe it as positive and caring is very much a stretch.
@milton_damian
Because we are expected to devote every minute of our waking lives, particularly as children, to learning how to be more neurotypical. Aimless fun not allowed.
@BBCr4today
@MishalHusain
It really scares me that the platform is given to 'experts' who don't even grasp the distinction between basic terms in this discourse. Neurodiverse and neurodivergent aren't interchangeable.
If your autistic child is trying to make friends but having a hard time with it don't put them in social skills training class. Help them find a group linked to their interests and passions. That can lead to real and lasting connections.
@laurenancona
What has happened in this case is that all the difficulties were dismissed as part of autism and no intervention or monitoring was offered.
@PCamhs
It baffles me as well. ED is not just anorexia. It's an umbrella term that includes ARFID, pica and rumination disorder, which are commonly associated with neurodevelopmental conditions like autism.
@laurenancona
What we talk about here is a child starving to death because none considered offering supplemental nutrition in the face of very severe food restriction.
@Hisly9
@nicocoer
My grand-grandmother died aged 104 and her diet for the last 3 to 4 years was pretty much exclusively cake as she didn't fancy anything else.
‘Cuckooing’ in vulnerable people’s homes could become criminal offence. Great, how about we reflect on non existent community support that makes it possible for criminals to take over houses of vulnerable people without anyone noticing.
@Dr_Done_
I strongly believe that what allowed PA idea to really take hold is a product of the medical education lobby and what they have done with UK training programs.
@RoshanaMN
The expectation to se personal mobile for on-call is wrong and needs to be addressed. Having a work mobile that can be switched off when not at work is a cornerstone of a healthy work-life balance.
The constant use of the term "special needs" is causing ableists to accuse people of wanting "special treatment". It's hardly a 'golden ticket' to have access to what others can take for granted.
This poor boy and his mum AFRID is a serious eating disorder. Parents and children need proper care and support. It's not just fussy eating and the consequences are horrific. Very close to home this one. We need change now.
We hear a lot about autistic people not belonging in psychiatric hospitals but less about suitable alternatives. Has anyone tried innovative models like dedicated crisis houses run by actually autistic people?
@BylineTV
@mikegalsworthy
Why all those people upset by Eastern Europeans stilling their jobs not grabbing this fantastic opportunity with both hands? 🤔
@ChildrensComm
Great. Who is going to tackle the lack of appropriate provision for children with additional needs, schools ignoring clinical recommendations regarding reasonable adjustments and growing numbers of exclusions?
@Angelmouse72
There is too much fragmentation. Go to CAMHS for ADHD, go to peads for ASD, school to assess for dyslexia, bun fight who should take responsibility for assessing for LD. It should be a one-stop-shop neurodevelopmental assessment once difficulties are picked up.
@NellAitch
It's beyond ironic that her final message highlighted the futility of seeking help and yet people still feel compelled to come up with the 'reach out' platitudes in response.
@laurenancona
I'm sure there are places where some misguided ABA style interventions take place to try and enforce a varied diet but this isn't what I'm talking about.
@AnnMemmott
We do hear a lot about 'homes not hospitals' being the aim. However a lot of community placements seem to be just like hospitals with the same restrictions and approaches. Is it because care plans are always driven by behavioral theory regardless of the setting?
@AnnMemmott
I mean, 30 years ago is not some ancient past. That's when I got diagnosed, and I was not considered to be some unique and rare specimen, never encountered before.
@Dr_BellaR
All the administrative tasks and most jobs generated from the ward round to free up doctors to attend clinics? Like the role was originally designed for and sold as?
Autistic inertia is similar to Newton’s inertia, in that not only do Autistic people have difficulty starting things, but they also have difficulty in stopping things.
@sillyoldjen
Making choices and decisions about anything and everything quickly gets exhausting and overwhelming. Simplifying lots of stuff through stable routines preserves energy and brain power for other things.
I have mixed feelings about it. It is one thing to willingly offer your insights for the greater good and something else entirely for your most private thoughts to be mined by researchers without consent.
NEW: Caitlyn, 16, charted her hopes and fears before dying at a top boarding school. Now
@Cambridge_Uni
researchers are studying the autistic teen’s diary in a new research survey looking for answers.
Plus 10 min bill
@duncancbaker
@AmbitiousAutism
👇👇👇