Sarah O'Brien
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sarahobrien.bsky.social
Sarah O'Brien
@sarahobrien.bsky.social
2.8K followers 470 following 270 posts
👩🏼‍🏫 autism trainer across North Central London
🎓 inclusive public involvement PhD @kcl.ac.uk
📚 So, I'm Autistic out now
she/her - autistic and disabled

generally funny, views + typos own

@SarahMarieOB on Twitter
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sarahobrien.bsky.social
🐣
Monty, a pale cream golden retriever sits amongst daffodils and smiles up at the camera with his mouth open.
March 27, 2025 at 11:03 AM
sarahobrien.bsky.social
Either I look like I’m visually impaired or need emotional support today because I’ve had so many people remark on “that dog is working”

The dog in question
Monty, a pale golden retriever lays on pavement and smiling up at Sarah while wearing an orange harness and double ended lead.
March 23, 2025 at 11:18 AM
sarahobrien.bsky.social
Happy new year, I'm doing some conflict resolution training and to me, the 'assault cycle' triggers remind me of commonly missed signs before 'behaviours of concern' expressed by autistic people and those with a learning disability in in-patient MH services.
Environment - too hot/too cold/too noisy etc. Other patients and staff around you Meetings about their care or mental health Loss of freedom Change in routine or the routine itself Frustration for any reason Contact with family, for example a good/bad visit Loss of contact with family and/or friends
January 7, 2025 at 8:27 AM
sarahobrien.bsky.social
Just out walking Monty and heard some meowing, turns out it was a teenage girl meowing out the window of the car on the way to school??

Anyways, here’s Monty enjoying some nature with a model pose 📸
Monty, a golden retriever, wearing his orange jumper and orange harness stands on the edge of a high bank of earth in the woods and looks back over his shoulder as he grins, much like a model posing after tossing their hair over their shoulder.
December 17, 2024 at 9:00 AM
sarahobrien.bsky.social
We went on an adventure to see Santa Paws!

We also learnt that he definitely knows what the word “cheese” means, and he doesn’t think it’s 📸, he leapt towards the camera for a cheesy treat.
Monty stood on two paws to look out a train window as were stopped at a station. He’s grinning and looking at his fellow travellers. Monty sat on a bench on a train station platform. Monty sat on a train seat. He’s grinning wasn’t meant to be, but it was the only way to scoot him out of the aisle. Monty sat next to Santa in a grotto setup, he’s about to leap from his perch towards the photographer who has just shouted “Cheese!”
December 13, 2024 at 1:06 PM
sarahobrien.bsky.social
A new economics report, commissioned by @autismallianceuk.bsky.social and @autistica.org.uk, conducted by LSE, highlights the economic efficiencies in prioritising autism in policy and commissioning, pushing for inclusion in the Autism Strategy

www.autism-alliance.org.uk/news/the-eco...
The Economic Case for Prioritising Autism in Policy and Reform report cover page.
December 11, 2024 at 9:17 AM
sarahobrien.bsky.social
Living today reminiscing about a house I stumbled on during a trip to Belgium years ago that asked people to pop their worries on a window to reduce the weight they had on us individually.

We all need a bit of sharing the load to make it easier to carry.
A squished terraced house in typical historic Belgian style with a coach house entry beside the front doors. The ground level window is almost entirely covered in bright yellow post it notes that have been stuck on in both a clear pattern and a haphazard slap onto the window.
December 10, 2024 at 8:33 AM
sarahobrien.bsky.social
Incredibly strange to wake up early this morning to the last refrains ever of the Eras Tour playing out in Vancouver.

It’s a tour that has been a persevering special interest over the past 21 months, and now it’s over, I’m not sure how to process it all really.
An audience view of Taylor Swift accepting applause from the Folklore Cabin set at the eras tour. She’s holding her hand to her chest and smiling ruefully whilst wearing the green folkmore dress.
December 9, 2024 at 9:01 AM
sarahobrien.bsky.social
A couple of things here:
- autism isn’t actually an excuse for being an arsehole, hope that helps!
- suffer from neurodiversity?? Poor reporting from the telegraph
- they’ve used a photo promoting his patron/ambassador role at Ambitious about Autism, not a good look for the charity
Screenshot from the telegraph for an article “Autism to blame for my inappropriate actions, Gregg Wallace expected to tell inquiry” Subtitle “Friends of MasterChef presenter are convinced he suffers from neurodiversity condition that explains behaviour” Article photo caption “Gregg Wallace was previously an ambassador for the Ambitious for Autism charity”
December 8, 2024 at 6:14 PM
sarahobrien.bsky.social
#DogsOfBluesky meet Monty, a doofus with a golden heart with a near permanent grin.
A close up of Monty as he open mouth grins at the camera. His eyes are warm, his ears soft and floppy and you can make out each individual whisker along his muzzle. He’s looking at the treat that is held in front of him and a bit out of focus of the camera.
November 27, 2024 at 6:32 AM
sarahobrien.bsky.social
Another day, another news story about autistic people being abused, this time at Whitefield School in Wathamstow.

It’s heartbreaking to keep hearing of abuse, for it to almost be normalised with how frequently abuse occurs.

Oh the irony of how the school is described.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Whitefield Academy Trust is a special needs school in Walthamstow in the London borough of Waltham Forest. It offers support for children with a wide range of physical and behavioural difficulties. It was founded in 1903 and is a calm, nurturing and safe place full of love, laughter and fun which puts the wellbeing of pupils first.
November 27, 2024 at 5:50 AM
sarahobrien.bsky.social
Anyway, here’s wonderwall
Monty, a golden retriever, wearing a bright orange jumper on a walk in the woods. He’s stepping forward with a posh paw and has turned his head back to camera with his tongue lolling out.
November 26, 2024 at 8:21 PM
sarahobrien.bsky.social
I watched Wicked and Monty watched Attenborough (or at least I left it on so he’d have some noise to distract from the wind)
November 24, 2024 at 10:19 PM
sarahobrien.bsky.social
Didn’t get the committee role BUT I am headed out tonight to the HSJ Awards as the Ear Checks Programme has been nominated in the Reducing Inequalities and Improving Outcomes for Children and Young People Award category 🤞

More info about the programme: www.england.nhs.uk/publication/...
Sarah all glammed up in a leafy green dress that gleams in the light. Her hair is waved slightly and she’s got a smattering of makeup on. It’s one of those unfortunate hotel bathroom mirror selfies.
November 21, 2024 at 5:06 PM
sarahobrien.bsky.social
Monty is getting into the holiday spirit 🎄
Monty, a pale cream golden retriever, sits next to a petit Christmas tree and looks up above camera to someone getting his attention. The coffee shop is decorated festively with string lights and baubles.
November 20, 2024 at 9:04 AM
sarahobrien.bsky.social
What an incredibly worrying ‘statement of fact’ as part of the support for CYP with SEND inquiry at the DfE.

Autism is generally a yes/no diagnosis and no everyone isn’t “a little bit autistic”, rhetoric like this erodes and undermines vital support.
November 19, 2024 at 6:00 PM
sarahobrien.bsky.social
Our early morning walk involved catching or at least trying to catch snow 😂
November 19, 2024 at 10:45 AM
sarahobrien.bsky.social
Someone has been quite excited by getting a dog walker while I’m working in an office, so excited that he’s slept near enough since I got home, after an initial flurry of excitement at seeing me.
Monty, a pale golden retriever on a long lead in the middle of a wooded path which is covered in bright yellow autumn leaf fall. Monty is practically smiling.
November 18, 2024 at 8:19 PM
sarahobrien.bsky.social
Not me seeing LinkedIn's Tango* for the day and thinking I'd missed a Taylor Swift (taylor's version) announcement, rather than the simpler answer of "Dolly Parton released a new song".

We'll hear you one day Debutation.

* I turned to LinkedIn games during the NYT boycott, no judgement pls
November 15, 2024 at 11:58 AM
sarahobrien.bsky.social
He got to enjoy all of his little rituals that have become part of our walks, pausing at the same bench each day, peering over the wall, spotting the squirrel family and snuffling the same patch of ivy.
Monty leaning against a wall with his paws just reaching over and clinging to the edge, a takeaway coffee cup sits on the wall and Monty looks on to the car park beyond.
November 14, 2024 at 8:52 AM
sarahobrien.bsky.social
Our last early morning walk and coffee date, all change from next week as I start my job and rejoin office life.

I’m not sure which of us will miss this more, Monty for all the attention he gets in the coffee shop or me and the MH space the walk provides.
Monty, a cream coloured golden retriever lays on the floor of a coffee shop. His lead is looped over Sarah’s lead. On the coffee table is a soft pouch of treats and an iced latte.
November 14, 2024 at 8:14 AM
sarahobrien.bsky.social
One thing about me, I might have a huge range of interests including autism, research, how the charity sector operates, co-production, pop culture, reading and puzzles, but there will always be a soft snuggler at my side.

Either looking out or looking at me.
Monty, a golden retriever as a tiny 10 week old puppy. He’s sat on the threshold of a sliding patio door looking out the garden as the sky darkens. Monty as a nearly 18 month old golden retriever, sat in a kitchen, holding a raggedy fox toy in his mouth and looking rather expectantly as Sarah, askjng her to play while she takes the photo
November 13, 2024 at 8:15 PM
sarahobrien.bsky.social
Twitter might be sinking but I might have found a cover image for my thesis, or at the very least, the beliefs at the heart of my approach to involvement and co-production
Meme of the guy who looks over a balcony with the quote amended to read "I bring a sort of "knowledge is collaborative" vibe to community spaces that people who stake their self-worth on hierarchy don't really like."
November 12, 2024 at 9:56 AM
sarahobrien.bsky.social
From @jonronson.bsky.social, he's right. I don't want to be seen as special; I just want to exist, and unfortunately, that existence annoys people.

Autistic people have been the topic of EDI debates over the past few years, which has been a blessing and a curse.
www.theguardian.com/culture/2024...
What do you think is going to be the next culture war? This is plagiarism, because I heard somebody else say this – but climate migration. Like this little village where I am living, in upstate New York, loads of people are coming over from California to escape climate change. There’s climate migrants heading to the Hudson Valley, and they’re rich Hollywood people. But that’s how it starts. And I think that’s going to cause a lot of conflicts. And autism. I’ve noticed that people on the right have tried to make autism a culture war – they’re comparing people who call themselves neurodiverse and autistic to trans people, saying stuff like, “They think they’re autistic, but they’re not really autistic.” And then “high-functioning” autistic people are pointing out that there’s actually surprising little difference between them and more “severely” autistic people. The outward manifestation is different, but the underlying condition is the same. I think that’s all fascinating. I think the people on the right are wrong about this. It’s like they just find autistic people annoying and think they just want to be special.
November 11, 2024 at 11:21 AM
sarahobrien.bsky.social
Don’t cry over spilt puppuccino!
Monty, a light cream golden retriever looks up at camera whilst the licked up remains of a puddle of split milk is in front of him
November 10, 2024 at 2:14 PM