@taraodk.bsky.social @jessicakdoyle.bsky.social

So happy @thrivingautistic.bsky.social have been nominated!
Recognising the work we do to support Autistic & neurodivergent people across the UK, Ireland & globally, from our peer support & Discovery Programme, to our Practitioners Directory & ongoing advocacy for disability justice & human rights.

Promotional award graphic with a dark multicoloured geometric background. At the top, it reads “National Diversity Awards 2026” with the website nationaldiversityawards.co.uk, a “15 years celebrating unity in society” badge, and HSBC UK listed as headline sponsor. Large text says, “Congratulations Thriving Autistic. You have been nominated for the 2026 Community Organisation Award for Disability.” Along the bottom are sponsor logos including HSBC UK, Kantar, Airbus, Inclusive Companies, Top 50 Inclusive Employers, Elevate 1000, and Inclusive Jobs.

We are delighted that @thrivingautistic.bsky.social has been nominated for a National Diversity Award for the work we are doing to support Autistic & neurodivergent people across the UK, Ireland & internationally.

Check out the nominations & vote:

www.nationaldiversityawards.co.uk/awards-2026/...

Promotional award graphic with a dark multicoloured geometric background. At the top, it reads “National Diversity Awards 2026” with the website nationaldiversityawards.co.uk, a “15 years celebrating unity in society” badge, and HSBC UK listed as headline sponsor. Large text says, “Congratulations Thriving Autistic. You have been nominated for the 2026 Community Organisation Award for Disability.” Along the bottom are sponsor logos including HSBC UK, Kantar, Airbus, Inclusive Companies, Top 50 Inclusive Employers, Elevate 1000, and Inclusive Jobs.

We are delighted that @thrivingautistic.bsky.social has been nominated for a National Diversity Award for the work we are doing to support Autistic & neurodivergent people across the UK, Ireland & internationally.

Check out the nominations & vote:

www.nationaldiversityawards.co.uk/awards-2026/...

Discovery Programme Resources Gentle, neuroaffirming resources created by and for Autistic adults.

We agree!
We have collated various resources here that may be of interest to you

Link for resources for Autistic Elders:
www.canva.com/design/DAG9i...

More resources:
thrivingautistic.org/discovery-pr...

Discovery Programme Resources Gentle, neuroaffirming resources created by and for Autistic adults.

We agree!
We have collated various resources here that may be of interest to you

Link for resources for Autistic Elders:
www.canva.com/design/DAG9i...

More resources:
thrivingautistic.org/discovery-pr...

Delighted to share this from my friend and colleague Ayhan Alman at @thrivingautistic.bsky.social !

Follow @monotropism.org for more monotropism-related information and resources!

Discovery Programme Resources Gentle, neuroaffirming resources created by and for Autistic adults.

Find out more about monotropism in our free resource guide here:
thrivingautistic.org/discovery-pr...

Find out even more here:
monotropism.org

Promotional graphic for the Monotropism Questionnaire. Large white text at the top reads, “Take the Monotropism Questionnaire.” Below, a section titled “Monotropism Questionnaire” lists: Type: Psychometric, Estimated Time: 4–8 min, Statements: 47. In the centre is a multicoloured radial chart showing questionnaire dimensions including routines, flow, rumination, social, interests, focus, decisiveness, and environments. On the right, the total score is shown as 83%, with sub-scores: routines 100%, flow 92%, rumination 92%, social 88%, interests 81%, focus 81%, decisiveness 75%, environments 72%. At the bottom, white text reads: “Visit https://pa11erns.com/psychometrics/mq/” . The design uses a dark blue background with white text and colourful chart elements.

Curious about the theory of monotropism?

Ayhan Alman, one of our practitioners at Thriving Autistic, has developed a new accessible version of the self-scoring monotropism questionnaire developed by Garau et al 2023.

pa11erns.com/psychometric...

Discovery Programme Resources Gentle, neuroaffirming resources created by and for Autistic adults.

Find out more about monotropism in our free resource guide here:
thrivingautistic.org/discovery-pr...

Find out even more here:
monotropism.org

Promotional graphic for the Monotropism Questionnaire. Large white text at the top reads, “Take the Monotropism Questionnaire.” Below, a section titled “Monotropism Questionnaire” lists: Type: Psychometric, Estimated Time: 4–8 min, Statements: 47. In the centre is a multicoloured radial chart showing questionnaire dimensions including routines, flow, rumination, social, interests, focus, decisiveness, and environments. On the right, the total score is shown as 83%, with sub-scores: routines 100%, flow 92%, rumination 92%, social 88%, interests 81%, focus 81%, decisiveness 75%, environments 72%. At the bottom, white text reads: “Visit https://pa11erns.com/psychometrics/mq/” . The design uses a dark blue background with white text and colourful chart elements.

Curious about the theory of monotropism?

Ayhan Alman, one of our practitioners at Thriving Autistic, has developed a new accessible version of the self-scoring monotropism questionnaire developed by Garau et al 2023.

pa11erns.com/psychometric...

Graphic titled “Research Reshare” from Thriving Autistic featuring the study Grief, Relief, and Belief: A Social Media Study on Late Identification of Neurodivergence (Mair et al., 2026). The central text presents a highlighted quote from the study: “Overall, this study calls for a paradigm shift in how we understand and support neurodivergent individuals diagnosed in adulthood, seeing diagnosis as a first step, rather than a terminal component of a service, emphasising the need for comprehensive, individualised, wraparound care that addresses the emotional and practical aspects of their lives before, during, and beyond diagnosis.” The full citation appears at the bottom of the image.

Grief, Relief, and Belief: A Social Media Study on Late Identification of Neurodivergence (Mair et al 2026)

Research Reshare - validating why the work we do at Thriving Autistic is so valuable for Autistic adults.

journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Infographic titled “Research Reshare” from Thriving Autistic summarising the study Grief, Relief, and Belief: A Social Media Study on Late Identification of Neurodivergence (Mair et al., 2026). The graphic shows three connected ovals arranged in a triangle to represent a cyclical process. The left oval is labelled “Grief” and includes the points: “The life I could have had” and “Grieving for my younger self.” The right oval is labelled “Relief” with the points: “New self-understanding” and “I am not broken.” The lower centre oval is labelled “Belief” and includes: “Gratitude for who I am” and “Relinquishing shame.” Arrows connect all three ovals in a cycle, illustrating movement between grief, relief, and belief. A caption below reads: “Figure 3. The Grief, Relief, and Belief Cycle. A graphical representation of the Grief, Relief, and Belief Cycle.” The full citation for Mair et al. (2026) appears at the bottom.

Grief, Relief, and Belief: A Social Media Study on Late Identification of Neurodivergence (Mair et al 2026)

Research Reshare - validating why the work we do at Thriving Autistic is so valuable for Autistic adults.

journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Alt text: A “Research Reshare” graphic from Thriving Autistic with a navy and gold color scheme and an infinity symbol logo. The title reads: “Grief, Relief, and Belief: A Social Media Study on Late Identification of Neurodivergence (Mair et al., 2026).” Below, a heading states “Four Themes Identified,” followed by a numbered list: 1) The Life I Could Have Had, 2) Grieving for My Younger Self, 3) Feeling Gratitude, and 4) Post-Diagnosis Burnout. A citation at the bottom credits Mair, Gonzalez-Figueroa, McConachie, Goodall, and Gillespie-Smith (2026) in the journal Autism.

Grief, Relief, and Belief: A Social Media Study on Late Identification of Neurodivergence (Mair et al 2026)

Research Reshare - validating why the work we do at Thriving Autistic is so valuable for Autistic adults.

journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Alt text: A “Research Reshare” graphic from Thriving Autistic with a navy and gold design and an infinity symbol logo. The title reads: “Grief, Relief, and Belief: A Social Media Study on Late Identification of Neurodivergence (Mair et al., 2026).” Below is a quote: “Late identification has been linked with specific protective factors, such as an increase in self-understanding, self-compassion, and feelings of relief, it is also associated with poor mental health outcomes related to stigma and self-esteem, grief, and burnout.” A citation at the bottom credits Mair, Gonzalez-Figueroa, McConachie, Goodall, and Gillespie-Smith (2026) in the journal Autism.

Grief, Relief, and Belief: A Social Media Study on Late Identification of Neurodivergence (Mair et al 2026)

Research Reshare - validating why the work we do at Thriving Autistic is so valuable for Autistic adults.

journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

A graphic titled “Research Reshare” from Thriving Autistic, featuring an infinity symbol logo. The main text reads: “Grief, Relief, and Belief: A Social Media Study on Late Identification of Neurodivergence (Mair et al., 2026).” Below is a quote: “Late identification of neurodivergence is associated with many different challenges, including navigating diagnostic pathways, stigma, and the role of masking.” A citation appears at the bottom crediting Mair, Gonzalez-Figueroa, McConachie, Goodall, and Gillespie-Smith (2026) in the journal Autism.

Grief, Relief, and Belief: A Social Media Study on Late Identification of Neurodivergence (Mair et al 2026)

Research Reshare - validating why the work we do at Thriving Autistic is so valuable for Autistic adults.

journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Shared from our funders RethinkIreland

Are you a charity, social enterprise, or non-profit working directly with disabled people?
€3.5 million is available through this Fund for projects supporting people with disabilities
Visit: rethinkireland.ie/current_fund...
Applications close 23 April 2026

Shared from our funders RethinkIreland

Are you a charity, social enterprise, or non-profit working directly with disabled people?
€3.5 million is available through this Fund for projects supporting people with disabilities
Visit: rethinkireland.ie/current_fund...
Applications close 23 April 2026

A practical approach to neurodiversity-affirming care and support — Neurodiverse Connection Interactive toolkit © Neurodiverse Connection 2026 All Rights Reserved Download PDF This toolkit has been developed by Neurodiverse Connection to support our practical approach to neur...

Jill Corbyn spoke about the new @ndconnection.bsky.social interactive toolkit to support neurodiversity-affirming care and their hopes for the future of personalised risk assessment.

This interactive toolkit is available here: ndconnection.co.uk/resources/p/...

The SPACE Framework: how it has changed my experience of accessing mental health care — Neurodiverse Connection Molly Anderton , Lived Experience Advisor at NdC, joins us for the seventh blog of our latest campaign ‘ Against PBS & ABA ’. Molly shares her personal insights into how learning about the SPACE…

Molly Anderton, Lived Experience Advisor at NdC, joins us for the seventh blog of our latest campaign ‘Against PBS & ABA’.

Molly shares insights into how learning about the SPACE Framework improved her experiences of mental health care and support.

Rethinking behavioural support for Autistic people: Why “behavioural” approaches can miss the mark — Neurodiverse Connection Today Guest Contributor Beccy Floyd , late–diagnosed AuDHD Mental Health Nurse, joins us for the ninth blog of our latest campaign ‘ Against PBS & ABA ’. Using her professional insight, Beccy…

Today Guest Contributor Beccy Floyd, late–diagnosed AuDHD Mental Health Nurse, joins us for the ninth blog of our latest campaign ‘Against PBS & ABA’.

Beccy calls for the widespread adoption of neurodiversity–affirming approaches in healthcare.

Neurodiverse Connection is a Neurodivergent led Community Interest Company (CIC) dedicated to improving support and outcomes for Neurodivergent individuals.

We have a simple but powerful purpose: to make the world a better place for Neurodivergent people.

This is the reason we exist.

Toward an Emergent Paradigm for Neurodiversity and Health - Lori Hogenkamp, Dhwani Sanghavi, Heini Natri, 2026 Autism research has developed through multiple paradigms. Medical models locate difficulty within individual neurology, while social and neurodiversity models e...

"Deep, monotropic attention supports sustained focus, expertise development, and flow states. It is also the same system that makes task-switching costly and interruption dysregulating."
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/....

Three Essential Concepts for Understanding Autistic Experience Accepting and embracing Autistic neurology

Learning about Autistic experiences can feel like entering a whole new world of terminology and ideas, but even familiarising yourself with some of the more common terms can pay off hugely.

jadefarrington.substack.com/p/three-esse...

Illustrated landscape-style infographic titled “Psychological Flow and Wellbeing Map.” A winding river flows through a stylised natural environment of trees, hills, and small scenes of people engaging in different activities. Along the river, people swim, dive, relax on a beach, read, and walk, representing different experiences of flow. Text embedded throughout the image explains aspects of flow: it does not always happen and requires optimal conditions; it can feel exhilarating but may lead to exhaustion; obstacles such as limited time, energy, interruptions, and distractions can disrupt it; and it can feel peaceful, restorative, and immersive, sometimes shared with others. Other sections note that flow can become dark or overwhelming, difficult to exit, or lead to disconnection from others. In the lower section, people relax on a beach and are prompted with reflective questions: “Do you feel calm?”, “Do you feel connected?”, “Do you feel exhausted?”, and “Do you feel lonely?” Additional text highlights the importance of planning, preparing the environment, and setting clear goals to sustain flow.

Very excited this Flow Wellbeing Map by Daniella Wain, Stephanie Petty, @brettheasman.bsky.social

#Monotropism #AutisticFlow #FlowTheory #Wellbeing

Find out more!

yorksj.figshare.com/articles/fig...

Looking critically at autism research: ‘We have to get away from us-and-them thinking’ Autism research is at times saturated with implicit values, norms and possible prejudices. Researchers should be more aware of this, says development psychologist Carolien Rieffe. She advocates Critic...

#INSAR2026 relevant: Autism researchers need to be aware of their assumptions about autistic people as "them," & "talking about autistic people as a group that is somewhere else, means excluding autistic individuals from the public space." By Carolien Rife:

www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/news/2026...

Social Media and Social (Dis)Connectedness in Autism and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Systematic Review - Alice L. Potter, Anna O’Leary, Emma Incecik, Kieran Rose, Georgia Pavlopoulou, ... Background: While there is growing interest in the relationship between social media (SM) use and psychosocial well-being, little is known about this relationsh...

Social Media and Social (Dis)Connectedness in Autism and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Systematic Review by Potter et al. suggests that social media may differentially support and hinder social connectedness for Autistic and ADHD social media user groups. NEW FREE shorturl.at/N0nKu

Promotional graphic for an Ireland travel guide designed for neurodivergent travelers, featuring a misty landscape with a winding path and a lone person walking. Text reads “Ireland Travel Guide Designed for Neurodivergent Travelers” with a discount code “thrive” to get it for €3, and “Ireland Travel Guide for the Weekend Explorer – Handpicked itineraries & activities.”

@dayswith.adam has created:
Ireland Travel Guide Designed for Neurodivergent Travelers
It is a really accessible, beautiful, practical guidebook, highly recommended!
USE CODE: thrive to get it for €3
Link:
payhip.com/b/hap14

Promotional graphic for an Ireland travel guide designed for neurodivergent travelers, featuring a misty landscape with a winding path and a lone person walking. Text reads “Ireland Travel Guide Designed for Neurodivergent Travelers” with a discount code “thrive” to get it for €3, and “Ireland Travel Guide for the Weekend Explorer – Handpicked itineraries & activities.”

@dayswith.adam has created:
Ireland Travel Guide Designed for Neurodivergent Travelers
It is a really accessible, beautiful, practical guidebook, highly recommended!
USE CODE: thrive to get it for €3
Link:
payhip.com/b/hap14

Psychological safety mechanism!
so much easier to understand than that word Masking🎭 let the theater folks keep that one!😊
beyond that, Neuronormative people understand this term! Psychological Safety Mechanism. Everyone can understand that they have their own safety mechanisms they employ if needed