You couldn't guess how much grief this picture got me into with my local 'Catholic parents of kids with autism' (🤮) group

Pleased to share a new preprint reporting community involvement in autism research. In Jan 2021, Autism Journal introduced mandatory reporting of community involvement. Our team of autistic and non-autistic researchers evaluated the impact of this policy.
osf.io/g89w4

So excited to be able to announce this!
Wonderful illustrations and cover by the amazing Jonathan Raiseborough ✏✨

TheAutisticAdvocate Amy Pearson Pavilion Publishing and Media Ltd Reading this on the beach 🏖️

Thank you 🙏🏽

PLEASE SHARE

The DWP consultation on PIP is out. The gov is trying to take away a vital benefit for so many disabled people

Closes 22nd July

gov.uk/government/con…

#SLTs we need to open our minds and put down our 'tools' and come into a space of collaboration and one that honours the many ways we language. Diversity in communication shows us there's more than one frame to understand how to empower someone to communicate.

Who’s ready for the trailer of GEEK GIRL? Dropping very, very soon. ❤️🥰💓

I see that our soon-to-be-voted-out Government is giving disabled people a last few verbal-and-policy punches on their way past.
The answer to 'we need more votes' in times of crisis is never 'hate more people', Tory party.

This is NOT a stand alone incident in a single rogue school. Read the ICARS Report which evidences a systemic lack of protection for disabled children in our schools.
#AgainstRestraint
#DyingForAnEducation

againstrestraint.com/icars-report/

16/16 It will be extremely damaging and irresponsible if this PBS framework becomes mandatory in our disability services.

Inclusion Ireland Derval AsIAm DFI HIQA Anne Rabbitte TD

If you’re still supporting this, I need you to explain how you can stand by this

15/16 Because of this intervention disabled people are completely policed, and this intervention isn’t even recognised as a restrictive practise.

Policed
Restrictions
Normalisation

This isn’t support, it’s a punishment for being disabled

14/16 Towards the end when discussing reinforcement she said we all have bad behaviours/habits, it’s just life, to have these

But we shouldn’t have them in work and therefore disabled people should only be taught good behaviour and PBS is brought in if they have any bad habits

12/16 Positive behaviour is described as, ‘appropriate’ coping skills, social skills, communication skills, home skills

Remember stimming is attention seeking behaviour so not considered appropriate

And it’s the PBS team that decide what this ‘positive behaviour’ looks like.

11/16 Several times mentioned how all behaviour is communication, and we all engage in challenging behaviour, so it’s not unusual for disabled people to do it.

But didn’t explain why if we all do it, only disabled people have to go through the horror of behaviour plans?

10/16 There was a lot of promoting ABA (the org recently hired a well known BCBA - so I’d imagine this is why).

Had a whole slide on PBS being evidence based but had no references or attachments to any research included.

9/16 In explaining the types of behaviour

Stimming was described as an attention seeking behaviour, and to be discouraged

A kid pretending to be sick so they didn’t have to go to school is avoidant behaviour

Aversives were described as, “things that are ‘yucky’ for the person”

8/16 Said people with ID are born with a huge disadvantage with behaviour

Claimed people ‘on the autism spectrum’ who can communicate usually have no emotional development so can’t tell you they’re upset

She also called autistic people ‘emotionally low functioning’

7/16 There was a lot of basic things she didn’t know, and was insulting to a lot of disabled people

E.g if you can’t communicate verbally you’re likely to have behaviours that challenge, but if you can’t communicate verbally & you’re in a wheelchair then you’ll have ‘severe’ BTC

4/16 PBS came from the normalisation movement which is somehow also described as person-centred.

They glossed over that without explaining it, and moved on quickly.

Normalisation & Social role valorisation are absolutely NOT person-centred

3/16 They were very open that ABA is a part of PBS.

I’m hearing this a lot recently. PBS used to try and distance themselves from it but they’re openly admitting it now.