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tableunderatree.bsky.social
table under a tree
@tableunderatree.bsky.social
49 followers 280 following 53 posts
Mainly reposts.
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annmemmott.bsky.social
This isn't 1950 any more. We know that most autistic people are lovely, kind, thoughtful, dedicated, diligent individuals who bring so much to our lives. Portraying 100% of us - or ANY of us, as a disaster to be avoided at any cost, is so utterly irresponsible.

I am absolutely aghast.
September 23, 2025 at 9:15 AM
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purnasen.bsky.social
Calling #UK #VAWG peeps
You may have spoken to Reem @unsrvaw.bsky.social in 2024 or you may have missed her but you can hear her speak about her visit & report at this #CWASU event on 25/9.
She will be in discussion w' @proflizkelly.bsky.social & me.
Register 👇

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/joining-th...
Joining the Dots: International Conversations on Violence Against Women.
Reem AlSaleem, the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against women and Girls, joins us to discuss her recommendations for the UK
www.eventbrite.co.uk
September 16, 2025 at 11:08 AM
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annmemmott.bsky.social
dawnjoyleong.com/2025/07/20/a... In my view, worth every moment spent reading this. About what ABA and its underlying bizarre belief-system really does to autistic people.
Time to retire this ancient nonsense.
ABA, Behaviourism and Societal Abuse.
This is a casual piece about my views on behaviourism in general, and my own lived-experience of accumulated trauma and vulnerability as a consequence. It is not an academic article, so I have not …
dawnjoyleong.com
July 20, 2025 at 9:39 AM
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annmemmott.bsky.social
link.springer.com/article/10.1... Research asking autistic adults who've had ABA, and parents who invested in it, what they thought of ABA.
Fewer than 1 in 4 of the autistic people said it made a positive impact on their lives, overall.
Huge list of concerning stuff including..../
Experiences of Autistic Individuals, Caregivers and Healthcare Providers with ABA-Derived Therapies: a Sequential Exploratory Mixed Methods Study - Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a widely recommended intervention for autistic children, but it has recently been criticized because of its potential negative effects on mental health. This study a...
link.springer.com
July 28, 2025 at 9:31 AM
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annmemmott.bsky.social
The ABA teams forcing autistic individuals to perform tasks or exhibit certain uncomfortable behaviour (e.g., making eye contact),
Forced/involuntary time-out or isolation,
Exposure to unpleasant stimuli such as annoying sounds or lights,
Taking away freedom,
Holding or touching involuntarily/
July 28, 2025 at 9:32 AM
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annmemmott.bsky.social
/ctd - the ABA teams...
Yelling/saying mean things to the autistic individual,
Taking away needed objects,
Restraint,
& physical punishments including hitting the individual.

Parent were relatively happy, though (!)

Allegedly a 'gold standard treatment'.

In whose view?
July 28, 2025 at 9:34 AM
Reposted by table under a tree
annmemmott.bsky.social
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/... New autism research. Which is better at teaching everyday living skills? ABA, Ayres Sensory Integration, or ordinary parenting?

Answer: The two interventions are no more effective than just being a parent in the usual ways.
Interesting, eh...
A Comparative Trial of Occupational Therapy Using Ayres Sensory Integration and Applied Behavior Analysis Interventions for Autistic Children
Many autistic children demonstrate sensory integration differences that impact their participation in daily living activities and tasks. Occupational Therapy using Ayres Sensory Integration (OT-ASI) ...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
August 16, 2025 at 6:23 AM
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annmemmott.bsky.social
acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.... Very useful but sobering new research by this fine team, on the upsetting experiences that autistic and ADHD young people endure in e.g. schools...and why the resulting distress/dysregulation isn't because of autism/ADHD.
JCPP Advances | ACAMH Child Development Journal | Wiley Online Library
Background Accounts of emotional dysregulation in autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are typically based on external adult observations anchored in neurotypical notions of em...
acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
August 26, 2025 at 9:32 AM
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annmemmott.bsky.social
ndconnection.co.uk/blog/autism-... This month's research roundup, covering some of the most important/debate-worthy new research on autism, ADHD, dyslexia & dyspraxia etc. This monthly series is available from the website if you miss any, & supplements the research done elsewhere for Clinical teams.
Autism, ADHD, dyslexia and dyspraxia Research—What’s New in August — Neurodiverse Connection
In this month’s research roundup, Ann Memmott explores a wide range of new studies on Autism, ADHD, dyslexia and dyspraxia. Topics covered include measuring Autistic burnout, photography as therapy ...
ndconnection.co.uk
August 26, 2025 at 4:50 PM
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jaimehoerricks.bsky.social
China is now the world’s second-largest producer of autism research—but rooted in deficit and institutionalisation. What begins in Wuhan may shape IEPs in Los Angeles. Autistic voices must resist erasure and write our own record.

open.substack.com/pub/autside/...
When the Centre Shifts—China, Autism Research, and Global Consequences
What happens when the world’s new scientific powerhouse defines autism through stigma and segregation?
open.substack.com
August 29, 2025 at 10:39 AM
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tomslists.bsky.social
16 February 2023 for anyone else like me who wants to hear it again. Sandwiched between John Donne and Superconductivity, which indicates the extraordinary breadth of subjects in the series

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
BBC Radio 4 - In Our Time, Rawls' Theory of Justice
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss John Rawls' influential ideas on liberty and equality.
www.bbc.co.uk
September 4, 2025 at 3:47 PM
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lawyersfornature.bsky.social
“It is only by once again regarding Nature as sacred and then putting that sacredness into practice in our legal, political, economic and social systems, that we have any chance of truly saving the river that you love.” - @paulpowlesland.bsky.social

www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZRM...
Welcoming the River Wye at Herefordshire Council SD 480p
YouTube video by Save The Wye
www.youtube.com
November 14, 2024 at 4:24 PM
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pauljwillson.bsky.social
Oak wood
August 12, 2025 at 5:08 AM
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eliothiggins.bsky.social
I think Labour’s problem is that, as power has shifted to technocrats over recent decades, its ambitions have shrunk to chasing populist policies shaped by an algorithmically skewed version of public opinion, one amplified by rage-bait rather than grounded in reality.
August 10, 2025 at 9:10 AM
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eliothiggins.bsky.social
The problem’s worsened by a popular press chasing the same engagement metrics, amplifying outrage to fit platform incentives. This creates a feedback loop where distorted public opinion drives headlines, and headlines drive distorted politics.
August 10, 2025 at 9:13 AM
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sheraresearch.bsky.social
Thank you UN Special Rapporteur #VAWG Reem Alsalem #familycourt

Again the Special Rapporteur recommends #parentalalienation frameworks be prohibited from use in FC, calls for abuse and trauma informed regulated experts in #familycourt & an end to the #presumptionofinvolvement for abusive parents
2. Beyond legal barriers, family courts have been criticized for prioritizing parental contact and involvement over the safety of children, sometimes granting access to fathers despite serious allegations and even findings of abuse. Courts repeatedly disregarded domestic violence evidence, instead framing protective mothers as engaging in "parental alienation" With mothers being advised not to raise allegations of domestic violence or child sexual abuse in case they are accused of “parental alienation.” Mothers are also threatened with the removal of their children if they seek to protect their children by limiting contact with abusive fathers. In many cases, children’s voices are not heard or listened to. Such cases expose deep flaws in the system, where the presumption of parental involvement can override safeguarding concerns - links to our paper in bio open access 81. Mothers who have lost the care of their children as a result of custody cases are struggling to come to terms with the loss. They face systematic challenges in accessing justice, exacerbated by legal aid cuts, court biases, and a failure to prioritize child safety in cases involving domestic abuse. The 2013 Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act removed legal aid from most private family law cases, forcing many parents, especially mothers, to represent themselves. By 2024 over half of mothers in custody disputes appeared in court without a lawyer[1], and by 2017, 21,852 parents applied for private law child arrangement cases without legal representation—a 134% increase from 2011[2]. This lack of legal support disproportionately affects lower-income mothers. The result is often prolonged cases, psychological distress, denial of justice and a growing family court backlog, which stood at over100,000 children as of 2013[3]. The lack of justice has forced many mothers to escape the UK to jurisdictions not covered by the Hague Convention on Child Abductions. 44. The UK government’s Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy emphasizes prevention, previously allocating £6.6 million over three years (2022-2025) to this end. However, a significant challenge persists including: Framing violence against women and girls predominantly as a criminal justice issue, focusing on punishing offenders rather than investing adequately in the systemic and societal changes required to address root causes. Prevention efforts remain underfunded, while the implementation of protective measures, victim compensation, and rehabilitation is weak. This punitive approach, coupled with poor enforcement of court judgments and protection orders fosters a sense of impunity for perpetrators, undermining progress. 45. Specialist services for girls and young women under 25, who face disproportionate rates of domestic abuse, are critical yet insufficient. Statutory agencies are positioned to identify and intervene early, but without robust investment, many women at risk are left without support, leading to trauma, school exclusion, or entanglement in the criminal justice system. Efforts to shift harmful social norms, particularly among boys and men, such as Scotland’s Equally Safe strategy, which aims to ensure that young people develop mutually respectful, responsible and confident relationships[1] are to be commended. However, the £6.6 million investment in such policies pales against the scale of need (3.5 million boys) and the scale of sexual and gender-based violence. [35 NSPCC, Child sexual abuse: statistics briefing. [36] Adrienne Barnett, Domestic abuse and private law cases: A literature Review, Ministry of Justice, 2020. [37] https://rapecrisis.org.uk/get-informed/breaking-point/?utm_source=chatgpt.com. [38] https://www.executiveoffice-ni.gov.uk/articles/truth-recovery-design-panel. [39] https://ombudsman.ie/en/publi… 57. Women and girls with disabilities in the UK are particularly vulnerable to sexual and gender-based violence, discrimination, and abuse, yet the response from authorities is often inadequate. The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities raised concerns in 2017, stating that the rights of women and girls with disabilities have not been systematically integrated into gender equality and disability agendas, with a lack of data and measures addressing the compounded effects of multiple and intersectional discrimination[1]. Women and girls with psychosocial disabilities face significant obstacles when attempting to access justice. The prevalent practice of restricting legal capacity makes it difficult for these women to initiate or participate in legal proceedings, and their testimonies are often met with skepticism/ Service providers also tend to be slow in responding to financial abuse, further exacerbating their vulnerability.[2] [1] Ibid. [2] https://www.wbg.org.uk/article/cuts-to-social-security-for-disabled-women/. r stereotypes.
May 30, 2025 at 7:28 AM
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pauljwillson.bsky.social
River Coupall
August 6, 2025 at 10:09 PM
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pauljwillson.bsky.social
Harris pastels
August 7, 2025 at 7:27 PM
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passblue.bsky.social
Four Years After the Taliban’s Return, Afghan Women Judges Go Deeper Underground passblue.com/2025/08/07/f...
Four Years After the Taliban’s Return, Afghan Women Judges Go Deeper Underground
passblue.com
August 8, 2025 at 2:21 AM
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paulpowlesland.bsky.social
I was on my boat late last night & thought I heard a scrabbling noise coming from outside. I saw movement out of the corner of my eye & looked up to see a fox had come through my open boat hatch & was climbing into my bed!
June 11, 2025 at 2:44 PM
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paulpowlesland.bsky.social
It didn’t flinch or run away when I turned to it & instead slowly sussed me out & gently sauntered back off the boat. It feels like the longer I live in nature, the more comfortable all creatures become with me and my presence.
June 11, 2025 at 2:44 PM
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thefabians.bsky.social
Thanks to everyone who attended.

To find out more on how to build a country, and a world that, works for women and girls. Read ‘Only Halfway?’ here 👇

fabians.org.uk/publication/...
Only halfway? | Fabian Society
Fabian Society
fabians.org.uk
July 14, 2025 at 4:31 PM
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purnasen.bsky.social
🙏🏽🙏🏽 to @thefabians.bsky.social for support on making the case for a #rights -based approach to ending #violence against #women
I wrote this with #saraHyde to make sure that rights obligations & #dueDiligence become more central in our work towards #elimination.
We will continue to take this forward
thefabians.bsky.social Fabian Society @thefabians.bsky.social · Jul 14
We were honoured to welcome @drsarahyde.bsky.social, @purnasen.bsky.social, @proflizkelly.bsky.social, @jessasatomp.bsky.social & Sarah Russell at the launch of our new pamphlet, ‘Only Halfway? A Rights-Based Approach to Ending Violence Against Women in the UK’

Here were some key insights shared 🧵
July 14, 2025 at 10:10 PM
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annmemmott.bsky.social
meridian.allenpress.com/ajidd/articl... I read a new ABA research paper about how to enforce 'correct' play for autistic children (!). It relied heavily on this paper, from 2020, for its main views.
It tells us that happiness is believed to be irrelevant as an outcome of play.
What on earth....
Positive affect. One element of play that was rarely directly measured in this research is positive affect or behavioral indicators of happiness or enjoyment. Although descriptive definitions of play within play taxonomies often include positive affect (Barton, 2014), in the current review, Lang and colleagues (2009) and Reinhartsen and colleagues (2009) were the only authors who measured child affect during or postintervention. Research has advanced to support play as a critical intervention goal, suggesting overt enjoyment or positive affect is not a critical element. That is, changes in affect during academic or adaptive interventions are not generally considered relevant and its role in play research is thus far understudied. Descriptive studies showing changes in affect during play are needed before positive affect should be considered a behavioral marker of play. However, future research could identify methods of measuring changes in positive affect following the acquisition of play skills (e.g., counting smiles and laughter).
June 17, 2025 at 8:56 AM
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annmemmott.bsky.social
On a day of more daunting international news, thankful for the roses in the garden.
Praying for reconciliation and peace, somehow.
A peach coloured rose in bloom, with other rosebuds close to blooming.
June 22, 2025 at 5:58 AM