Mental Health Treatment Rights
In previous articles I have spoken extensively about the myriad ways in which Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) fail Autistic people. So, can CAMHS actually help our Autistic children? The truth is that like everything, different people will have different experiences. Despite this there are some significant challenges
Trauma
The campaign against Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services failures for Autistic children highlights the impact on children, but what about parent carers? Burnout, reduced engagement with professionals, and mental health issues are common. This can lead to safeguarding concerns, blame shifting
Neurodiversity
"It's okay for us to admit that being Autistic is a core part of who we are. The problem is that when we are faced by services like CAMHS, we can feel reduced to our struggles, rather than the things that make us like ourselves..."
Neurodiversity
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) have significantly long wait times, with over 400,000 children on waiting lists as of May 2023. Autistic children face worsened mental health, increased crisis risk, disrupted development, and reduced service engagement. To improve wait times, ther
Neuroqueer Theory
Responding to Edgar (2024), David explores how the double empathy divide has been intentionally weaponised, preventing the connection and collective power of monority groups.
Mental Health Treatment Rights
Your child has been referred to CAMHS, but what are you supposed to do now? This article contains advice on interactions and questions you should be asking professionals.
Neurodiversity
"Psychosis adds an interesting spiciness to this experience. When I start sinking, my brain tells me that someone else is pulling me under. This is the type of delusions I experience. They are persecutory in nature, meaning that my mind creates elaborate and bizarre conspiracies in which I am the vi
Mental Health Treatment Rights
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in the UK have been failing Autistic children, leading to tragic outcomes. At least 46 children died under CAMHS care, with inadequate community support contributing to further deaths post-discharge. Autistic individuals face a higher risk of suici
disability
Is autism a disorder? This has been a point of contention for a long time. In this article, David explores this question through his own experience.
Autism
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) have repeatedly failed Autistic children, particularly through diagnostic overshadowing. This practice involves attributing symptoms to autism, denying necessary support, exacerbating trauma, and contributing to elevated suicide risks. Families als
Neurodiversity
As I write this, our petition to try and trigger positive change in CAMHS for the way the treat Autistic children sits at around 212,000 signatures. That is not far off of a quarter of a million people for whom their systemic failures are more than a story or
Autistic Wellbeing
Autism and substance use is an area that received little discussion in wider society. In my own experience, their is an assumption that Autistic people are less likely to use drugs, however growing bodies of research are beginning to show what I have said for many year; substance use is