Autistic Girls Network
@AutisticGirls_
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We no longer post here. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. Registered charity 1196655 supporting autistic girls & women.
UK
Joined December 2017
We no longer post here. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and at some point Blue Sky.
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Instead of the external presentation we can see with autistic meltdowns, shutdowns see the individual turn inward. Whilst a shutdown can appear calm from the outside compared to a meltdown it can be equally exhausting for the individual experiencing it. #AutisticShutdown #Autism
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Representation matters. Jason Arday didn't speak until 11. He didn't write until 18. Next month at 37 he becomes the youngest black, autistic professor at Cambridge, researching neurodivergence and black students, & how to open doors to the disadvantaged.
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Many neurodivergent people are demand-avoidant. Schools can be places which attempt to control almost everything about a young person's day, in an environment which often disregards their sensory needs. It's not surprising when the two often seem incompatible in that situation.
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If an autistic, situationally mute 11 yr old is too anxious to go to school, it's NOT appropriate for the SENCO to tell the parent they will come to their house the next day & take child to school in their PJs. We hope this isn't your new era of zero tolerance @nadhimzahawi.
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On average, autistic girls are diagnosed later than boys, and often after severe mental health problems. We don't want to see them failed by the system time and time again. We are actively working to lower the age of diagnosis for girls, because autistic girls deserve better.
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Communication misunderstandings happen constantly in schools. If an autistic young person says to a teacher "What does this have to do with X?" they are being literal, not sarcastic. Not understanding autistic communication is a neurotypical communication deficit. #DoubleEmpathy.
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Over half of autistic people are also alexithymic (a difficulty recognising & articulating emotions). We'd say much more than half in the internally-presenting cohort that makes up our Facebook group. Nobody can expect perfect emotional regulation from alexithymic young people.
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Being autistic at school can look like a lot of different things. But here is one presentation we hear about often when talking with autistic girls and their parents. When schools can't see a problem, parents of #autistic children are left to fight for an autism assessment alone.
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@CarrieGrant1 Huge waiting lists. Autistic children with depression refused therapy because it's 'their autism'. CAMHS #mentalhealth staff who know very little about autism despite many on their waiting list being autistic. Even in very serious crisis, a 2 year wait for autism assessment.
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We shouldn't need to add 'access to a toilet at all times' to our Schools Reasonable Adjustments document. But it seems we do. Locked bathrooms other than for very short windows of times are anxiety-inducing for neurodivergent pupils. A 'toilet pass' does NOT require a GP letter.
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We need more autistic doctors. We need more autistic teachers. We need more autistic therapists. We need more autistic police officers. We need more people who understand. Those struggling with the system now need help. Help us spread the word.
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Sadly, we have had to close applications for this service in less than 24 hours because we've had 7 times the number of applications that we have places. Grant funders, this is the level of unmet need. National and local government, this is the level of unmet need.
⭐️We're delighted to announce the launch of our Post Diagnostic Support Mentoring service, kindly funded by The Boshier Grant Scheme, administered by @Autism . More info: Please note that there are limited places and we expect them to disappear quickly.
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You know we talk about autistic people being gaslighted?.Here we are. The author denied autistic masking exists, RT'd a post calling us riffraff, recommended a book which calls having an autistic child a tragedy, then ignored the 100s of 'unheard' autistic people replying.
Absolutely 💯 the Austistic community decided to use my tweet and misrepresent it's good intentions. I support this community, they are unheard and under supported yet here we are. It is okay, not everyone is going to understand your written messaging or intentions. 🤍🦋.
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If a child needs glasses would anyone take them away so they could be desensitised to not seeing well?.Of course not.
How to tell me you know nothing about autism without telling me you know nothing about autism…. But not just uninformed, it’s discriminatory & probably open to legal challenge.
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Resilience should not be something we are asking of autistic kids in school. Autistic kids in mainstream are already being resilient just navigating a normal school day. The crowded corridors. The lights. The noise. The smells. The social pressure. Please don't ask for more.
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On the very first day of #AutismAcceptanceWeek we didn’t expect to need to make a statement about developments which show a profound lack of acceptance and understanding of neurodivergent people. But here we are.
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@Philippa_Perry Everyone that wasn't diagnosed as a child was missed. Everyone. Self identification then becomes part of the process. Nobody else is stepping up to do it. And experiencing the world in a different way to the majority can absolutely be part of your identity.
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#Autistic children often get told they have poor social skills. Yet studies have shown that autistic people socialise perfectly well with other neurodivergent people. So maybe the problem isn't social skills, but that as a society we believe only one way of socialising is right?.
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So many statistics used seem to conflate autism with mental health problems. But if we recognised autism earlier, helped everyone to view it positively and supported to understand energy accounting and putting in positive boundaries, mental ill health is NOT inevitable.
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For schools:. If you have a pupil with ARFID (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder), please listen to their parent who will have had to research this condition thoroughly. They have to because most people - including some health professionals - haven't heard of it.
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The sooner we recognise a young person’s neurotype the sooner we ensure their needs are met and support them to fulfil their potential. Proactive action is key to minimise the risks of isolation & trauma. Awareness, education & training is where change happens. #Autism
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Only 14% of secondary teachers have had more than half a day of training on autism according to @Autism new Education Report. 73% of autistic pupils in the UK are in mainstream schools. All teachers are teaching autistic pupils.
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It's #AutisticPrideDay and we're proud of you for navigating a world designed for neurotypicals. We're proud of your loyalty, your determination for social justice, your passions, your intense empathy, and you being YOU, just as you are. We're working on the rest of the world.
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Well, yes. People who put themselves forward for an ADHD or autism assessment have often done extensive research, taken numerous online assessments and joined groups talking to other neurodivergent people to reach their conclusions.
Experts told @ScienceCaroline that many of the people who think they have ADHD and seek a diagnosis are often right.
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We're celebrating this International Women’s Day by launching our new white paper on an internal presentation of autism & why it's often missed. A must-read for everyone who needs to understand autism (which is all of us) and recognise it earlier. #IWD2022
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Autistic masking often comes with a toll on mental health. Constantly conforming to societal expectations can lead to exhaustion, anxiety, & loss of self-esteem. With more acceptance & understanding, we can empower individuals to embrace their true selves. #Autistic
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@Miss_Snuffy It's astonishing that a Head Teacher would consider it best practice to share a video of a child taken without their consent, no matter what the context. Not to mention with no knowledge of the circumstances.
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ALL schools have a duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people under the Equality Act, 2010. Here's our list of some of the adjustments that can be made to make neurodivergent pupils' school careers more equitable with their peers.
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In #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek2021 we're asking teachers to share. There are students in your school, probably in your class, who are autistic but undiagnosed. They unconsciously mask their autism to fit in with their peers. But #autistic masking is damaging to mental health.
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A must-read for both parents and education, health and social care professionals, our white paper looks at the internal presentation of autism and why it’s so often missed. Read here -
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You can’t ask neurodivergent pupils to self-advocate if you don’t then listen to what they say and act on it. You can’t ask neurodivergent pupils to self-regulate if you then stop them using their soothing techniques (unless it hurts someone). Responsibility goes both ways.
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Hiding your true self to fit in, to be accepted and to avoid prejudice. Suppressing the behaviours are natural to you, that help you to regulate. Exhausting, draining, damaging. The more the world understands and accepts autism, the more we can all be our true selves. #Autism
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We're calling time on #AutismAwarenessWeek. We don't need more awareness, we need more understanding of neurodivergence. We need more understanding that people experience the world in different ways. There is not just one right way, but many.
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This is a common story we hear at Autistic Girls Network. Is this similar to your experience, or do you have a different experience?
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A reminder that in some areas of England, 13 times as many boys are diagnosed autistic as girls. In other areas, only 2 times as many. That's not some miraculous geographic anomaly, that's a difference in diagnostic teams. (THREAD).
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Dear CAMHS services around England:.None of you commission us to provide services. We are a tiny new charity with almost no funding & no employees. So please do not send people to us to try to help with the issues that CAMHS & other funded services are commissioned to deal with.
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Not specifically mentioned in this article, but a huge proportion of those on the long CAMHS mental health waiting lists will be neurodivergent.
Young people waiting up to four years for critical help; parents sleeping on their child’s floor to keep them safe; children out of school for years while they wait for help. The government needs to do better for our children
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Glimmers, the opposite of triggers! These are just some examples of the kind of moments that can give us feelings of calm and safety. Finding our own glimmers can really support our wellbeing 💜 #AutisticGlimmers #AutismUnderstanding
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Researchers:. We are turning down all requests for research surveys etc to be posted in our Facebook group of 7000+ if they use person first language or speak in terms of deficits. Researchers must also confirm that the resulting paper will not concentrate on deficits or ABA.
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Autistic children grow into autistic adults. That's how being human works. Some are doctors, some are teachers, some work in a supermarket, some are unemployed. That's how being human works. All are valuable. All have lived experience of being autistic. LISTEN to autistic people.
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We've updated our graphic with all the reasons people have told us they or their child weren't referred for an assessment or diagnosed #autistic. None of these are legitimate reasons to deny a referral or assessment, but they caused much distress. All went on to be diagnosed.
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It’s Autism Acceptance Week, show your support by amplifying autistic voices so that together we can celebrate our differences and make the world a richer, more inclusive place. #AutismAcceptanceWeek #AutismAwareness #AutismAcceptanceWeek2023
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Neurodivergent brains are not so different as you think. In fact there are roughly 7.5 times as many neurodivergent people as there are people with naturally blonde hair. Think about that in terms of workforce. Perhaps you need to reconsider how you think about neurodiversity?
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No kidding!.An eating disorder should be a flag to investigate autism. It may be an unfortunate development in an unrecognised internal presentation of autism. All professionals working in mental health and eating disorders need to know this & act upon it.
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It’s important to remember that “mild” or “severe” is usually referring to an external view with the neurotypical experience in mind, not the experience of the autistic individual. Functioning labels do not give an accurate picture of support needs. #Autism #Neurodiversity
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School leaders:.If some neurodivergent pupils are struggling with anxiety around school, making prom attendance dependent on school attendance or attainment is not the deal-breaker you think, nor will it increase attendance. But it will break trust. Reframe to Can't Not Won't.
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72% of autistic children & young people are in mainstream school - those are only the diagnosed ones. Many more remain undiagnosed as schools don’t recognise autistic masking - they haven’t had the training to do so. ALL teachers teach pupils with SEND. Even if they don’t realise.
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Only 14% of secondary teachers have had more than half a day of training on autism according to @Autism new Education Report. 73% of autistic pupils in the UK are in mainstream schools. All teachers are teaching autistic pupils.
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Secondary Schools:.Dropping a GCSE subject that they really struggle with or intensely dislike is a reasonable adjustment for neurodivergent young people. Forcing them to continue studying it is not person-centred and may end up with them not sitting any exams at all.
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This post asking teachers to share on our Facebook page has been shared over 600 times in less than 24 hours. #AutismUnderstanding is spreading in #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek but more is needed.
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New school uniform line with 'soft seams' and no labels in the UK.
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"I know a lot of people are hesitant about seeking a diagnosis. in my experience, it is a lot better for a person’s self-esteem to be a successful autistic person than a failed neurotypical person.".
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A diagnosis is not just a diagnosis, it is understanding and knowledge. This includes self-diagnosis. And after-all, a neurodivergent person has likely already experienced being labelled in life, ‘naughty’, ‘dramatic’, ‘sensitive’, ‘weird’. #Neurodivergence #Autistic
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In a world full of systems designed for neurotypical people, Autistic people don’t need to work on their resilience. Some are already hugely more resilient than their peers by just getting through the day. Our blog post explains more - #Autism
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There's a pattern happening in our schools. Unrecognised autistic child breaks down, can't cope at school. School are pressured for attendance figures, put pressure on parents. CAMHS can't see child as waiting list is so long. Families under huge pressure.
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We're understanding more about the damage a late diagnosis can do to mental health, confidence & self-esteem. Girls aren’t diagnosed later because of a female phenotype of autism (there isn’t one), they're missed for complex reasons such as masking and presenting internally.
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“I searched for 45 years for who I was. I had no identity – it was like looking in a looking glass with no reflection.”. @guardian thank you for publishing a succession of articles on late-diagnosed autistic women.
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@BootstrapCook And some families just don’t have the capacity to shop in different places or do speedy mental budgets either.
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Similarly to autism, ADHD can have an internal presentation in those brought up as girls. Therefore many girls & women go undiagnosed or are misdiagnosed with anxiety & depression. A better understanding of internalised ADHD could change lives through earlier diagnosis & support.
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Being too anxious to go to school is not 'refusing' school. Refusal is a choice. She is not choosing to go to school, she is unable to go. Her unconscious brain has told her that school is not a safe place - and now it's even more unsafe - and is protecting her.
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Currently, the autistic diagnostic criteria focuses on what are seen as deficits. For example, Restrictive and Repetitive Behaviours. But monotropism and hyperfocus aren't a deficit. We might not have made many of the great human breakthroughs without them. #UnderstandingMatters.
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Autism & ADHD often co-exist. It can feel like a battle in the mind, trying to balance 2 opposing needs. AuDHD can appear like a different presentation altogether. An individual may feel they don’t relate fully to autism or to ADHD. More:
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School staff: Make sure there are digital clocks in all the rooms you are using for exams. Students with dyscalculia (and there will be some even if you don't know who they are) will likely have difficulty reading an analogue clock and will be disadvantaged in exam timings.
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We're sometimes asked if a child should be told that they are autistic. And the answer is always yes. Of course yes. Being autistic is part of human diversity. Sometimes it can be difficult being autistic in a society shaped for neurotypicals, but understanding will change that.
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Just some examples of stimming. Self-stimulatory behaviour gives autistic individuals control over sensory stimuli & a way to regulate their emotions. Unless it's dangerous to someone's health it shouldn't be discouraged as it's a vital method of self-regulation #AutismAcceptance
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It's about time. We know that being AuDHD is more likely than being singley autistic or ADHD. Anecdotally it may be even more likely if you've been missed as neurodivergent.
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Behaviour charts in classrooms. Anxious neurodivergent children. =.Increased anxiety, situational mutism and being too anxious to go to school.
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"Where a pupil does not attend. the classroom is the best place for their education, development and wellbeing.".Sorry @educationgovuk that's just not true for many #neurodivergent and anxious young people. It's school that has caused their huge #anxiety.
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At long last we've received the news we've been waiting for from the Charities Commission - we are an official registered charity!
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The key is how to make school a safe place for her. Not to threaten her. Threatening someone, or their family, does not make them feel safe.
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RSD appears to mainly occur with ADHD. It's an extreme pain & emotional sensitivity that may be experienced in response to an actual or perceived rejection or criticism. If your young person has a very extreme reaction to criticism or rejection, this may be why. #Neurodivergence
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Autistic people have high chances of developing mental health issues including suicidal thoughts and intentions & undiagnosed autistics seem over-represented in those who have died by suicide. The world must become a better, more understanding place. #WorldSuicidePreventionDay.
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Not only that, it's likely to mean the child will never willingly go to that school again. The mental health implications are appalling. We know that schools are being pressured to stop persistent absence, but this is not the way, and shows no understanding of psychology.
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Just some of the reasons we’ve been told (in our FB group) why autistic girls have been refused an assessment or diagnosis. The referral process can be challenging especially for girls. Too often families are forced to choose private assessment, not an option available to all.
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@JoSoHappy83 @ADHDFoundation @PCamhs School need to be reminded of their duty to anticipate the need for reasonable adjustments according to the Equality Act, 2010. It seems reasonable to anticipate that someone with executive function difficulties may sometimes forget equipment.
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"Future research should concentrate on how to increase empathy among the normative population and reduce the responsibility and burden of autistic people having to fit in.".The empathy deficit of neurotypicalism.
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Sadly we're not surprised - we have four whole pages of similar comments about CAMHS from our followers and members @guardian .It was a broken service before the pandemic.
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@rcpsych So much to unpick here. So many autistic people misdiagnosed as BPD before recognising they’re autistic. So many autistic people who have suffered huge trauma in everyday environments not built for them. So many disagreements with that right hand column….
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SENCO must know that they have no right to come into the house and take the child against their will, and surely must also know that taking an anxious, autistic 11 yr old in a strange car with people she doesn't trust, in her pajamas to change at school is a recipe for disaster.
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Years under CAMHS but no professionals spotted autism, ADHD or Dyspraxia - this mirrors lots of experiences of our members. In the meantime, self-esteem plummets.
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@Jo_Frost Telling people to go to Insta to get the full version of this tweet is not helpful. Many won't. And therefore you have just invalidated many of the neurodivergent accounts on here trying to build awareness around the real difficulty for neurodivergent young people in schools.
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Combined diagnostic criteria needs looking at when a girl can be diagnosed SPD, APD and ADHD but they won't diagnose autism because she talks too much. 1st, talking a lot does not mean she's not autistic. 2nd, you've just diagnosed her ADHD. Isn't it likely she impulsively talks?.
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We have many requests to join our Facebook group each day. But the latest, from a grandmother joining for her autistic grandchild and because she thinks she might also be autistic, has made our hearts swell. She's 82.
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Professionals working with children and young people who are or may be autistic:.please LISTEN to them and BELIEVE them.
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Watch our short film featuring clips from neurodivergent adults sharing their school experiences and what they're up to now. It's a beacon of hope for neurodivergent youth, reminding them that their school days don't define them. 🎥
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Please don't stop them from bringing in their safe foods. Some children with ARFID only eat 4-5 different foods. They probably aren't what you consider healthy foods, but they are healthier than eating nothing. A child with ARFID will eat nothing in preference to other foods.
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Fine outside doesn’t always equal fine inside. When someone's struggling with school everyone should prioritise listening to them & those who know them best, understanding why & understanding what fine actually looks like for that young person #Masking #SENDCO #SENDReform
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If you want an autistic young person to trust you (and they need trusted people, especially in schools) PLEASE do what you say you are going to do. This is really important. If you say you're going to do it, you must do it or give a very good reason why not. Or say 👋 to trust.
@SENDveteran When you promise to introduce her to the teachers DO IT! Don't leave her hanging, struggling to cope,reinforcing her mistrust in you and others because you didn't have time so you changed the day and STILL failed to do it, TWICE! can you tell I'm miffed? @AutisticGirls_.
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“Maybe Autism in Black girls manifests how it manifests in white girls but you do not see us.”.Read our new blog post around autism in black girls from our trustee, Warda Farah @WFarahslt - #AutismUnderstanding #AutisticGirls
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"What if I had known sooner? How would my life have been? I tell myself the alternative is impossible: during my childhood, female autists without intellectual impairment, as a recognised category, didn’t exist. No one could have given me a diagnosis.".
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Please don't tell their parent "he'll eat when he's hungry". He won't if it's not a safe food. Please don't tell the child to "just try" a different food. ARFID is an eating disorder and you are not mental health professionals.
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@Jo_Frost @JodieSmitten Presumably you know that Dr Koegel is involved in ABA which is considered to be abusive by the autistic community. Rather than listening, trolling your audience is an odd thing for a well-known person to do. Perhaps all publicity really is good publicity?.
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Cutting new EHCPs at the same time as pushing 100% attendance leads us to suspect those in power have not connected the dots despite being told repeatedly that the current system is not working. Less EHCPs = less support = more pressure on mainstream.
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The neurotypical way isn’t the only way! We need to move from talking about autism in terms of deficit to talking about respecting human diversity and autistic people’s strengths and potential, accepting that neurodiversity is as beneficial as biodiversity. #AutismAcceptance
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