Desparing at the lack of inclusivity in the OT profession.
Not only for me, but from hearing reports of fellow neurodivergent practitioners.
As a profession, too widely, we create, not remove, barriers to practice,through covert ableist attitudes & microagressions. This is not what I trained for
"It is not rare for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder to intersect with autism or ADHD. […] Distinguishing between OCD, Autism, & ADHD isn’t just an academic exercise. It’s a vital step in providing the right support for each individual." -Dr. Megan Anna Neff:
neurodivergentinsights.com/obsessive-co...
How about in 2026 we could have a genuinely inclusive job market?
Interviews with photos of the venue & room.
Agreeing to questions in advance
( at least 10 mins)
Accurate info on no. of interviewers
Normalising multi modal answering of questions using diagrams etc
It’s time, surely?
Just to say I see you there, from another OT also in survival mode, considering my next move towards finding thriving mode again
Any neurodivergent OTs out there gone through a protracte redundancy process? The never ending transition process is destroying me. I’d love to talk to somebody who understands
Walk in the woods behind my flat and a doodle in the snow, on the trunk of a felled tree.
Nature is such a healer
Thanks for sharing Deborah. I’m community. I see that under NMHTs, as long as we have charities that can provide occ engagement that’s box ticked. It’s all good stuff, but OTs are needed to help address whole person holistic health & help support sustainable recovery, I fear us being erased
Feeling concerned and disillusioned.OT increasingly being diluted to diversion with non registered staff, who are amazing at what they do but cannot offer the input of an OT. How do I fight for our profession when the NHS feel they can ‘do it cheaper’ 😓
My interim project for working my notice until the service officially closes is looking at gathering evidence & generating a proposal for a group program in CRHTT.
I’m interested in what other Crisis teams are currently implementing, any practitioners happy to share?
ADS’ last Hurrah. I have loved my role, I have loved the team I did it with. I don’t know where I go from here, all I know is I have been blessed to have lived my dream for the past 2 years & share the lives of some precious, hurting people
Started to make banners for the celebration day I’m planning for the service where I work, the week before they close us. They are blown up quotes of service feedback, they are comforting, what we did matters
OT week hits differently when you represent a service that in all likelihood, as you enter consultation, won’t be here next year.
We’ve saved lives outside of admission & facilitated person centred, recovery focussed interventions. I for one am going down with the ship,with pride for what we’ve done
Tomorrow I tell the participants of the co-production project the welcome pack they produced for the service won’t get launched & the service is flagged to close. I feel so sad.They have certificates, a copy of the pack , a letter for their CV & cards but it’s hard to put a positive spin on!
I just ran my last ‘creative self’ group as we cut the programme,heading into service consultation over closure. Poignant to end on ‘becoming’…what are you leaving behind,what are you taking forward.
Attendees have brought tears to my eyes with what they’ve shared in group. A privilege & sadness.
Today’s “Creative self” group:
“What would a safe place look like to me’
I present mine, a picture of my sensory tent!
It opened a conversation with an attendee which enabled emergency support plans to be put in place.
Going to the hard places can serve a therapeutic purpose
My segment of our collective piece in yesterday’s group. Representing connection.We worked together on a roll of paper.
To see those who struggle with interaction & relationship work together & at the end report enjoying having done so, it reminds me why I do what I do. All the warm & fuzzies.
Painting for my fellow OT’s, hopefully you can spot a few models represented. I wanted to reflect on occupation as the art of living, the lyrics to the music of our biology…this is what I got
is my corner of the office getting a little out of hand? maybe…does it concern me…no
in today’s creative self we looked at “Becoming”…what do we want to leave behind, what do we want to take forward. A powerful session of rapport building with a young autistic individual over their future hopes, really occupational focused conversations. I love groups like this!
These are mine…
The 1st draft is ready to be consolidated into a single file & printed. I am so unbelievably proud of the service attendees who contributed to the project to create a new service welcome pack. The look on their face, to hear the woman who never said they’re proud of themselves,say so,my heart burst
I my visual autoethnographic reflection based on my poster submission and my experience attending BIGSPD 25 conference.
It contains exerts of my poster & a 2nd opinion psych ax preceding my placement in a “specialist” personality disorder unit years ago.
Title:’Different not disordered’
“Creative self” session at work today,we looked at “The words we would say”, to ourselves,or to the world. This was mine.
Inspired by a participant who made a message to themselves reminding them to be patient with the process & how the struggle will make them stronger. A message for me too I think!
Thank you Bex, what a person to have standing beside me 🙂 🩷
Reflecting on what it means to be and interstitial practitioner, the value of combined lived and clinical experience and the power of the in-between
betwixt8.wordpress.com/2025/07/21/t...
🧠🌈 Fantastic resource for the Autistic adult community (and also families & allies)!
Tigger Pritchard has compiled a brilliant collection of tools, guides, videos & affirming content that supports Autistic people.
👉 Explore here: www.tiggerpritchard.com/resources
Often what the individual really needs isn’t out there due to cuts, service capacity (resulting in rejected referrals)service model changes or narrow service criteria . What happens when you need support but it’s outside services “interventions offered”, where are the community relational supports?
It’s taken me a very long time but I’m finally starting to embrace & own my differences over masking & compensating for them.
I’ve got a new supervisor, so I made a communication passport to aid the relationship & get the most from supervision.
We advocate for others when we advocate for ourselves
I was making vision boards today with a friend of mine who has anorexia.
Art can be such a powerful tool for exploring our values, our desires and dreams, and to aid in the sense making process, that is so critical to healing
Thinking about how the lens we choose determines what we see. How different my past behaviour looks, through the lens of neurodiversity, rather than the lens of pathological disorder.
Confirmation bias is diagnoses Achilles heel!