The project led by Rosie Tansley and Katie Munday focuses on making cancer care accessible for disabled and neurodivergent individuals. Through participatory methods, it identifies barriers such as inaccessible information and poor communication, while proposing solutions that prioritise empathy and inclusivity in healthcare. Meaningful changes are essential for effective support.

Kindness is a free yet scarce resource in healthcare, often hindered by systemic issues like staff exhaustion and bias. Sharing personal stories fosters empathy and connection, creating a sense of belonging. Community-driven research enriches understanding and advocacy, reminding us of the importance of kindness in sustaining human connection amidst challenges.

Neuro-affirming practice involves unlearning harmful methods and embracing neurodiversity as valid. It emphasizes inclusive, empathetic approaches that respect individual autonomy and lived experiences. Practitioners should adapt their methods to support neurodivergent clients, fostering an environment of trust and safety through continuous reflection and advocacy for systemic change.

To improve gender identity healthcare for autistic and neurodivergent individuals, key recommendations include hiring a trans healthcare coordinator, enhancing GP training, prioritizing trauma-informed care, and ensuring accessibility. Participants emphasise the need for empathy, communication, and a patient-centered approach that recognises and addresses the unique challenges faced by this community.

The project with Help and Care, Wessex Cancer Alliance, and Macmillan Cancer Support highlights the inequities disabled people face within cancer services. Participants shared distressing experiences showing systemic bias and barriers. The research emphasizes the importance of listening to these voices, advocating for dignity, and fostering empathy to ensure equitable treatment for all individuals in healthcare settings.

Human beings are complex. We’re constantly changing, adapting, and responding to our environments — emotionally, mentally, and physically. For neurodivergent people, this complexity is often heightened by a world that isn’t built with their brains in mind. Supporting neurodivergent people means embracing the unpredictability and the chaos that makes us human. Chaos theory reminds us that a small change in initial conditions can lead to huge shifts in outcome.

Autistic and neurodivergent individuals face significant barriers in accessing gender-affirming healthcare, as revealed by research on their experiences. Discrimination occurs when disclosing autism, leading to feelings of frustration and alienation. Accessibility issues further complicate care, with non-binary experiences often overlooked. A call for continuous learning and empathy in healthcare is essential for improvement.

The critique of Simon Baron-Cohen highlights the negative impact of his theories on the perception of autistic individuals, framing autism as a deficit. His work reinforces harmful stereotypes, particularly for autistic women and gender minorities, and has been influential in diagnostic criteria and treatments. Despite new insights, he clings to outdated ideas, marginalizing autistic voices and perpetuating misconceptions. Better research must be collaborative and rooted in lived experiences.

The author emphasizes that work/life balance is complex during a PhD, particularly within their community. They critique the pressure to prioritize studies, leading to burnout among students. Drawing from personal experiences, including an autism diagnosis, they advocate for self-awareness in managing mental wellbeing, while grappling with systemic challenges in academia.

The author shares insights about community-based knowledge from trans Autistic individuals, emphasizing the importance of honoring and protecting these lived experiences. They grapple with how to navigate sharing these stories in academic contexts, questioning what knowledge should be disclosed and focusing on safe, community-driven storytelling over traditional research methods.

Above is a link to the amazing project from Artie Carden, which shares information about the project, a link to the zine, a screen reader version of the zine and a full transcript. The zine can als…

Gender is simple but also a complicated idea – it is how we feel about ourselves whilst we are with other people and when we are alone…

This post delves into the challenges faced by a chronically ill, anxious Autistic individual in attending social events, due to physical and mental considerations. The author highlights the complex…

This article, originally from Autistic Revolution magazine, addresses the intersection of LGBTQIA+ and Autistic identities. The author explains their personal connection to both spectrums and discu…

We have partnered on research exploring how to improve access to cancer care and services for marginalised groups.

"My child just came out to me, what do I do?" I have been asked this question many times as a professional. For many of the families I work with I am the only openly queer person they know. My first piece of advice? Breathe, everything feels a little better after a deep breath, it gives us time to process and focus (and for neurodivergent people it can often help us avoid any facial expressions that could be misconstrued!).