Dr Becky Quicke

In the past, well, I've got a few things that I think that have changed quite a lot. In the past, first of all, with adults, people who had autism diagnoses were seen within learning disability services. Yeah. So I've worked in learning disability services and that's where people would be referred to. But a lot of those people with autism didn't have a cognitive learning disability at all.

In the past, well, I've got a few things that I think that have changed quite a lot. In the past, first of all, with adults, people who had autism diagnoses were seen within learning disability services. Yeah. So I've worked in learning disability services and that's where people would be referred to. But a lot of those people with autism didn't have a cognitive learning disability at all.

So and I don't think that's happening. That's I think that's shifted. That's changed. And I think that this is quite a big shift. I think this is sort of building. and building is that a lot of diagnostic assessments in the past have been based primarily on observation. So observing how somebody behaves rather than actually getting to understand their internal experience.

So and I don't think that's happening. That's I think that's shifted. That's changed. And I think that this is quite a big shift. I think this is sort of building. and building is that a lot of diagnostic assessments in the past have been based primarily on observation. So observing how somebody behaves rather than actually getting to understand their internal experience.

So I do think in the past sort of few years, we're starting to, thank goodness, starting to, understand that actually how someone behaves doesn't necessarily indicate how they're experiencing the world and so I think there's been a real shift from kind of observational assessments and it just makes me feel really uncomfortable the thought of just observing someone.

So I do think in the past sort of few years, we're starting to, thank goodness, starting to, understand that actually how someone behaves doesn't necessarily indicate how they're experiencing the world and so I think there's been a real shift from kind of observational assessments and it just makes me feel really uncomfortable the thought of just observing someone.

Yeah, it doesn't sit with me, but also I just don't think it's that helpful. So moving towards more collaborative discussions where we are, and this is absolutely our ethos at Autistic Girls and Autistic Women, where we're trying to...

Yeah, it doesn't sit with me, but also I just don't think it's that helpful. So moving towards more collaborative discussions where we are, and this is absolutely our ethos at Autistic Girls and Autistic Women, where we're trying to...

understand somebody's internal experiences because you know there's lots of reasons why people might not express that and not feel comfortable in certain situations to express how they're experiencing the world it might not come out sort of in external behavior as it were that internal experience that you're describing what could that feel like for a child and how could a parent look out for presentations of that feeling

understand somebody's internal experiences because you know there's lots of reasons why people might not express that and not feel comfortable in certain situations to express how they're experiencing the world it might not come out sort of in external behavior as it were that internal experience that you're describing what could that feel like for a child and how could a parent look out for presentations of that feeling

So, or DHD, there is a very narrow kind of window of capacity. Actually, it used to be called, well, it's often referred to the window of tolerance, but I put that on LinkedIn recently and someone really helpfully shared that they describe it as the window of

So, or DHD, there is a very narrow kind of window of capacity. Actually, it used to be called, well, it's often referred to the window of tolerance, but I put that on LinkedIn recently and someone really helpfully shared that they describe it as the window of

So this window of capacity is really quite narrow and it's so easy for children to become either completely overwhelmed, overstimulated or underwhelmed. I'm actually talking about babies even here or underwhelmed. So not having enough stimulation. So it might be that you notice that your baby absolutely loves the, you know, the toys.

So this window of capacity is really quite narrow and it's so easy for children to become either completely overwhelmed, overstimulated or underwhelmed. I'm actually talking about babies even here or underwhelmed. So not having enough stimulation. So it might be that you notice that your baby absolutely loves the, you know, the toys.

You get these, even when the baby's in the line on the backs and these toys with these flashing lights and it's all, you know, amazing. And the baby might be absolutely engaging with that and thinking that's amazing. Kicking the legs, but then actually having significant pleasure difficulty is regulating. And as a parent, the baby is crying and crying and crying.

You get these, even when the baby's in the line on the backs and these toys with these flashing lights and it's all, you know, amazing. And the baby might be absolutely engaging with that and thinking that's amazing. Kicking the legs, but then actually having significant pleasure difficulty is regulating. And as a parent, the baby is crying and crying and crying.

And so it's kind of, even at that early age, and I've experienced that myself as a parent, so I can kind of talk about that, that it's really, really tricky to get that balance of giving enough stimulation, but not overstimulating. So kind of fast forward into kind of toddlerhood and preschool and into school, that's definitely a really, really tricky area, I think, for parents.

And so it's kind of, even at that early age, and I've experienced that myself as a parent, so I can kind of talk about that, that it's really, really tricky to get that balance of giving enough stimulation, but not overstimulating. So kind of fast forward into kind of toddlerhood and preschool and into school, that's definitely a really, really tricky area, I think, for parents.

Yeah, and I guess as a child experiencing that, you know, that's really, really difficult. You know, wanting that stimulation, getting excited about things, but then feeling completely overwhelmed and then dysregulated. And often that can come out in behaviour.

Yeah, and I guess as a child experiencing that, you know, that's really, really difficult. You know, wanting that stimulation, getting excited about things, but then feeling completely overwhelmed and then dysregulated. And often that can come out in behaviour.