I've done a shockingly bad job of promoting this, but! I'm going to be at College of Psychiatrists of Ireland's spring conference next Thursday, talking a bit about neurodiversity, the double empathy problem, and how non-autistic people can be more autistic in their communication. Come say hi!

I’m convinced that nobody goes into pregnancy knowing what a Urogynecologist is because then we’d have to admit up front WHY Urogynecologists need to exist (and why there’s a 6 month waiting list to see one).

If non autistic people do it, it's a hobby, if autistic people do it, it's therapy.

We’re looking for autistic young people (aged 13-18) to join our Young Persons Advisory Group and shape our research into mental health! We’d really like to hear from those often left out of autism research - more info here: qualtrics.ucl.ac.uk/jfe/form/SV_bK… Please retweet!

Important new steps summarised here:
'pregnant and lactating women and their children have been left behind and have not experienced the benefits afforded to other people. It is time to allow pregnant and lactating women the same opportunities'

Indeed.

jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/…

This study throws a stark light on the causes of the gender pay gap, since it suggests employers value working long hours over competence, and that when both men and women work long hours the men are rewarded for their commitment but the women are assumed to be inefficient.

'If you're under 25 your brain isn't fully developed, so you can't be trusted to make informed decisions'

I'm seeing this a LOT lately, especially today. And it's utter guff, based on hearsay, misunderstandings of neuroscience, or wilful ignorance.

Why? I'll tell you why

/1

Motivation to participate in structured physical activity for autistic youth: A systematic scoping review

journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.11…

Cannot stress enough how much everybody should read sloth communism ‘s Empire of Normality. Came at just the right time for me, I have a whole raft of new ideas for my PhD proposal, and a good reminder to move beyond a liberal understanding of neurodiversity. An important book.

I'm really pleased to have been awarded a Medical Research Council grant to study visual discomfort in autism - I'll be recruiting a postdoc for 4 years from September. Get in touch if you're interested!

thank you so much!

Popping up to share my news that I am pregnant, as a gestational #surrogate for some wonderful parents. Baby due in the summer. All glorious.

and here's a blog about my experiences of a high-risk pregnancy in our under-resourced NHS...
medium.com/@suefletcherwa…

this is so fucking badass.

don’t assume

Read this paper by The British Journal of Psychiatry if you are passionate about authentic coproduction + codelivery in #autism and #adhd in translational science

UCL Psych & Lang Sci UCL Institute of Mental Health Prof Francesca Happé Peter Fonagy Anna Freud King's College London Sue Fletcher-Watson Liz Pellicano
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Sharing again to signal boost this important campaign to prevent an undemocratic and potentially harmful decision by University of Edinburgh Court.

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