Sorcha Dunne
LightNews LightNews
banner
sorchadunne.bsky.social
Sorcha Dunne
@sorchadunne.bsky.social
580 followers 280 following 29 posts
AuDHD gal | Lecturer and Admissions Lead in Occupational Therapy @ University of Gloucestershire | MASc Creative Health | Passionate about neurodiversity, disability justice, ABI rehabilitation, creativity and dogs 🪩🇵🇸 Name pronounced sore-sha.
Posts Replies Media Videos
sorchadunne.bsky.social
Interested in how we can provide #neuroaffirmative support to neurodivergent kids? Have a look at the report I wrote with #NeurodiversityIreland which highlights the incredible community based supports they're building with and for the community neurodiversityireland.com/about/
Heading: Rethinking Neurodiversity Being awarded the grant and business support by Rethink Ireland enabled us to pilot a project which disrupts the traditional model of children's disability services. The project has three separate strands, guided by Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory, which directly support neurodivergent children, their families and educators. Project One:Occupational Therapy Guided Play Groups A child-led, demand-free environment promoting authentic play, social connection and self- regulation, guided by principles of neuroaffirmative occupational therapy. Project Two: Regulate-Participate! A Whole-School Project A whole-school approach to learning about neurodiversity, facilitated by our team of OTs and Psychologist, via a series of discussions, an audit of the school environment with recommendations on actioning inclusivity & support on targeting movement breaks. Project Three: Information Sharing Webinars Providing free, educational opportunities is one of our core goals at Neurodiversity Ireland. We empower families and health professionals with the knowledge and confidence they need to support and connect with their neurodivergent children. Heading: Outcomes of Play Groups: What to Measure? Main Text: We want to move beyond traditional, deficit-focused and standardised assessments for neurodivergent children. We realise and regret the harm that has been caused to neurodivergent children and their families, by measurements of their abilities against neurotypical test scores or comparative metrics. We no longer wish our children to be assessed for their ability to perform “skills” that do not align with their authentic, neurodivergent identities. The “goals” we seek for our children must be informed by an evidence base that aligns with neuro-affirming values and centres the perspectives of what neurodivergent children need and want. We want to improve their well-being and most of all, we want them to be happy! We know that child surveys have limited scope in capturing children’s experiences, particularly for diverse learners and communicators. We know there is a lack of data on children’s perceptions and confidence in their cultural identities and their participation in group activities. We believe in the need for innovative child data collection practices. Neurodiversity Ireland advocates against splitting children into separate diagnoses, thereby requiring separate services, across various sectors. Similarly, we advocate for a whole-child approach to measuring well-being, that respects the particular qualities of and challenges faced by neurodivergent children. We recognise the importance of children’s own activities, attitudes, environments and relationships as both drivers and outcomes of their well-being. With this in mind, we argue that the whole ecosystem around the child must be considered, when seeking to measure their well-being.
November 22, 2024 at 2:30 PM
sorchadunne.bsky.social
Incredibly disappointing to see the Irish Times tone policing @blindboyboatclub.bsky.social in his recent (brilliant) broadcast. In today's world, having 0 understanding that many #autistic people speak in different tones & inflections than NTs is embarrassing. Herein lies the double empathy issue 🤦🏻‍♀️
A screenshot of Blindboy Boatclub's (an Irish podcaster, writer and incredible storyteller) Instagram story. On a white background, there is a screenshot of an Irish times article with a headline that reads: TV review: it's great to hear a Limerick accent on TV, it's astonishing that regional accents are still such a rarity on the airwaves. That said, Blindboy has an unusual method of delivery that makes everything he says sound sarcastic. Even when he's being sincere, as he is throughout this broadcast, it's as if he's winding up for a punchline that never arrives.
November 22, 2024 at 1:56 PM