Can't believe that's been 2 years since our (award winning) little film AUTISM PLAYS ITSELF had its UK premiere at the Edinburgh Film Festival so felt it was only right to     re-share it for those who hadn't yet seen it (and if not why not?) or wanted to watch it again,  suffice to say it would be an understatement to say that this is one of the pieces of work I'm still most proud of.           And don't forget that you can actually listen to a version of it on the Radio 4 series Short Cuts  too.       A film shot in 1957 in at the Maudsley Hospital, London, captures the movements and behaviour of children under observation for atypical behaviour. In the present day, three autistic respondents watch the footage, bringing new insightful interpretations of the children’s behaviour as they explore the sparse environment of the clinic. Through speculation and identification, with wit and audacity, the responses fo...

Must have missed this one at the time but seeing as there's a protest in  Parliament Square on Friday, 22 May I thought I'd mention the fact that,  according to new Ofsted guidance, Autistic children as more likely be extremists.   Some extremist Autists yesterday.   First mentioned in a series of 2023 and 2024 training materials for Ofsted inspectors, it seems that Ofsted believes that autistic people are more susceptible to becoming terrorists or extremists because of their ‘special interests’. One of the Ofsted trainings on Prevent indicates that the trainer should tell school inspectors:  ‘Children and young people with Autism are at increased risk of being susceptible to extremism. This is because they are more likely to develop special interests.’  The training does not explain this assertion but does go on to claim: ‘Children with autism are more likely to experience social isolation and so use the internet to find friends. They trust the info...

Just a quick post today as Cassidy is bombing around the house dancing to the glorious ninth and it's quite hard to concentrate, even tho' I'm basically reusing old content. Got a friend who's been recently diagnosed? Friend got a child who's been recently diagnosed? Want to show support and not sound like a massive cock? If so you're in luck as here is a handy print out guide as to what NOT to say in relation to autism. Or to someone who's autistic. You're welcome.     "I've read a thing on the internet so I am right!"       1. “Don’t worry, we're all a little Autistic.” No.  Just no. At last count we make up around 1.5% of the population. ....it's like announcing that "We're all a little bit pregnant" to someone expecting a baby or "We're all a little bit wobbly on our feet!" to someone in a wheelchair. I mean, if we were all a little bit Autistic we wouldn't have to fight for everything would ...

 From Damian Milton because words matter.  

  Seeing as it's the annual Alasdair Gray 'Gray Day' I thought I'd repost my contribution.   His portrait Frances Gordon, Glasgow Teenager inspired my collaboration with Glasgow Open Museum and guests of Glasgow City Mission in creating 'portraits' focusing on their interests rather than in a traditional style.    You can find out more here plus you can read about the project from an autistic perspective here . Enjoy. Portrait of Frances Gordon. (c) Alasdair Gray, courtesy of Glasgow Museums collections.

  It's been another packed year here at Autastic Towers and as 2025 grinds to a crashing halt it's time for a review of the highs and lows of the year with a special mention to those who deserve extra credit. Oh and massive amounts of piss-taking and slagging for those who deserve it.  Warning tho' there'll probably be some time jumps (a bit like Doctor Who when it was good) as some of the stuff is still either ongoing or linked, also expect heady amounts of swearing. And slight sarcasm.  As a plus point it'll be much shorter than usual this year (probably) as we've gone from places like Social Work and housing getting in touch with excuses as to why they haven't helped yet to just totally blanking us and leaving us to just struggle on our own, tho' that does give me an excuse to concentrate on the big picture and see how society treated us as a whole. Anyway, enjoy. As seems to be the norm now, I spent most of January  (still) coping with my (stress...