Autistic Culture | Late Diagnosis Club | Dr. Angela Kingdon | Substack Understand your Autistic identity, find your community, and build a life that finally fits. Join subscribers from 66 countries and all 50 states in a community that gets you. Click to read Autistic Cu...

Check out the Autistic Culture | Late Diagnosis Club Podcast for more explorations of Autistic thought, creativity, and belonging in a neurotypical world.

www.autisticculturepodcast.com

Today we are showcasing a podcast episode from The Late Diagnosis Club featuring one of the SMRC’s PhD Researchers, George Watts @autgeek.bsky.social 🎉George shared how their experience of researching autism helped them discover that they themselves were autistic.

shows.acast.com/the-late-dia...

Free public lecture: Horror, hype or hope? Exploring AI-enabled toys and educational technologies for neurotypical and neurodivergent young children

📆Thursday May 7th, 16:00 – 17:00 BST
📌@morayhouse.bsky.social and online

Speaker: Prof @drjennyg.bsky.social

Register: edin.ac/4sFnlYZ

Text: Autism Acceptance Month. Raising awareness, acceptance, and creating a society where autistic people are supported and understood. Visit the SMRC to explore how our research is supporting autistic flourishing in school, work and society. There is a rainbow spectrum design overlaid underneath the text and a graphic of a group of multicultural people. The SMRC website is underneath the graphic.

April 2026 is #WorldAutismAcceptanceMonth ! 🌈 If you've ever wondered how you can better understand and support autistic people in your life, or if you're curious to learn more, stay tuned for autism research showcases and podcast episodes from the SMRC.

ALT TEXT: Poster shows the logo for the British Psychological Society and a line drawing of three children throwing a ball. Two of the children have prosthetic limbs. The poster text reads: Building Anti-Ableism Through Representation in Children’s Material Culture. A series of three seminars based at Queen Margaret University, the University of Strathclyde and the University of Cambridge. Join us for seminar 2: Books and Reading. Explore how disability and neurodivergent representation in books can support anti-ableist practice and challenge ableism. 21 April 2026. 1300 – 1630 BST. Hybrid – MS Teams and On Campus at University of Strathclyde, G1 1XQ. For questions and more information, email: charlotte.webber@strath.ac.uk Free to attend. Register by 17-04-2026 Submit an abstract by 20-03-2026: https://forms.office.com/e/gh4S7FUfdF Register to attend online or in-person at Strathclyde: https://edin.ac/4aU9DtL

Seminar 2 of the @bpsofficial.bsky.social-funded "Building Anti-Ableism Through Representation in Children’s Material Culture" series. "Books and Reading" : Disability and Neurodivergent representation in children's books.

Hosted by SMRC Director @katiecebula.bsky.social and Dr Charlotte Webber.

The themes from the study are described. There is a rainbow spectrum pattern layered underneath the description.

The implications from the study's findings is described. Underneath on the bottom right-hand side, there is a graphic of two people wearing yellow, black and teal clothing watching a show together.

The QR code to read the full article is overlaid on top of a multi-coloured swirl pattern. The SMRC website is underneath the QR code.

The findings from this study extends what is known by the Double Empathy Theory by considering neuro-cultural learning as part of a continuum rather than a distinctive binary based on autistic-allistic misunderstanding.

You can read the full article here: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...

The title of the article is 'A Spectrum of Understanding: A Qualitative Exploration of Autistic Adults' Understandings and Perceptions of Friendship(s)". This article was written by authors Gillespie-Smith, Mair, Alabtullatif, Pain and McConachie. Underneath the authors names, there is a graphic of two hands holding each other with a red thread around them, creating an infinity symbol.

Background for the study and the aim of the study is explained above a picture of two hands making a pinky-promise.

The study's participants and how their experiences were collected in the study are described. Underneath the description, there is a graphic of two speech bubbles (one pink, one blue) next to a graphic of a person typing on a laptop.

Rounding up #NeurodiversityCelebrationWeek, we are showcasing an article by @karri-g-smith.bsky.social, Ally Pax Arcari Mair, Aljawharah Alabtullatif, Helen Pain and Doug McConachie. This study explored inclusive accounts of friendship and autistic perceptions and experiences of friendship.

A list of the five themes researchers found using thematic analysis. The key finding is that autistic people have different social expectations compared to non-autistic people. There is a black and white graphic of three people talking with a speech bubble containing three different facial expressions underneath the key finding.

Implications from the study's findings. There is a graphic of a woman with short dark hair looking into a mirror to symbolise autistic masking and a graphic of the same woman about to shake hands with a man with short hair underneath the implications.

The QR code to access the full article is overlaid on top of a multi-coloured swirl. The SMRC's website is underneath the QR code.

The findings from this study emphasise that autistic communication should be seen as its own style of social interaction, with its own nuances, strengths and weaknesses, rather than a 'deficient' kind of non-autistic communication.

Read the full article: doi.org/10.1177/2754...

The title of the article is 'Read my lips, not my body: a thematic analysis of autistic people's social communication preferences, experiences and expectations.' The authors of this article are HEA Sutherland, Catherine Crompton, Joseph Long and Sue Fletcher-Watson. There is a graphic of three people with speech bubbles underneath the authors' names.

There is a graphic of four people with differently coloured speech bubbles underneath a description of the study background and aim.

Description of the participants and what they were asked in an online focus group. There is a graphic of a woman with long brown hair at a computer and three pink speech bubbles with yellow markings underneath the description.

Today we are showcasing a published article by @heasutherland.com (@cam.ac.uk), @cjcrompton.bsky.social, Joseph Long (Scottish Autism) and @suereviews.bsky.social in the Sage journal Neurodiversity.

This study explored autistic people's experiences of social communication with non-autistic people.

Neurodiversity Can Explain Differences in How People Experience Everyday Life Neurodiversity means that all people's brains process information differently from each other, meaning that they think and learn in a variety of ways. Being neurodivergent means that the way your brai...

Link to full article: kids.frontiersin.org/articles/10....

Today we are showcasing an article by @cjcrompton.bsky.social, @aalcorn.bsky.social, @katiecebula.bsky.social and @suereviews.bsky.social in the journal Frontiers for Young Minds. This article accessibly explains what neurodiversity is and how neurodivergent people can experience day-to-day life.

An infographic with a multi-coloured background. The SMRC's logo is on the top left hand corner. The title of the infographic is "Neurodiversity Celebration Week" and underneath, there are three points: Challenging stereotypes and misconceptions, Transforming how neurodivergent individuals are perceived and supported, and Raising awareness and sharing knowledge on how to create a more inclusive and equitable world. There is a graphic of four people at a table playing a card game. One person is in a wheelchair, and one person with dark hair is standing up. Underneath the graphic, there is the SMRC's website link.

It's Neurodiversity Celebration Week!

This worldwide initiative aims to transform perceptions and support for neurodivergent people and create more inclusive, equitable and empowering cultures.

Get involved at www.neurodiversityweek.com + look for SMRC research highlights throughout the week! 🌟

🔔Fully-funded ESRC PhD studentship opportunity at The University of Edinburgh!

Supervised by @katiecebula.bsky.social, Dr Michael Fleming and Patricio Troncoso + in collaboration with Mindroom and Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF)

www.sgsss.ac.uk/studentship/...

This seminar will be hosted at @unistrathclyde.bsky.social and on MS Teams on 21 April 1 PM - 4:30 PM BST.

Link to submit an abstract: forms.office.com/e/gh4S7FUfdF

Link to register: edin.ac/4aU9DtL

ALT TEXT: Poster shows the logo for the British Psychological Society and a line drawing of three children throwing a ball. Two of the children have prosthetic limbs. The poster text reads: Building Anti-Ableism Through Representation in Children’s Material Culture. A series of three seminars based at Queen Margaret University, the University of Strathclyde and the University of Cambridge. Join us for seminar 2: Books and Reading. Explore how disability and neurodivergent representation in books can support anti-ableist practice and challenge ableism. 21 April 2026. 1300 – 1630 BST. Hybrid – MS Teams and On Campus at University of Strathclyde, G1 1XQ. For questions and more information, email: charlotte.webber@strath.ac.uk Free to attend. Register by 17-04-2026 Submit an abstract by 20-03-2026: https://forms.office.com/e/gh4S7FUfdF Register to attend online or in-person at Strathclyde: https://edin.ac/4aU9DtL

Seminar 2 of the @bpsofficial.bsky.social-funded "Building Anti-Ableism Through Representation in Children’s Material Culture" series. "Books and Reading" : Disability and Neurodivergent representation in children's books.

Hosted by SMRC Director @katiecebula.bsky.social and Dr Charlotte Webber.

Graphic 4 out of 6. This slide is titled "Where Are We Now?" with three points about what autistic advocacy looks like today. Beside each point there is a picture. Picture number 1 is a gold scale. Picture number 2 is a group of people sitting at a table. Picture number 3 is a man holding a telescope to a scroll of paper.

Graphic 5 out of 6. This slide is titled "Barriers to Autistic Advocacy" with four points about the barriers autistic people face today. There are three pictures. The first picture is a red no enter sign with yellow-black tape. The second picture is a woman with three speech bubbles. The third picture is a man holding a yellow paper and a microscope. There is a fourth point about how data on autistic advocacy is skewed towards regions with stronger democratic institutions.

Graphic 6 out of 6. This slide is titled "What Comes Next?" with three points on what autistic advocacy can look like in the future. There are three pictures. The first picture is a globe, the second is a blue hand holding a lightbulb, a money symbol and a gear, and the third picture is a woman holding a yellow sign.

This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of the historical developments of autistic advocacy and the strategies that have been used to influence discourse, policy, human rights and the scientific community.

Get in touch with Dr Petri and George if you'd like to learn more!

Graphic 1 out of 6. The title of the chapter is "Autistic Advocacy: Past, Present and Future Directions". This chapter was authored by Dr Gabor Petri and PhD Researcher George Watts. This chapter was published in The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Disability. There is a rainbow-coloured wave image behind the text, and a picture of five hands holding coloured signs underneath the authors' names. The SMRC's logo is on the top left hand corner of each graphic. A graphic of a research paper is on the top right hand corner of each graphic.

Graphic 2 out of 6. This slide shows the purpose and researcher's positionality and the key terms of autistic advocacy and autism advocacy. Beside each point is a picture. Picture number 1 is a woman holding a megaphone. Picture number 2 is two circles with the flags of Hungary and Great Britain to demonstrate the researcher's positionality. Picture number 3 is a rainbow infinity symbol and Picture number 4 is a three people, one is holding a megaphone.

Graphic 3 out of 6. This slide is titled "How Did We Get Here?" with three points about the inception of the disability rights movement from the 1980s. There is a banner with the words "Nothing About Us Without Us" on the bottom right, there is a picture of a blue megaphone on the bottom left.

We are showcasing a published chapter by Dr @petrigoh.bsky.social (CEU Democracy Institute) and @autgeek.bsky.social (SMRC PhD Researcher, @durham.ac.uk) in The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Disability.

"Autistic Advocacy: Past, Present and Future Directions."

🔔Fully-funded ESRC PhD studentship opportunity at The University of Edinburgh!

Supervised by @katiecebula.bsky.social, Dr Michael Fleming and Patricio Troncoso + in collaboration with Mindroom and Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF)

www.sgsss.ac.uk/studentship/...

Graphic 4 out of 7. Three key findings from this study. There is a graphic of two people talking at the centre bottom. Both people are dark haired, one is wearing a teal shirt and red trousers, the other is wearing a red shirt and teal trousers.

Graphic 5 out of 7. The team also asked participants to rate the success of talking to either autistic or non-autistic individuals. There were four key findings from this extension of the 2020 study. There is a graphic of two people talking at the centre bottom. Both people are darkhaired, one person is wearing a pink shirt and teal trousers, the other is wearing a red shirt and teal trousers.

Graphic 6 out of 7. Key implications from this study include that autistic and non-autistic people are both successful in sharing information in same neurotype chains. This challenges the lack of contextual nuance in diagnostic criteria for autism.

Graphic 7 out of 7. QR code to the full paper is in the centre, overlaid on top of a multi-coloured swirl. Website to the SMRC is centred underneath the QR code.

Autistic and non-autistic people share information and establish rapport with similar levels of success within same-neurotype contexts. This study supports a growing challenge to the lack of contextual nuance in the diagnostic criteria for autism.

Link to full paper: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Graphic 1 out of 7. The title of the paper is "Information transfer within and between autistic and non-autistic people". This is paper was authored by a team of researchers: Crompton, Foster, Wilks, Dodd, Efthimiou, Ropar, Sasson, Lages and Fletcher-Watson. The SMRC's logo is on the top left hand corner of each graphic. A graphic of a research paper is on the top right hand corner of each graphic.

Graphic 2 out of 7. The study's purpose and an explanation of what a diffusion chain is. This study is a replication and extension of a study the team conducted in 2020. There are blue and orange squares to represent how participants were grouped for this study: all blue for autistic, all orange for non-autistic, and a mix of blue and orange squares to represent a mixed group.

Graphic 3 out of 7. Key findings from the 2020 study and what this study wanted to find out. There are semi-transparent orange and blue circles behind the text to simulate different people talking to one another.

We are showcasing a published paper by @cjcrompton.bsky.social et al. (2025), which explored information transfer in autistic, non-autistic, and mixed-neurotype chains in 311 individuals. This study is a replication and extension of the team's diffusion chain study in 2020.

Online Ticket: Anti-Ableism in Children’s Material Culture: Seminar 1 The first hybrid seminar in the series based at Queen Margaret University, will examine anti-ableism through toys and play.

Link to register for online attendance: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/online-tic...

On Campus Ticket: Anti-Ableism in Children’s Material Culture: Seminar 1 The first hybrid seminar in the series based at Queen Margaret University, will examine anti-ableism through toys and play.

Link to register for in-person attendance: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/on-campus-...

"Building Anti-Ableism Through Representation in Children’s Material Culture", a 3-part seminar series funded by @bpsofficial.bsky.social and hosted across @qmuniversity.bsky.social, @unistrathclyde.bsky.social,and @cam.ac.uk.

Seminar 1 "Toys and Play": QMU, Feb 26 1pm - 4:30pm GMT

Graphic 4 out of 5. Implications for future research. A graphic of a multi-coloured firework is on the right hand side of the first point, a graphic of two children reading is on the right hand side of the second point.

Graphic 5 out of 5. QR code to the full paper is in the centre, overlaid on top of a multi-coloured swirl. Websites to the SMRC and the University of Edinburgh's Literacy Lab is centred underneath the QR code.

Given 2026 is the UK's National Year of Reading, this paper emphasises the importance of recognising and supporting children with developmental disabilities, whose voices and experiences of reading are often less visible.

Read the full paper here: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Graphic 1 out of 5. The title of the paper is "I love it ... I love that story": The perspectives of children with Down syndrome and their mothers on reading experiences at home. This paper was authored by Dr Katie Cebula and Professor Sarah McGeown. A multi-coloured graphic of books and polkadots decorates the centre bottom. The SMRC's logo is on the top left hand corner of each graphic. A graphic of a research paper is on the right hand corner of each graphic.

Graphic 2 out of 5. The study's purpose, information about the people who participated, and how their data was analysed. Three colourful graphics of people are on the right hand side of each information point.

Graphic 3 out of 5. The key findings from the study. Three colourful graphics are on the right hand side of each information point.

We are showcasing a recently published paper by @katiecebula.bsky.social and @profsarahmcg.bsky.social, which qualitatively explored home reading practices of mothers and their children with Down syndrome. Mothers shared experiences via semi-structured interviews, children via 'book tours'.

Introductory graphic with a multi-coloured swirl in the centre. The SMRC's logo is in the top left hand corner of the graphic. There is a black arrow on the bottom right hand corner.

Graphic 2 of 3. There is a multi-coloured swirl in the centre, and there is a description of what the SMRC does overlaid on top of the swirl.

Graphic 3 of 3. There is a QR code for viewers to join the centre's mailing list and the centre's website centred on the graphic.

Welcome to the Salvesen Mindroom Research Centre (SMRC) BlueSky account! Led by @katiecebula.bsky.social, and in productive partnership with the charity Mindroom, the SMRC creates new knowledge about neurodiversity, learning, and development. Follow us for research updates and events!