Rachel Cullen is the next speaker at #LondonVirtualAutisticConference2
I think I remember them speaking last year (unless it was somewhere else) and look forward to what they have to say this time round
self harm, suicide
They are speaking about their self harm and seven suicide attempts – having kept silent to avoid upsetting people around them
Mental health teams only ever focused on the latest episode, and never saw things from an Autistic perspective
Rachel avoided seeking help because the ‘help’ offered actually made them more suicidal
Covid-19, do not resuscitate
Rachel has reminded me of the early-covid-era NHS decision to place do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders on Autistic people and people with learning disabilities
How easily we are considered disposable!
Some messages from Rachel on preparing children for adulthood:
Teach kids to stim
Learn from Autistic adults
Validate the experiences of children
Make Autistic (and queer!) adults visible
(There’s loads more, but they’re cramming a lot into their talk!)