Birch Family Services’ Post

This is an interesting issue. I've seen this happen with learners who are both speaking and nonspeaking in school. I have experienced this over and over again myself. I have heard stories from others too of this same thing playing out again and again in different settings. There are some people who claim masking is made up. That it is not a behavior. Well, in my presentation Masquerade Macabre, you will not only get a look at masking through behavior analysis definitions, but you will also get some exposure to the emerging research that explains some reasons why it occurs. This presentation is an update of the original since I am always exploring and looking at the latest research, so it is special for that reason. However, it is special for another reason. All the proceeds for the presentation will be donated to funding the travel and housing costs for Jude Afolake Olubodun and Adam Auron Lodestone to be able to present at APBA. Adam & Jude are two autistic disability rights advocates who are very interested in helping our field do better. Both have amazing lived experience & invaluable knowledge that can help us do better. Your participation in this presentation will help make their travel and housing possible. So please join us for Masquerade Macabre 2.0: The Harmful & Deadly Effects of Neurodivergent Masking, presented by Brian Middleton, M.Ed., IBA, BCBA, LBA. The presentation will be given live on January 23rd from 5-7pm PST/8-10pm EST. 2 ethics CEUs available for $15. Free access for Non-CEU seats (seats are limited). Register at MindfulBehaviorLLC.org under Professional Development ➡ Live Events or go to tinyurl.com/ysldc25w The recording is available for all CEU purchases. #BCBA #BCABA #RBT #IBA #IBT #dobetter #neurodivergentmasking #autisticmasking #ABA #neurodiversity #ActuallyAutistic #AutisticAdult #autisticbcba #autisticscientist

Invisible disabilities | One of the first jobs that we commissioned Design Guru to do for the platform was to create seven invisible disability medals. We will add these to photographs and cartoon images we use for the platform and on our website. This is to clearly flag that we support all disabilities, physical, sensory, and invisible, which are sometimes referred to as psychosocial disabilities. The images/medals are: Autism Bipolar Cognitive Impairment Dissociative Identity Disorder Mental Health Condition Multiple Sclerosis PTSD Any new images that are added to the website will have invisible disabilities medals used. This work was paid for using the funding from The Funding Network Brisbane 2024. We are incredibly grateful and humbled to have been one of the three Queensland social enterprises that were shortlisted to present to this fantastic crowdfunding event. The funding we have received has enabled us to polish and scale our platform. Followers and supporters of us should expect to see more updates in the future in terms of how we have been putting the TFN funding to good use. #Enabled_vip #disability #incubator #gigster #hobbyists #volunteer #ndisprovider

Neuro-inclusion is so much more than just a "hot topic". "At the moment only 3 in 10 autistic people of working age are in employment." The recent Buckland Report reviewed Autism and Employment in the UK to provide guidance on how to best support people with Autism entering work as well as encouraging and developing people with Autism in the workplace. A few key takeaways (but there's a lot more information in the report!): 🤝Collaborate with large organisations to showcase successful recruitment and support for autistic employees, with the goal of sharing these best practices. 💡Work with autism charities and other relevant groups to ensure people with autism know about Access to Work and the support it can provide to meet their individual needs. 📈Promote the value of employee resource groups and support networks helping to develop new skills and a network of contacts to succeed at the next level up. Promote the use of mentors and buddies to support staff in developing the skills and behaviours needed to progress. Reach out with questions about best practise to support inclusivity in selection! #NeurodiversityAtWork #NeuroInclusion #Diversity #DEI

#ThankYouThursday Are you a business leader committed to diversity and inclusion? Becoming a mentee in Disability Connects Reverse Mentoring Scheme can elevate your skills, awareness, and confidence in handling disability issues. Here's what Jonathan Goddard from Blood Cancer UK had to say: "I really enjoyed the sessions with my Disability Connect mentors and found them very insightful. As I manage a website for a charity I was interested in my mentors' experiences online generally and in understanding common barriers and problems they face with different websites. They were also able to provide feedback on the user journey specific to the website I manage and to give input into proposed new homepage designs. I ended up having two mentors, as the first wasn't able to continue for personal reasons, and this gave me the opportunity to hear from mentors with different disabilities and lived experiences. My second mentor also gave a talk to all staff at the charity I work for, which lots of people found interesting and useful. I'd recommend Disability Connect to anyone as a way of finding out more first hand about lived experience from the people experiencing it.” Are you ready to make a difference? Reach out to us at: info@disabilityconnect.org.uk #DiversityandInclusion #ReverseMentoring #InclusiveWorkplaceCulture #DisabilityConnect #Diversity

🥁 We are more than excited to announce the beginning of the project Talent ASD - TAilored Employment Paths for adults with ASD! 👀 The issue: Despite the intensified efforts made by the EU, to promote #equality for all its citizens in all life sectors, ensuring that no one is left behind, autistic people face very high levels of discrimination in all aspects of life, according to Autism-Europe aisbl’s feedback on the roadmap for the Disability Rights for 2021-2030. 🤔 Across Europe there is a serious lack of adapted education and training that could enable #autistic adults to gain the needed skills that are required for work. Lack of access to all levels of education, lack of tailored training opportunities and stigma are reported as major challenges for their employment. 😍 The project goal: to contribute to autistic adults’ employability and social inclusion by bringing qualitative improvements in the existing adult training offer available for them. A team of 7️⃣ countries - 🇧🇬 (CATRO Bulgaria), 🇪🇪 (Eesti Edu Hub), 🇩🇪 (Pro Arbeit), 🇬🇷 (KMOP), 🇱🇹 (VšĮ Socialinių inovacijų centras), 🇵🇹 (APROXIMAR Cooperativa de Solidariedade Social) and 🇪🇸 (Fundación INTRAS) will work together for 36 months to achieve this mission. We will develop the following resources: 🧩 Talent ASD Handbook (career & educational guidance tool) 🧩 Training pack for autistic adults 🧩 Intense training program for adult educators 🧩 Empowerment cycle plan for autistic learners 🧩 Awareness pack highlighting myths and truths about autistic employees as well as their strengths and sensitivities 🧩 Informal peer mentoring network 🌐 Stay tuned and follow us on social media!

Community Living Magazine's new digital edition and latest online articles are coming in a couple of days - as is the election, so obviously we take a look at what the new government should focus its attention on. New stories will be at the link below soon. Our cover feature's about the Wales-based Stolen Lives campaign, fighting for the right for people to live in homes in their own communities, not locked away in institutions. And alongside regular pieces on welfare, law, research and history, we've some great reads on: 🔴how the summer of sport is for everyone, from Maria Dolly Galvis Zapata THE ELFRIDA SOCIETY and also schemes from Sense 🔴bold, beautiful arts coverage by Simon Jarrett, including Stephen Unwin's Laughing Boy 🔴powerful analysis of welfare 'reform', by our award-winning columnist Mary O'Hara 🔴how co-leadership works, from Thera Trust 🔴an extract from the excellent Alice H.'s new book on neurodiversity in the workplace 🔴peer and buddying support for people detained in mental heath hospitals, from Ben Higgins 🔴inclusive dance and creative collaboration, from Sam Carlisle Juliet Diener icandance Thanks to all the contributors, trustees and sponsors and the team Steph Gray Christy Lawrance Christine Mottley for ensuring we shifted our deadlines so our quarterly gets published before the election. And I'm sorry not sorry for the big red attention-grabbing dots above, make what you will of the use of that colour, pre-election. Yellow and green could also have worked ok... #magazinejournalism #journalism #editing #independentpublishing #charitabletrust #disability #learningdisability

TODAY we are in Prince George. TUESDAY we will be in Smithers. WEDNESDAY we will be in Prince Rupert. THURSDAY the tour closes out in Terrace. Your insights are crucial in shaping accessibility standards that are truly inclusive and effective. That’s why AutismBC and ACT – Autism Community Training are hosting engagement sessions all across Northern BC. Our goal is to capture input from the diverse communities in Northern BC and make sure your voice is heard by hosting in-person sessions. Key Focus Areas: • Empowering People with Disabilities: Honouring individuals as experts in their own experiences. • Removing Barriers: Identifying and addressing obstacles faced by people with disabilities. • Accessibility at Work: Creating inclusive workplaces. • Inclusive Organizations: Ensuring organizations are welcoming to all. • Successful Implementation: Strategies for effective and lasting change. Register now: autismbc.ca/northern-bc

Parents & Carers of Children with Additional Needs Kirklees - Thankyou As a father of neurodiverse children, I went along today as I look ahead to my son entering the workplace in a few years time. He’s autistic and has other additional needs, and he struggles with some of the things which he sees his peers can apparently do with ease. He’s also bright, intelligent, funny and extremely creative, but his confidence and self-esteem are low. I try to get him to focus on his strengths, but he inevitably compares himself negatively to others he’s around all the time and this makes school a tough place for him. I want him to be able to look to the future with excitement, not trepidation. So today was a powerful information session run by PCAN Kirklees, so parents like me could learn about resources available to help individuals with disabilities achieve their employment goals. The statistics for autism are stark: According to the National Autistic Society, only 22% of autistic adults in the UK are in paid work. This is a significant talent gap and frankly, it shows that as a country we’re letting a lot of people down - there’s significant talent and ability in the 78%. However, the session gave me some hope. There's support available, but there were a lot of parents there, like me, who had no idea any of it existed: - The DWP offers programs and initiatives tailored to assist individuals with disabilities in finding and retaining employment - like Access To Work which is available to ALL who are in work - Agencies like PCAN provide excellent resources and guidance to navigate the complexities of seeking work with additional needs. - There are apprenticeships available for those with disabilities with significant support included to help with the transition into work - More and more employers are embracing “Disability Confident” initiatives - including my own employer #aviva But there’s a long way to go before work is made accessible to all. It’s Heartening to see what is there, but there is plenty more to do. Hats off to charities like #PCAN who are doing such valuable work #DisabilityEmployment #AutismAwareness #WorkInclusion #PCANKirklees #neurodiversityatwork

Understanding the distinction between learning disabilities and autism is crucial for fostering an inclusive environment. Here's a brief explanation: Learning Disabilities: These are neurologically-based processing problems that can interfere with learning basic skills such as reading, writing, or math. They can also affect higher-level skills such as organization, time planning, and abstract reasoning. Autism: A developmental disorder that affects communication, behavior, and social interaction. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) manifests in a variety of ways, and each individual has a unique profile of strengths and challenges. Awareness and understanding can lead to better support and opportunities for neurodivergent individuals. Let's work together to create an inclusive future. Discover how you can contribute at www.bridge2tomorrow.org. Your support can make a profound difference in the lives of neurodivergent kids. 🌟 #donate #puzzleboxacademy #inclusion

#LearningDisabilityWeek The Greater Manchester community is brimming with talented individuals with learning disabilities who are making a positive impact! Here are a few examples to inspire you: • Artistic Expression: Many with learning disabilities have a unique way of seeing the world, reflected in their artistic talents. Art cafes and workshops like those supported by organisations like Manchester CREATE, provide a platform for people to showcase their creativity through painting, music, or other mediums. • Employment Initiatives: Supported employment programs are helping individuals with learning disabilities find meaningful work. Companies like Great Places Housing Group offer supported employment opportunities, allowing people to contribute their skills and gain valuable work experience. • Sporting Achievements: People with learning disabilities are excelling in the sporting arena. The Greater Manchester Learning Disability Athletics Network organises events where individuals can compete and celebrate their physical prowess. • Advocacy and Self-representation: People with learning disabilities are increasingly advocating for themselves and their communities. Groups like the Greater Manchester Self Advocacy Network empower individuals to have their voices heard on issues that matter to them. • Volunteering and Community Service: Many contribute their time and talents to volunteer initiatives. This can range from helping at local charities to assisting with community projects, fostering a sense of belonging, and giving back. These are just a few examples, and countless others are making a difference in Greater Manchester. By showcasing their talents and contributions, we can challenge stereotypes and celebrate the unique strengths individuals with learning disabilities bring to the community. https://buff.ly/44Tna13 #DoYouSeeMe #LDWeek #LearningDisabilityWeek #LearningDisability #LearningDifferences #LearningDisabilities #LearningDifferences #Neurodiversity #LDAwareness #WeCanLearn #DifferentNotLess