Nicky

Oh I just love posting about autism again and my replies immediately being full of stuff like ‘autism is neurodevelopmental brain damage’ and ‘autism is caused by jabs’. No wonder I left this app for a while.

@JaacksHappyHour Keekos, no idea why

what did you used to call these drinks as a kid?

@Argos_Online @ArgosHelpers That would be amazing!!! Thank you Santa Kay! 🎅😊

@EvermoreSocial @ArgosHelpers Hi Nicky, Would you like to DM us your postcode and then we can call a couple of local stores to see if they have any spares for you ? Kay

@Argos_Online a Christmas SOS! Your marketing assets are clearly top notch as my daughter has put this on her letter to Santa! 🎅 Every time she’s seen one of these doll cut outs in the year she’s wanted to take her home. Our local store said they don’t have spares,

is there any way you can help this Santa out in uniting these 2 girls this Christmas? 🎄

At a school today I’ve been asked to speak to 2 x 200 kids. But first, with a handful of children who prefer to avoid large assemblies. Including children with autism. Such a good idea. I’ll be offering this as an option at all my school visits now. tompalmer.co.uk/schools-librar…

@gfreeman2012 @ShakinthatChalk We do in the run up to Summer as we have a 5 week summer hol and 2 weeks in October

Seeing teachers lament an 8 week term saying it’s too much. It isn’t. The real issue is the school day. Decompress the school day and the levels of fatigue that set in over the weeks will be a fraction of what it is now.

@mrbrothwood @JenkinsonTroy Thankyou! 😊

Pleased to announce I have been asked to speak at this conference on 28th Nov by Nottingham City Council To book a place for your school or setting, please click here lnkd.in/dNpysejA . . . #wellbeing #keynote #workshop #training #nottingham #edi #belonging

@CouncillorQ @bluecoattrent 👏👏👏

Back at my desk after a break to find good news in my inbox. I've ben advocating with Ollie's parents to secure a local school place for months & he's finally back in education this week at BTA, pursuing his dream of being an engineer again! ✏️👷🏾#jobdone (shared with consent)

🚨 Help Save Autistic Nottingham! 🚨 We’re facing financial hardship because of over £30K owed to us from a few sources and need our support to stay open. Please consider donating: donate.giveasyoulive.com/donate?cid=228…💙 Together, we can make a difference! 🙏 #SupportAutisticNottingham

🚨 Help Save Autistic Nottingham! 🚨 We’re facing financial hardship because of over £30K owed to us from a few sources and need our support to stay open. Please consider donating: donate.giveasyoulive.com/donate?cid=228…💙 Together, we can make a difference! 🙏 #SupportAutisticNottingham

This man is a survivor like no other on Twitter. When I'm feeling discouraged, I check in with @John_Dabell's Twitter account for an attitude adjustment. Thanks for being awesome, John!

@bphillipsonMP But do you see how your end of the deal has to be in place and FIRST before many kids will be able to access school? Kids can’t continue to be traumatised while they’re waiting.

If government, parents & schools work together, children thrive. I'll hold up my end of the deal: to roll out breakfast clubs, mental health support, curriculum reform, careers advice, better SEND provision. My ask is simple: help children into school. mumsnet.com/talk/guest_pos…

Shaming and punishing young people does not make them want to be at school. If #attendancematters, let’s stamp out these disproportionate responses to perceived non-compliance and focus more on connection and belonging. 🌈 Please share positive return-to-school stories here ⬇️

For those families who are anxious and worried for their children and the return to school this week remember there are lots of us out there who do understand. Listen to your instinct and do what is best for your family.x

We’re looking for an experienced Fundraiser to join our small but mighty charity! This brand-new role is crucial to our growth and offers a unique chance to shape our charity’s future. Part-time, home based, flexible hours. Join us! bit.ly/AGNFLR #CharityJobs

What a strange thing we do to our young people in this culture and time. We make them spend several years learning things which they often have no interest in, which they have not chosen and which they will in many cases never use again. We tell them that these things are vitally important. Then we sit them in rows and make them write about the things they can remember for an intense few hours. We compare what they have written down with everyone else of the same age, and then we rank them. We make them wait a couple of months and then we tell some that they are the successes, and others that they are the failures. We encourage them to hang their self-worth on how they performed. Newspapers publish pictures of the delighted, whilst the disappointed hide their heads in shame. We tell them that these results will determine the rest of their lives – and then we set up systems that make this true. We provide fewer opportunities for those who did not succeed. Those who did well can take their pick of courses, whilst those who did not are made to take the same tests again and again, just to hammer it home. We make sure that young people spend the majority of their adolescence focused on exams and pressure. Every summer, they sit in rows and try to remember. Each year, they’re told that their whole future rests on this. Many of them inevitably cave in under the pressure. They become anxious and depressed. They show signs of burnout by the age of 16. They lose their spark, and just go through the motions. Some of them retreat altogether. Then we pathologise them, say that they need mental health treatment or to become more resilient. We send them for therapy or give them medication. We say that they are the problem, whilst the system carries on unchanged. What if instead we stopped to think about what we are doing to our young people? Adolescence is a time of opportunity and vulnerability. It’s a one-off stage of life. What if we asked ourselves, should our young people really spend these years on a conveyor belt of high stakes exams? Imagine we allowed ourselves to look beyond this time and place, and to see just how strange this really is. What would we offer our young people then?

@MsJoBillington @ItsEmilyKaty

Can anyone recommend an #actuallyautistic speaker who can deliver a talk about employment for me? The remit is flexible, so could be about adjustments, transition from school to work, personal experience of workplaces etc, but ideally with a focus on young ppl if poss.

When we teach our children that they must follow any rule an adult puts in place, no matter what, we make them vulnerable. When we teach them that they have no real voice, we make them vulnerable. When we tell them them have no right to ask why, or to explain themselves, we make them vulnerable. We might think that we are keeping them safe, that we are putting boundaries in place, but, particularly as they get older, obedience without thought makes them vulnerable. Not all adults have their interests at heart, even those in authority over them. A child who has been taught that adults always know best is convenient for those around them. ‘Easy to manage’ and biddable. Instant obedience can be trained, and makes an institution run smoothly. Children learn that there’s no point in disagreeing. But children who have learnt to do what they are told, no matter what, are easier to exploit. Children who have not been allowed to question adults won’t suddenly start when things aren’t right. As one young person said to me ‘I didn’t think I could say no’. When we take away agency from children, we make them vulnerable. Saying No is important, and if we don’t show them that they can, how will they ever know?