The entire issue with the NDIS is that a generation of Australians (including almost everyone working in the political media) have become indoctrinated to believe the private sector is more efficient than the private sector.
Privatize disability care? What *could* go wrong???
Not-for-profit providers that remain in disability care have mainly stuck to their previous core business of supporting those with complex needs. They have also attempted to maintain quality and safe-guarding. So they struggle to remain viable whilst for-profit firms laugh all the way to the bank.
📰 New commentary - Barriers to Assessment and Diagnosis of Autism in Adulthood
"Professional and government bodies should support the development of neuroaffirming, client-centered practice guidelines that actively include input and co-design from autistic adults."
Thumbnail of A4-size accessible eye care guide for vision professionals.
👀Based on input from nearly 400 Autistic people, families and eye care professionals, we’ve developed a free eye care guide for vision professionals that provides practical, respectful recommendations for making eye care more accessible: aspect.org.au/eye-care-guide.pdf
#AutismFriendly #EyeCare
White to red faded background with doodle of a pile of books. Title is in a banner “New book: Autism and pregnancy.”
Doodles of parents with babies along the top. Image of a book cover with multiple pregnant people on it. Aimee wrote a book! Aimee (our lead investigator) has been doing research on Autistic people’s maternity experiences since 2021. She wrote a book which is aiming to be easy to read.
Autistic people said they didn’t get enough information about pregnancy. This book… Shares experiences from Autistic people about what to expect Has tools to try when things are difficult Gives scripts for when it’s hard to know what to say Reinforces the important bits in summaries Has top tips from Autistic midwives Has a birth plan template
Topics include: Pregnancy Sensory experiences Staying healthy in pregnancy Appointments and information Pregnancy complications & pregnancy loss Birth Where to give birth Giving birth & pain relief What happens after you give birth When baby has arrived Baby’s care, sleep & feeding Your emotions
The Autism friendly guide to pregnancy, birth and the fourth trimester is published today!
Below you can see some information about the book (1 of 2)
There's a 20% discount code if you buy from Jessica Kingsley Publishers - %AGRANT20
Weird some scicomm accounts gave the new “Tylenol in pregnancy & autism” review some weight.
They don’t know the lead author, Baccarelli, had the exact claims thrown out of federal court for having ZERO scientific merit,
when he was a paid “expert witness” in lawsuits against Tylenol makers.
1/
🤰Did you miss ARCAP's webinar on inclusive perinatal care for Autistic parents? Researchers & a parent shared insights from research studies, key gaps in practice & our new Autistic pregnancy & parenthood hub. The recording is now available on demand: www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwqP...
#AutismResearch
www.theage.com.au/national/vic...
These are the quality not-for-profit services that used to exist before the NDIS. Now private providers make millions whilst these services are allowed to fold and those with complex needs become homeless.
Devastating.
Excellent article. The NDIS is largely just a brokerage system to the private sector. It was set up with virtually no regulation. So the private sector did what it has always done - make money and keep on increasing charges to make more.
People with disability were taken for a ride then blamed.
How many autistic people have we found, so far? Just about none in the older age groups. Much needed new research from this top duo.
kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/ws/portalfil...
📰 New #openaccess autism research
"Many people suggested that mental health professionals need more training about autism, and that better funding is needed to help Autistic people access appropriate support."
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) is a difficulty with understanding & using words & sentences.
That might seem like a small issue to you, but to people with DLD this can be a huge barrier. The biggest barrier of all is NEXT TO NO ONE HAS HEARD OF DLD.
Help us change that!
#DLDday
#DevLangDis
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Neurodiversity is more than slogans. Discover the difference between real neurodiversity-affirming practice & “neurodiversity-lite.”
autisticrealms.com/authentic-neurodiversity...
I have collated a list of research/ resources here about Autistic experiences and menopause/ perimenopause that may be of interest too
autisticrealms.com/autistic-men...
“It Doesn’t Really Work for Me”: Participants reported that standard sleep interventions often feel ineffective, reporting that conventional advice or CBT-I may lack relevance to autistic needs
Mmm yep that checks out #AutRes
Today in research backing up autistic common knowledge: Yes, it is a LOT harder for autistic people to process conversations and other audio streams, if there are competing noises in the area.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40755170/ #autism #autistic #neurodiversity
A very important counter-balance to a lot of other research that is conducted on parenting experiences.
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
How did the pandemic start?
I have avoided publicly commenting on this for 5 years. Here's my take as someone who has no stake at all in the game.
gidmk.substack.com/p/pandemic-r...
Try not to overdo comparisons to robodebt. But this is closest I've seen to a post-robodebt copy of the playbook. NDIS boss demands participant be booted from scheme after conservative radio segment. No evidence. Sham process. Against policy. Gets it WRONG www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/health/...
Launch of the Aspect Autistic Pregnancy and Parenthood Hub, June 2025
Autistic Pregnancy and Parenthood Hub project team
Panellists at the Aspect Autistic Pregnancy and Parenthood Hub launch
CEO of Aspect, Jacqui Borland with attendees to the Aspect Autistic Pregnancy and Parenthood Hub launch
🎉This week we launched the Aspect Autistic Pregnancy and Parenthood Hub, a first-of-its-kind online resource co-designed to support Autistic parents & help healthcare professionals provide inclusive, neuroaffirming care.
🔗www.aspect.org.au/new-parents
#Autism #PerinatalCare #Research
The Nazis called this Nacht und Nebel, “Night and Fog.” It was adopted as a deliberate, conscious policy in late 1941 to terrorise occupied populations.
⚡ Autistic students face higher trauma risks. @aspectaus.bsky.social & Berry Street worked together to bring trauma-informed practices to 9 autism-specific schools. Results? Better trauma literacy, staff attitudes & engagement. Read more: link.springer.com/article/10.1... #TraumaInformedEducation
🌺🌼 = 🤧😭
Peter Graves form the Mission Impossible TV series once asked me where to find the milk in a supermarket aisle in Melbourne.
While the media drone on about how hard it is for people with most than $3 million in super to lose some of their tax breaks, in reality the vast majority of Australians have less than $200k in super. The median for a 60 year old woman is just $158k, which means half of women have less than that!
Love this.
“Boundaries” is one of the most over used and misused words in psychiatry.
People think if they say “no” to someone and the person has to accept that unquestionably, then they are giving “boundaries”.
Urgh.
The blog is a little misleading. It implies that they broadened the definition of Intellectual disability which the authors didn’t.
Cast no shadow: how common are psychiatric conditions among people with intellectual disability? buff.ly/7RXgE8l
🧵 THREAD
#MentalHealth #Prevalence #IntellectualDisabilities #DiagnosticOvershadowing #Psychiatry #Australia
Nationals demand the 'coal' half of the 'Coalition'
"The Liberals can have the 'ition' half."
Read more: chaser.com.au/national/nat...
Just out! Our peer-reviewed critique of the Cass Review has been published by BMC Medical Research Methodology. Please read and share. We show that the Cass Review is fatally flawed and should not be the basis for policy or practice in transgender healthcare.
link.springer.com/article/10.1...