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Lisa J

@choctoothpaste.bsky.social
440 followers 854 following 481 posts

Nature, train journeys, walks in the hills. Autistic. LGBT. Parent to a fab daughter who types to communicate. AAC, SEND, inclusion. She / her. Avoiding the dead bird app.

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Lisa J @choctoothpaste.bsky.social · 50m
How many of us would be willing to leave our principles at the door and enforce a school's (probably) unreasonable attendance policy, as long as the salary exceeds £3 million a year? As seen on TES jobs 😂
An advert for a school Operations and Attendance Officer, with a salary range starting at £3,615,400 a year. Presumably a typo.
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Alom Shaha @alomshaha.bsky.social · 17h
Actually quite shaken up by this experience. I left telling him that he had non-white kids and a daughter and if he wants to be the dad he thinks he is, he needs to do some thinking about his views on the non-importance of racism and misogyny.
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Lisa J @choctoothpaste.bsky.social · 16h
"I might not have been able to talk, but I knew hundreds if not thousands of words. Pretty silly to assume that just because someone can’t say something, they don’t know it." And yet, this assumption is made about nonspeakers every day in schools, care settings, and communities.
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Lisa J @choctoothpaste.bsky.social · 16h
I had a rare trip to the pub one evening this week. My friend and I sat outside on the terrace, in the dark, without coats. Mad temperatures for Bedfordshire in October.
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Robert Saunders @robertsaunders.bsky.social · 23h
The ability to pour hundreds of millions of pounds into a loss-making TV channel, bent on wrenching British politics sharply to the right, is yet another of the ways in which extreme wealth is trying to remake UK democracy. It needs to be part of any serious conversation about political funding.
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Lisa J @choctoothpaste.bsky.social · 18h
Hopefully, the media coverage of Patrick's story will ensure he continues to get the academic support he needs to do amazing things in his A Levels and beyond. And maybe his story will raise expectations about how mainstream schools and LAs should support their nonspeaking pupils.
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Lisa J @choctoothpaste.bsky.social · 18h
It seems that Patrick did have the support he needed fully funded. And his school seems to have an inclusive ethos. Too many schools see disabled students as a big hassle. And too many LAs would fight tooth and nail to avoid funding high needs pupils, regardless of their academic abilities.
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Lisa J @choctoothpaste.bsky.social · 18h
I hope his story isn't going to be used to suggest that success can be achieved without a) fully funded support, including full time TAs and specialist AAC teaching input and b) mainstream schools being willing to go the extra miles to ensure their pupil is included academically and in school life
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Lisa J @choctoothpaste.bsky.social · 18h
While I'm pleased for Patrick, my daughter's mainstream secondary school made it clear that as an AAC user, she was far too much hassle for them. This was despite her having all the LA funded specialist support needed to make it a success. www.theguardian.com/education/20...
theguardian.com
‘Just like my big brothers’: boy with cerebral palsy passes GCSEs with eye-tracking technology
Patrick McCabe’s herculean feat shows limits and possibilities of special educational needs and disabilities system
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Lisa J @choctoothpaste.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Whisper it quietly, but my daughter appears to have carers assigned for tomorrow morning. And only one of them is new! The other is someone she really likes. It means my wife and I have 4 hours on our own. We should have this once a week, but its inconsistent. Breakfast and the allotment beckons
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Ann (she/her) @agvbergin.net · 02/10/2026
West Yorkshire has imposed minimum waits (tho I think others may be shorter) on all routine procedures too.
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Lisa J @choctoothpaste.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Apart from the injustice in making patients unnecessarily wait while in pain, I genuinely don't understand how that helps manage resources. Do cataracts sometimes resolve themselves in 16 weeks, or do they hope enough patients pass away in that period? I'm guessing not on both counts!
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Ed Hawkins @edhawkins.org · 02/10/2026
Another "need to extend the y-axis" moment... Average temperature in Central England for Jan-Sep for each year since 1772. It is 0.8°C higher in 2026 than any other previous year.
Timeseries of average Jan-Sep temperature for Central England with huge jump up in 2026
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Lisa J @choctoothpaste.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
That's awful. It shouldn't be such a fight to get support.
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Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
A ambitiously have more letters than messages C contrive to repeat yourself across letters Rrepeat yourself across letters O Obscure the message you want to send S stretch one of the letters past breaking point T take more time than is necessary I irritate passers by C cheap out on design
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Lisa J @choctoothpaste.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
It is, but I don't have much confidence in the alternatives, either other agencies or direct payments. The system is a mess.
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Lisa J @choctoothpaste.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Shame they're not so good at providing the care they're already commissioned for. They've cancelled half of my teen daughter's hours in the last 3 months, no carers available.
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Martin Lewis @martinlewis.moneysavingexpert.com · 01/10/2026
ENERGY PRICE CHANGE DAY. On monthly direct debit without a working smart meter? Submit a reading in next day or two. - On price cap, its up 3.6% today - On a fix, VAT scrapping means elec's 4.8% cheaper A reading ensures you're not billed for too much use at the higher rate.
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Elizabeth Taylor @elizabethtaylor47.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
This notion of bigoted beliefs being a protected characteristic like gender or race is just absolutely barmy. Those of us who’ve experienced genuine discrimination for who we are know there’s no comparison, and the political and legal collusion on this stuff is disastrous.
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Nicole Bedera @nbedera.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
And the last one I’ll mention is for mothers to set boundaries in their own relationships with their sons. The way he treats you is a model for how he treats all other women. If you succumb to the social pressure to make every sacrifice for him, he will expect the same of other women too.
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Nicole Bedera @nbedera.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
I’m seeing a lot of posts about talking to your sons in light of the Cornell article. And yes. Talk to your sons. Here are some things you should say, based on anti-violence research about what they need to hear:
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Lisa J @choctoothpaste.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
As the owner of a rapidly-depleting £2.50 jar, can heartily recommend:
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The Kyiv Independent @kyivindependent.com · 28/09/2026
⚡️Update: Multiple fires across Kyiv, city center struck as all-day Russian drone attacks continue. Around 4:00 pm. local time, Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko reported that the Russian attacked on the city center killed a woman and injured 19 other people, including three children.
kyivindependent.com
Breaking: Multiple fires across Kyiv, city center struck as all-day Russian drone attacks continue
In the city center, local media and Telegram channels reported a strike next to the main campus of Kyiv's Taras Shevchenko National University.
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The Kyiv Independent @kyivindependent.com · 27/09/2026
⚡️Ukraine war latest: Russian attacks kill 14, injure 57 across Ukraine in 'mass strike' In southern Odesa Oblast, Russia launched "a mass strike," damaging a residential building, a medical facility, a hotel, a shop and a grain storage facility, local governor Oleh Kiper said.
kyivindependent.com
Ukraine war latest: Russian attacks kill 14, injure 57 across Ukraine in 'mass strike'
Key developments on Sept. 27: * Russian attacks kill 14, injure 57 across Ukraine, with Odesa Oblast targeted in 'mass strike' * Russia launches third consecutive attack on Kyiv, killing 1, injurin...
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Patrick Barkham @patrickbarkham.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
I've written Joe Harkness's obituary for the Guardian. I hope it pays good tribute to a wonderful man who was brave, honest and made the world a better place. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Joe Harkness obituary
Writer, teacher and naturalist who explored the effects of the natural world on neurodivergency
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Dr Jo Kershaw @mthrjo.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
I did a few videos for the C of E comms team last summer, and a number of women and LGBT people told me I was brave because I was exposing myself to abuse in the comments and reposts. Vigorous moderation isn’t about “silencing” people, it’s about stopping the silencing of others.
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Lisa J @choctoothpaste.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
The interview with the young girl was nauseating. Men with power, who should be there to help people at their most vulnerable, abusing their positions in the worst way.
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Lisa J @choctoothpaste.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
It's very twisty, I'm enjoying it too.
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Will Jennings📉🗳️ @drjennings.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
How am I supposed to concentrate on my work this afternoon now...?
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Jo Wolff @jowolff.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
What surprises me is that people who have left Britain for the sake of their own greed still feel entitled to express an opinion about the country.
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Lisa J @choctoothpaste.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
I wish the so-called experts had a bit of curiosity, when they meet a nonspeaking autistic person. They think everything is due to the autism. Once a child has an early diagnosis, there's no effort to look beyond eg motor planning difficulties. Most assumed my daughter had nothing in her head.
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Thinking Person's Guide to Autism @thinkingautism.com · 20/09/2026
Many letterboard users are interested in transitioning to a keyboard, but it can be difficult & is not possible for everyone. It does happen tho. There is a project called TYPE (Train Yourself Practice Everyday) that Dr. Jaswal is collaborating on, to support aspiring nonspeaking typers. #SNS2026
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Thinking Person's Guide to Autism @thinkingautism.com · 20/09/2026
We need to treat a negative result with communication options as a starting point, an opportunity to know more. Also, per one non speaker, "When I type independently, it feels like free falling. When I having someone hold the keyboard, it's like having a parachute." #SNS2026
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Lisa J @choctoothpaste.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
In the UK, @teachustoo.bsky.social does great work supporting literacy for learners with complex needs
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Thinking Person's Guide to Autism @thinkingautism.com · 20/09/2026
He is talking about a subset of autistic people termed "nonspeaking," who comprise about 30% of autistics overall (this includes minimal and unreliably speaking people).They can't readily share their thoughts in a language-based way; also they are autistic and may move differently. #SNS2026
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Lisa J @choctoothpaste.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
My daughter: Autism diagnosis aged 3. Childhood apraxia of speech diagnosis aged 9. Developmental coordination disorder aged 12. Still largely nonspeaking. Types. Still needs so much support and supervision in daily living. Amazing at maths. Writes poetry. Learning Latin.
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Thinking Person's Guide to Autism @thinkingautism.com · 20/09/2026
Meeting the letter board users was transformative for Dr. Jaswal, in terms of dispelling his unexamined beliefs about autism and theory of mind. The spellers let him know that he was misguided, and maybe better for him to design experiments that better frame understanding of intent.
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Thinking Person's Guide to Autism @thinkingautism.com · 20/09/2026
Now at Stanford Neurodiversity Summit: Developmental psychologist Dr. Vikram Jaswal on innovations in research with nonspeaking autistic people. Initially did not know anything about autism. Then Elizabeth Vosseller invited him to a S2C conference, & he met nonspeaking letterboard users. #SNS2026
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Dan Sohege @danielsohege.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Years of discrimination against the LGBTQIA+ community, continuing homophobia and transphobia, all coupled with ageism. Older LGBTQIA+ facing ongoing discrimination/ stereotyping/judgment. Things were meant to be better by now. Instead they just seem to go backwards. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Adam Porter, a housing development manager from the LGBT Foundation charity, says he regularly meets older members of the community in exactly that situation.

"It's very common for people to hide things if they have a carer visiting their home, for example hiding their wedding photos or taking down a trans flag," he says.

"In the case of someone moving into a care environment, that means hiding who they are in their own home, for what could be the rest of their life."
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Will Jennings📉🗳️ @drjennings.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Funny how nobody ever talks about the “legitimate concerns” people have about the extreme concentration of wealth among a small number of billionaires.
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Anthony Painter @anthonypainter.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
And another one. These poor billionaires who we ask to pay their taxes (this one doesn't - he's resident in Monaco) and respect our democracy and its choices like not incinerating the planet. They are truly the victims. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Billionaire Manchester United owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe says he has lost confidence in UK
Ineos founder Sir Jim Ratcliffe tells the BBC he thinks the country is "on the slide" and calls for more investment in the North Sea.
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Steven Kapp @drstevenkapp.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Stanford Neurodiversity Summit is a bright spot amid a sea of darkness, including its Human Rights panel moderated by @shannonrosa.bsky.social of @thinkingautism.com: Supporting the Communication of Nonspeakers with Dyspraxia; Rights-Based Parenting of/Supporting People with Complex Support Needs...
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Patrick Barkham @patrickbarkham.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Rest in peace, Joe Harkness. I was shocked and gutted when I heard the news. He was a generous, inspirational teacher and such an important writer. He was brutally honest, inclusive and funny too. When I interviewed him last summer (below) he was so full of life. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
‘Intrinsically connected’: how human neurodiversity could help save nature
Biodiversity is linked to people’s diversity, and nature lends itself to people who are different, says author Joe Harkness
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Frances Ryan @francesryan.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
“This isn’t the sort of prejudice that comes with an ableist slur or a violent push. It is the gentle, everyday belief certain kinds of lives – certain kinds of people – come with low expectations.” My column on the growing care abroad scandal and what it says. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
An effective ban on disabled people leaving Britain? You read that right, and we will not settle for it | Frances Ryan
This scandal shows there are many who don’t expect us to live rich lives – and that paternalism lives on in disability services, says Guardian columnist Frances Ryan
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Ramandeep Kaur @mumof3amigos.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
An important and essential interview with Dame Casey on people with learning disabilities and social care. www.itv.com/news/2026-09...
itv.com
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Lisa J @choctoothpaste.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
The news about the 3 year old nonspeaking autistic boy going missing is painful. The hypervigilance needed from parents to keep some autistic children from wandering /running is immense. Still required of us, with an adult sized teen. Keeping the family in my thoughts. Hoping for his safe return.
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Daniel C. Blight @danielcblight.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
***URGENT PLEASE SHARE*** University of Brighton management have announced today that they ‘give notice of termination of all collective agreements’. This is a fundamental erasure of workers' rights. Management have announced the termination of all contractual documents, which includes:
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Louise, Prof/Dr @louiselocock.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
If you prefer to make your own choice for the National Trust Council, 'Restore Trust' have helpfully provided a list of their preferred infiltrators. Here's who to AVOID: Bonigala, Cristea, Goldman, Mealing and Omrani 2/2
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Louise, Prof/Dr @louiselocock.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Oh blimey, here we go again. Time to vote in the National Trust AGM to keep so-called 'Restore Trust' off the council. Use the quick vote to ensure we don't split the anti-Restore vote. Or.... 1/2 www.nationaltrust.org.uk/who-we-are/a...
nationaltrust.org.uk
Annual General Meeting
Your Annual General Meeting will take place online and in person on Saturday 7th November 2026 at the STEAM Museum, Swindon.
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Fishbourne Roman Palace @romanpalace.bsky.social · 22/12/2025
We hope the BlueSky moderators don't flag today's offering for #MosaicMonday as being, ahem... prawnographic. 😳
A mosaic of an incredibly cute prawn.
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