Thread by @StaffNurseCook

@drlindalouise As an autistic/ ADHD mental health professional who works in education, I have so many issues with what comes across as blatant ableism here. So here goes:

@drlindalouise Firstly “misdiagnosed labels”? You are not a diagnostician. I would fall victim to this because I get told I “don’t look autistic”. Lots of us got to adulthood without a diagnosis and this will continue. Especially with the rationing of assessments now.

@drlindalouise A lot of what you’re talking about is to encourage masking for autistic/ ADHD kids to appear “normal”. That damages self-esteem and takes years to undo. I have no issue using fidget toys and doodling at work, it helps me to focus and..

@drlindalouise Deal with sensory issues, social difficulties and navigate a world purely designed for neurotypical people. To be inclusive isn’t about us changing ourselves (which we can’t) to fit it, but about things being adapted around us..

@drlindalouise In work, education and other settings. Focusing purely on ableist standards of productivity and expecting us to meet them burns us out and makes us feel we are never good enough.

@drlindalouise I wouldn’t tell a university student to stop using a fidget toy or avoid other reasonable adjustments, so why should that be different in school? The Equality Act is there for a reason.

@drlindalouise And this all sounds like, “My Billy is being held back because he has to sit in class with an autistic kid” ableist nonsense. By purely focusing on neurotypical and non-disabled kids, and expecting others to fit in, you are discriminating. Simple.

@drlindalouise @threadreaderapp #unroll