Ashton Ferguson (she/her)
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ashtonferguson.bsky.social
Ashton Ferguson (she/her)
@ashtonferguson.bsky.social
45 followers 290 following 6 posts
Assistant Psychologist. MSc Clinical Psychology student. Northerner down South. 🌈
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Reposted by Ashton Ferguson (she/her)
autisticrealms.bsky.social
"Burnout scores remained relatively stable over time, suggesting that for many autistic individuals, burnout may not be a short-term state but a chronic and persistent experience that requires longer-term, individualized supports."
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
July 28, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Reposted by Ashton Ferguson (she/her)
dramypearson.bsky.social
Hey All- we are deep in the swing of data collection season for our MSc, and some of the students are looking for autistic/ADHD adults for a study (see poster below). Please share if you can.
Recruitment poster, it says: Durham University is conducting research on how autistic and ADHD adults perceive emotions in others, and we need participants! The experiment should take 1 5 - 2 0 minutes, is conducted online through questionnaires and watching videos, and participants will receive £ 5 Amazon voucher for participating. To participate email: clara.m.springman@durham.ac.uk OR andrew.j.clarkson@durham.ac.uk OR charlotte.a.field@durham.ac.uk
July 11, 2025 at 12:23 PM
Reposted by Ashton Ferguson (she/her)
swanautismscotland.bsky.social
Not long now until our next workshop for autistic allies (friends, family, supporters, professionals) This workshop explores the tween and teenage years as an autistic young person.
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1074375097...
Growing Up Autistic - Identity, Puberty and Making Sense of Emotions
Join us for an autistic-led workshop on navigating puberty, and emotions as an autistic young person in a neurotypical world
www.eventbrite.co.uk
July 1, 2025 at 9:38 AM
Reposted by Ashton Ferguson (she/her)
annmemmott.bsky.social
"Neurodiversity affirming". Is it?
New research www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/...
Checklist in this, around true acceptance & appreciation of autistic people, being humble, & offering real safety to be authentically autistic without pity or 'intervention' from the other person.
Lots to like.
Defining Neurodiversity Affirming Psychology Practice for Autistic Adults: A Delphi Study Integrating Psychologist and Client Perspectives | Autism in Adulthood
Background: The term “neurodiversity affirming” has been used to describe an inclusive and strengths-based approach to mental health care, aligned with the neurodiversity paradigm and social model of ...
www.liebertpub.com
June 13, 2025 at 7:16 AM
Reposted by Ashton Ferguson (she/her)
drstevenkapp.bsky.social
Editorial on neurodiveristy frameworks in East Asian cultures: identity vs person-first debates don't make (linguistic) sense in some languages. These cultures may value harmony/cultural tightness over individuality; important to learn from local autistic ppl. 1/
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Neurodiversity paradigms and their development across cultures: Some reflections in East Asian contexts - Tomoya Hirota, Keun-Ah Cheon, Meng-Chuan Lai, 2024
journals.sagepub.com
May 21, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Reposted by Ashton Ferguson (she/her)
autismcrisis.bsky.social
The new journal "Research in Neurodiversity" posts its first paper, on autism, music & empathy, free www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... "experimental studies have shown that autistic children can detect and categorise emotions expressed in music as well as, or better than, neurotypical children"
Autism, Musicality, and Empathy: Through the Lens of First-Person Accounts
Over the past two decades, autism research has seen a gradual shift from deficit-focused theories to models informed by the neurodiversity paradigm. T…
www.sciencedirect.com
June 11, 2025 at 9:22 AM
Reposted by Ashton Ferguson (she/her)
autisminadulthood.bsky.social
Research by @xspcyau.bsky.social et al (2025) shows that miscommunication and misunderstandings between autistic adults and service providers are barriers to autistic adults seeking and receiving support for mental health and suicidality

FREE until 20th June

www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/...
Screenshot of journal article titled: “Autistic Adults’ Experiences Seeking and Receiving Support for Mental Health and Suicidal Thoughts and Behavior” by Wilson et al (2025).
June 9, 2025 at 11:55 AM
Reposted by Ashton Ferguson (she/her)
autismcrisis.bsky.social
In autism intervention research, "‘problem behavior’ (& its many terminological variations such as aberrant, challenging, or maladaptive behavior, & subvariants such as stereotypy or restrictive & repetitive behavior) is inadequately conceptualized" acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... free
<em>Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry</em> | ACAMH Pediatric Journal | Wiley Online Library
Background Some autistic children exhibit behavior that caregivers, clinicians, and researchers consider problematic. However, there is little consensus about the types of behaviors that should be t...
acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
June 2, 2025 at 8:45 AM
Reposted by Ashton Ferguson (she/her)
journalautism.bsky.social
‘Sometimes I’m feeling baffled and they’re probably feeling baffled’: On the experiences of psychological therapists working with autistic people in a structured primary care service for anxiety disorders and depression

journals.sagepub.com...
May 28, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Reposted by Ashton Ferguson (she/her)
shefautismres.bsky.social
New ShARL article on Autism diagnostic disclosure in adulthood journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/... Led by the wonderful Dr Sheena Au-Yeung
‘Am I gonna regret this?’: The experiences of diagnostic disclosure in autistic adults - Sheena K Au-Yeung, Megan Freeth, Andrew R Thompson, 2025
An increasing number of people receive autism diagnoses in adulthood, and there are few studies investigating autistic adults’ experiences of disclosing their d...
journals.sagepub.com
May 13, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Reposted by Ashton Ferguson (she/her)
thinkingautism.com
Today in hell yes, research!

A free autistic-developed, self-guided resource—the “Welcome Pack”—helps newly diagnosed autistic adults. It includes personal stories, practical advice, & reflection activities to support self-understanding & identity development.

journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
journals.sagepub.com
May 12, 2025 at 9:24 PM
Reposted by Ashton Ferguson (she/her)
drjobillington.bsky.social
Thrilled to be welcoming @jopavlopoulou.bsky.social @venessas.bsky.social @aquinnunbroken.bsky.social & Maciej Matejko to our next Wellbeing Hub webinar on 22nd May at 7pm to launch their new book 'Improving mental health therapies for autistic people and their families'
Book here: bit.ly/3GFAgXV
May 8, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Reposted by Ashton Ferguson (she/her)
kerenmaclennan.bsky.social
New study! We are looking for anyone (aged 18 years+) who attends live music to share their experiences so we can understand how to make live music more inclusive.

Please complete this ~30min online survey: lnkd.in/e-52MrAr

#neurodiversity #music #neurodivergent #inclusion #accessibility #EDI
Study flyer including the information that is in the accompanying post
May 1, 2025 at 2:01 PM
ashtonferguson.bsky.social
Really looking forward to this today!
May 7, 2025 at 5:09 AM
Reposted by Ashton Ferguson (she/her)
journalautism.bsky.social
‘We’re quite good at thinking outside the box: Early autistic sensory experiences expressed by autistic adults and caregivers of autistic children

journals.sagepub.com...
May 6, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Reposted by Ashton Ferguson (she/her)
gr0ve.bsky.social
WE ARE RECRUITING FOR UK-BASED SELF-EMPLOYED POSITIONS

linktr.ee/gr0ve.org

Please share widely!
This is a text based job advert: POSITIONS Group Mentor - Support Group Mentor - Lead Individual Mentor A plain text version is available on our website and this may be more suited to screen readers. POSITIONS Group Mentor - Support Group Mentor - Lead Individual Mentor Eligible candidates will have the right to work in the United Kingdom & should download an application pack here: OUR VISION GROVE is a safe community for Autistic children & young people to connect through shared interests & experiences. We support our children & young people’s personal growth by fostering a positive & authentic Autistic identity through neuro-affirming programmes of mentoring & education.* *Note: We currently work with Autistic young people despite our name saying ‘neurodivergent’ - this is because we intend to expand & if we don’t, our name will change. Please view our Neuro-affirming Foundations on our website SAFEGUARDING: We are committed to keeping children, young people & vulnerable adults safe & have comprehensive safeguarding policies & procedures in place. Everyone in GROVE’s team is responsible for safeguarding APPLICATION PACK https://gr0ve.org/
May 5, 2025 at 1:33 PM
Reposted by Ashton Ferguson (she/her)
journalautism.bsky.social
‘It just feels unnatural being here’: Autistic secondary school students’ experiences of sensory sensitivities in the school environment

journals.sagepub.com...
April 28, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Reposted by Ashton Ferguson (she/her)
autisticrealms.bsky.social
Following on from Kelly Mahler's post yesterday and @kieranrose.bsky.social 's work about Autistic burnout, I have a new blog:
Autistic Young People: Skills Regression, Burnout or a shift in Monotropic Attentional Resources?

autisticrealms.com/autistic-you...
Autistic Young People: Skills Regression, Burnout or a shift in Monotropic Attentional Resources? | Autistic Realms
Be Curious Having worked in Early Years SEND settings for over twenty years, one recurring concern I sometimes heard from parents and carers was that their ...
autisticrealms.com
April 16, 2025 at 8:04 AM
Reposted by Ashton Ferguson (she/her)
kellybirtwell.bsky.social
🚨 New paper out: autistic adults’ perspectives on growing older. Survey of 121 autistic people aged 18+ in UK. We asked what worried people about getting older and what people might look forward to. Thanks to all who took part!
www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/...
#AutRes #AutisticElders #Menopause
“Our Existence as Whole Individuals Does Not Evaporate at Age 50”: A Mixed Methods Study of Autistic Adults’ Perspectives on Growing Older | Autism in Adulthood
Background: Older autistic adults are at risk of social isolation and are more likely to experience physical and mental health conditions compared with non-autistic older adults. However, the needs an...
www.liebertpub.com
March 22, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Reposted by Ashton Ferguson (she/her)
proud-geek.co.uk
It’s #NeurodiversityCelebrationWeek so I’ve put together a short list of queer books with great neurodivergent protagonists and themes on our website - all of them with links, as well as the suggested reading age.

Read the full blog: www.proud-geek.co.uk/post/queer-b...

#booksky #NCW
Queer Books With Neurodiverse Characters
I've had a few people lately ask for queer book recommendations with neurodiverse characters. There are plenty out there, but it's often tricky to find them, especially if you're not sure where to sta...
www.proud-geek.co.uk
March 19, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Reposted by Ashton Ferguson (she/her)
fergus.oolong.co.uk
It's #NeurodiversityCelebrationWeek this week. Anyone interested in #inclusion or #neurodiversity in an education context might find this collection of resources helpful.

#EduSky #SEND #ASN #SENCO #EdPsych

oolong.co.uk/nd-at-school/
Neurodiversity at School – Fergus Murray
(and wherever children are learning) Neurodiversity is the idea that different brains work differently, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing, even though some
oolong.co.uk
March 21, 2025 at 9:40 AM
Reposted by Ashton Ferguson (she/her)
neuro-observant.bsky.social
Reposting for Neurodiversity Celebration Week!

Because we don’t talk enough about autistic strengths

There are so many autistic traits that make the world a better place

❌ harmful deficit-based narrative
✅ strengths, joys and what support autistic people need to live good lives

#autism #AuDHD
A pale green graphic showing "autistic strengths" (highlighted in orange in the centre): curious honest attention to detail driven dedicated thorough strong sense of justice loyal sensitive caring empathetic deep thinkers fair These qualities are each in a pale orange bubble, arranged in a circular fashion around the image of a person who is smiling slightly with an aura of calm contentment The "@neuro-observant" tag is at the top left corner of the graphic
March 22, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Reposted by Ashton Ferguson (she/her)
cjcrompton.bsky.social
It's #NeurodiversityCelebrationWeek! But what is neurodiversity?

We wrote an article for young people explaining what neurodiversity means for different people and day to day life!

kids.frontiersin.org/articles/10....
Neurodiversity Can Explain Differences in How People Experience Everyday Life
Neurodiversity means that all people’s brains process information differently from each other. In other words, people think and learn in a variety of ways. Being neurodivergent means that the way a pe...
kids.frontiersin.org
March 22, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Reposted by Ashton Ferguson (she/her)
ka81.bsky.social
Locked up for 3 years and quoted here ⬇️ "The reason I was there was because I am autistic and other people, who were not experts in autism, decided I should not be allowed to leave.”

Heart breaks.
johnpring.bsky.social John Pring, DNS @johnpring.bsky.social · Mar 22
Disabled activists are to hold a day of action in Westminster – and online – next month in protest at the government’s refusal to engage with the “deep-rooted concerns” of autistic people + people with learning difficulties about the mental health bill.
Activists will protest over government’s refusal to engage with ‘deep-rooted’ mental health bill concerns
Disabled activists are to hold a day of action in Westminster – and online – next month in protest at the government’s refusal to engage with the “deep-rooted concerns” of autistic people and peopl…
www.disabilitynewsservice.com
March 22, 2025 at 8:37 AM
Reposted by Ashton Ferguson (she/her)
autisticrealms.bsky.social
‘It feels like we're out of the rat race’: Family reflections on traumatic school experiences leading to home ed. (Gillie, 2025)
This research reveals the uncertainty of access to support for some neurodivergent families who deregister & home ed

nasenjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
‘It feels like we're out of the rat race’: Family reflections on traumatic school experiences leading to home education
The rise in numbers of children experiencing school attendance difficulties in recent years makes this an important focus for UK school inclusion. Simultaneously, increases in school deregistration i...
nasenjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
March 20, 2025 at 7:41 PM