Georgia Harper
@mindtheflap.bsky.social
A strange blend of autism policy analysis and silly Doctor Who discourse. Probably not helping the stereotypes. Views my own. She/Her. https://linktr.ee/mindtheflap
Pinned
The new Barbie comes with a range of accessories to reflect her status as an autistic woman, such as:
- noise-cancelling headphones
- a fidget spinner
- intense social media scrutiny about how she's Being Autistic Wrong
- noise-cancelling headphones
- a fidget spinner
- intense social media scrutiny about how she's Being Autistic Wrong
also: it genuinely baffles me that so many autistic pupils end up out of school because they can't meet increasingly rigid rules around behaviour, uniform etc
when as the kind of autistic pupil who would actually follow all of that to the letter, I can tell you now this is somehow ALSO wrong? 🙃
when as the kind of autistic pupil who would actually follow all of that to the letter, I can tell you now this is somehow ALSO wrong? 🙃
Really harrowing figures. In particular it *really* frustrates me that a non-zero number of autistic children end up out of education entirely due to minor uniform infractions to meet sensory needs - if uniform is meant to be a leveller that's not how to do it!
www.theguardian.com/education/20...
www.theguardian.com/education/20...
One in six autistic pupils in UK have not attended school at all since September
Data comes as government prepares to publish plans to overhaul Send system in England
www.theguardian.com
February 4, 2026 at 11:23 AM
also: it genuinely baffles me that so many autistic pupils end up out of school because they can't meet increasingly rigid rules around behaviour, uniform etc
when as the kind of autistic pupil who would actually follow all of that to the letter, I can tell you now this is somehow ALSO wrong? 🙃
when as the kind of autistic pupil who would actually follow all of that to the letter, I can tell you now this is somehow ALSO wrong? 🙃
(disclaimer: I work for Ambitious about Autism, who produced this survey; views posted here are my own)
February 4, 2026 at 9:00 AM
(disclaimer: I work for Ambitious about Autism, who produced this survey; views posted here are my own)
Really harrowing figures. In particular it *really* frustrates me that a non-zero number of autistic children end up out of education entirely due to minor uniform infractions to meet sensory needs - if uniform is meant to be a leveller that's not how to do it!
www.theguardian.com/education/20...
www.theguardian.com/education/20...
One in six autistic pupils in UK have not attended school at all since September
Data comes as government prepares to publish plans to overhaul Send system in England
www.theguardian.com
February 4, 2026 at 9:00 AM
Really harrowing figures. In particular it *really* frustrates me that a non-zero number of autistic children end up out of education entirely due to minor uniform infractions to meet sensory needs - if uniform is meant to be a leveller that's not how to do it!
www.theguardian.com/education/20...
www.theguardian.com/education/20...
Reposted by Georgia Harper
Tell me again how it's just graduates who benefit from universities so they should shoulder the full cost? 🙃
Incandescent. One of the best pieces I've read about what university means to people and their communities - and what will happen to a city and people after one closes. The *Labour* government and Jaqui Smith in particular should be ashamed of themselves and shamed into doing something. Deplorable.
‘If I think about what this means, I want to cry’: what happens when a city loses its university?
When Essex University’s Southend campus opened, it was a message of hope for a ‘left behind’ UK seaside town. Its closure will be felt far beyond its 800 students, some of whom will not get their degr...
www.theguardian.com
February 4, 2026 at 8:51 AM
Tell me again how it's just graduates who benefit from universities so they should shoulder the full cost? 🙃
Reposted by Georgia Harper
An autistic woman who stays up to date with current affairs still remains convinced that she’s worse than anyone in the world, sources have reported.
Autistic woman who reads news still somehow thinks she’s the worst person on Earth
An autistic woman who stays up to date with current affairs still remains convinced that she’s worse than anyone in the world, sources have reported. Navya Randhawa, 40, keeps abreast of the horror…
thedailytism.com
February 3, 2026 at 6:04 PM
An autistic woman who stays up to date with current affairs still remains convinced that she’s worse than anyone in the world, sources have reported.
I AM ON FIRE; KEEP CLEAR OF ME
January 30, 2026 at 8:20 AM
I AM ON FIRE; KEEP CLEAR OF ME
Reposted by Georgia Harper
Our new research reveals families are already being failed by the existing SEND system, with 47% worried that current support could be reduced further, worsening their situation.
You can read more here: www.theguardian.com/education/20...
You can read more here: www.theguardian.com/education/20...
‘We’ve fought so hard’: family’s worry as England’s Send overhaul looms
Harvey, who is deafblind, struggled in mainstream nursery during wait for EHCP – and parents fear he could lose out again
www.theguardian.com
January 29, 2026 at 12:39 PM
Our new research reveals families are already being failed by the existing SEND system, with 47% worried that current support could be reduced further, worsening their situation.
You can read more here: www.theguardian.com/education/20...
You can read more here: www.theguardian.com/education/20...
A really powerful piece highlighting just a few of the individual children and young people being failed while SEND turns into a political football.
For one thing, refusing support because the child's attendance rate is too high is not exactly conducive to raising attendance rates!
For one thing, refusing support because the child's attendance rate is too high is not exactly conducive to raising attendance rates!
A debate about the future of children’s rights is raging as the SEND reforms loom.
As schools and families await the white paper, Schools Week speaks to three families who have found specialist provision hard to come by...
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/the-long-lonely-wait-for-send-help/
As schools and families await the white paper, Schools Week speaks to three families who have found specialist provision hard to come by...
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/the-long-lonely-wait-for-send-help/
Long-read: The long, lonely wait for special needs help
Schools Week speaks to three families who have found specialist provision hard to come by
schoolsweek.co.uk
January 28, 2026 at 10:14 AM
A really powerful piece highlighting just a few of the individual children and young people being failed while SEND turns into a political football.
For one thing, refusing support because the child's attendance rate is too high is not exactly conducive to raising attendance rates!
For one thing, refusing support because the child's attendance rate is too high is not exactly conducive to raising attendance rates!
Reposted by Georgia Harper
Latest from me, and one of the most important pieces on Special Needs I've written so far: "In fifteen years of political journalism, I don’t think I have seen anything quite like this: a mad game of briefing, counter-briefing and official stonewalling."
maybeimamazed.substack.com/p/why-the-po...
maybeimamazed.substack.com/p/why-the-po...
Why the politics of media leaks, briefings and "sources" is only spreading dread and fear
The painfully long story of the government's SEND reforms has pushed exactly those buttons, among people already used to a level of anxiety that may soon get even worse
maybeimamazed.substack.com
January 28, 2026 at 6:59 AM
Latest from me, and one of the most important pieces on Special Needs I've written so far: "In fifteen years of political journalism, I don’t think I have seen anything quite like this: a mad game of briefing, counter-briefing and official stonewalling."
maybeimamazed.substack.com/p/why-the-po...
maybeimamazed.substack.com/p/why-the-po...
Reposted by Georgia Harper
“It’s like torture”: our new report reveals how Temporary Accommodation is harming neurodivergent children and families across the UK. Based on a nationwide call for evidence, it sets out urgent policy asks for change.
www.theguardian.com/society/2026...
www.theguardian.com/society/2026...
Temporary accommodation in England is ‘torture’ for neurodivergent children, report finds
Exclusive: Parents said their children had become withdrawn or hypervigilant because of uncertainty, unsafe environments and removal of support
www.theguardian.com
January 27, 2026 at 8:56 AM
“It’s like torture”: our new report reveals how Temporary Accommodation is harming neurodivergent children and families across the UK. Based on a nationwide call for evidence, it sets out urgent policy asks for change.
www.theguardian.com/society/2026...
www.theguardian.com/society/2026...
Reposted by Georgia Harper
NEW POST: After a weekend of leaks, it’s time for the Government to realise that anonymous briefing of poorly thought-through plans and cuts to SEND rights will only end in tiers… however many tiers that may be… www.specialneedsjungle.com/l...
#Disability #SENDSky
#Disability #SENDSky
January 26, 2026 at 6:00 AM
NEW POST: After a weekend of leaks, it’s time for the Government to realise that anonymous briefing of poorly thought-through plans and cuts to SEND rights will only end in tiers… however many tiers that may be… www.specialneedsjungle.com/l...
#Disability #SENDSky
#Disability #SENDSky
Not in the slightest, but it really doesn't get the attention it deserves!
January 24, 2026 at 8:03 AM
Not in the slightest, but it really doesn't get the attention it deserves!
The Autism Act *is* basically just "there needs to be a strategy for supporting autistic adults, and statutory guidance for how local services should fulfil this strategy".
2021 Strategy extended this to children, but they aren't covered by the decade-old statutory guidance we're still stuck with.
2021 Strategy extended this to children, but they aren't covered by the decade-old statutory guidance we're still stuck with.
January 23, 2026 at 6:24 PM
The Autism Act *is* basically just "there needs to be a strategy for supporting autistic adults, and statutory guidance for how local services should fulfil this strategy".
2021 Strategy extended this to children, but they aren't covered by the decade-old statutory guidance we're still stuck with.
2021 Strategy extended this to children, but they aren't covered by the decade-old statutory guidance we're still stuck with.
Government now pretty much admitting there won't be a new Autism Strategy ready for when the existing 5-year strategy ends this summer.
The current one will still be in force - but with no commitments since 2022 and no statutory guidance at all, that doesn't mean much!
www.gov.uk/government/p...
The current one will still be in force - but with no commitments since 2022 and no statutory guidance at all, that doesn't mean much!
www.gov.uk/government/p...
Government response to Lords Select Committee's report Time to deliver: The Autism Act 2009 and the new autism strategy
www.gov.uk
January 23, 2026 at 6:21 PM
Government now pretty much admitting there won't be a new Autism Strategy ready for when the existing 5-year strategy ends this summer.
The current one will still be in force - but with no commitments since 2022 and no statutory guidance at all, that doesn't mean much!
www.gov.uk/government/p...
The current one will still be in force - but with no commitments since 2022 and no statutory guidance at all, that doesn't mean much!
www.gov.uk/government/p...
Reposted by Georgia Harper
This is cool! National Autistic Taskforce offering small funding awards to autistic people based in the UK, for work supporting autistic people to live their best lives.
Closing date is 28th Feb.
nationalautistictaskforce.org.uk/nat-founders...
Closing date is 28th Feb.
nationalautistictaskforce.org.uk/nat-founders...
NAT Founders Award
The National Autistic Taskforce was founded in 2018 by Dr Dinah Murray, a well known autistic community member and an independent researcher and campaigner. Dinah died in 2021 and is sadly missed p…
nationalautistictaskforce.org.uk
January 18, 2026 at 5:06 PM
This is cool! National Autistic Taskforce offering small funding awards to autistic people based in the UK, for work supporting autistic people to live their best lives.
Closing date is 28th Feb.
nationalautistictaskforce.org.uk/nat-founders...
Closing date is 28th Feb.
nationalautistictaskforce.org.uk/nat-founders...
this is hilarious but also the number of takes I've seen that *are basically exactly this* is wild
January 14, 2026 at 8:56 AM
this is hilarious but also the number of takes I've seen that *are basically exactly this* is wild
Like, I didn't wear headphones or carry stim toys when I was the target Barbie demographic, but knowing that *some autistic people do*, and why, would have been a game-changer
January 13, 2026 at 12:23 PM
Like, I didn't wear headphones or carry stim toys when I was the target Barbie demographic, but knowing that *some autistic people do*, and why, would have been a game-changer
Thinking about how when I was a kid autism was talked about as "Weird Behaviours affecting others" so (even diagnosed) I knew *nothing* about my sensory needs & built up a ton of anxiety disorders instead.
And how much progress we've made since to be concerned about sensory tools as a *stereotype*.
And how much progress we've made since to be concerned about sensory tools as a *stereotype*.
January 13, 2026 at 12:20 PM
Thinking about how when I was a kid autism was talked about as "Weird Behaviours affecting others" so (even diagnosed) I knew *nothing* about my sensory needs & built up a ton of anxiety disorders instead.
And how much progress we've made since to be concerned about sensory tools as a *stereotype*.
And how much progress we've made since to be concerned about sensory tools as a *stereotype*.
The new Barbie comes with a range of accessories to reflect her status as an autistic woman, such as:
- noise-cancelling headphones
- a fidget spinner
- intense social media scrutiny about how she's Being Autistic Wrong
- noise-cancelling headphones
- a fidget spinner
- intense social media scrutiny about how she's Being Autistic Wrong
January 12, 2026 at 5:10 PM
The new Barbie comes with a range of accessories to reflect her status as an autistic woman, such as:
- noise-cancelling headphones
- a fidget spinner
- intense social media scrutiny about how she's Being Autistic Wrong
- noise-cancelling headphones
- a fidget spinner
- intense social media scrutiny about how she's Being Autistic Wrong
Reposted by Georgia Harper
A man is seeking to return his autism diagnosis, having changed his mind about his enthusiasm for trains after actually riding on one, it has been revealed.
Mind the gap! Man gives back autism diagnosis after love of trains is tested by a trip on the Circle Line
A man is seeking to return his autism diagnosis, having changed his mind about his enthusiasm for trains after actually riding on one, it has been revealed. Dexter Livingstone, 25, rode the London…
thedailytism.com
January 10, 2026 at 6:02 PM
A man is seeking to return his autism diagnosis, having changed his mind about his enthusiasm for trains after actually riding on one, it has been revealed.
Reposted by Georgia Harper
My poem 'The Commuter' has just been published in BRAWL!
I'm very proud of this poem. It's about the dystopian future we seem to be careening towards in the US.
You can read it over here:
www.brawllit.com/2025/william...
I'm very proud of this poem. It's about the dystopian future we seem to be careening towards in the US.
You can read it over here:
www.brawllit.com/2025/william...
William Shaw — BRAWL
www.brawllit.com
January 8, 2026 at 4:13 PM
My poem 'The Commuter' has just been published in BRAWL!
I'm very proud of this poem. It's about the dystopian future we seem to be careening towards in the US.
You can read it over here:
www.brawllit.com/2025/william...
I'm very proud of this poem. It's about the dystopian future we seem to be careening towards in the US.
You can read it over here:
www.brawllit.com/2025/william...
Reposted by Georgia Harper
January 6, 2026 at 12:56 PM
Grim substantive content aside: plans being leaked to the press first, during Parliamentary recess, exclusively to paywalled newspapers where most affected families would only see a headline, on *New Year's Day* when many charities and support services are in Christmas shutdown, is infuriating
NEW POST: Leaks, denials, and fake conversations. @catrionamoore.bsky.social says they’re no way to inspire parental confidence in Government SEND plans—with a quick update on our #SaveOurChildrensRights campaign www.specialneedsjungle.com/l...
#Disability #SENDSky
#Disability #SENDSky
January 5, 2026 at 1:16 PM
Grim substantive content aside: plans being leaked to the press first, during Parliamentary recess, exclusively to paywalled newspapers where most affected families would only see a headline, on *New Year's Day* when many charities and support services are in Christmas shutdown, is infuriating