Sensory Matters

On The Spectrum and Off To University

This week Katy talks to us about being on the spectrum and off to university. If you haven't heard, our very own Katy has decided to go to university.

Jenny talks to her all about her worries and fears in terms of accommodation, scheduling and workload. 

Find out all about Katy's hopes and worries when moving into accommodation, joining clubs, and having to settle into different routines while being on the spectrum and off to university.

We wish Katy all the best on her university journey. But she won't be gone from Chewigem completely. so don't worry too much!

 

How To Get Schools To Accept Sensory Aids!

This week Jenny, Lorraine and Katy talk about how to get schools to accept sensory aids. In our community this is a common problem, there tend to be two types of schools. Either school think that sensory aids are a fantastic idea. They are completely on board with the idea of them. Or they are completely against and just say no.

If your school is in the latter category, you're probably thinking "how do I get the school to accept sensory aids?" You know your child needs them and will benefit but the school just can't see it.

This is where our great episode comes in. Lorraine, Katy and Jenny give you really great tips on getting schools accepting these aids.

As well as this, find out all about special interests and how they might not be as simple as you think. Lorraine's diagnosis and the new book hunting craze.

This is not an episode to be missed

Living In a Multigenerational Autistic Family

This week on the Podcast, Lorraine talks about what it's like living in a multigenerational autistic family.

Lorraine got her autism diagnosis recently. She talks to us about how her life has changed since then and how she knew. Having a child with Autism and working for Chewigem, she tells us how it helped her realise she was Autistic. 

At the same time Lorraine got her autism diagnosis, her son Joe also got his. Which means that only her husband Dean is Neurotypical. Lorraine talks about how it is for him living in a multigenerational autistic family. Giving tips on how he deals with its intricacies. 

Everything You Need To Know About Chewing & Oral Stims!

This week on the podcast, The Chew Crew go in-depth into everything you need to know about chewing & oral stims.

Whether you're curious about what chew is right for you, how to get teachers on board, or how to make sure your child chews the right thing... This podcast is the podcast you need! 

They also talk about the best way to deal with the summer heat that is still plaguing the UK and how to cope with sunscreen when you have sensory issues!

If you would like to know more about chewing in schools and some great strategies around that why not check out this podcast:

https://blog.chewigem.com/chewing-ots-perspective-saskia-grassie/

Don't forget if you need any more support or have any more questions. Why not join our Sensory Support Group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/chewigem/

How To Deal With The Change In School Routine

This week Jenny and Lorraine talk about how to deal with the change in the school routine. The end of term can be hard for any child but for people on the spectrum, it's even harder once timetable changes come in. The changes can cause extreme anxiety. Lorraine knows this more than most and gives some great tips to help!

Lorraine and Jenny also talk about The Kiss Quotient and the Autism themes that run throughout the book. They also talk about whether listening to songs over and over is an Autism trait.

Is Autism Awareness Actually Harming The Community?

This week on the podcast, we ask is autism awareness actually harming the community?

This came up after an argument Joel made, which said that what we actually need is Autism Knowledge rather than awareness.

We also talk about Joseph Redford’s podcast, Lorraine’s big news story and of course, the heat!

Are Autistic Organisations Accessible to all Autistics?

This week on the Podcast we ask Joseph Redford "are Autistic Organisations accessible to all autistics?". This leads to a conversation about how to make Autistic organisations accessible to everyone instead of just part of the spectrum.

Joseph was diagnosed at 11, before that the doctors thought that he was deaf. But after his diagnosis, he learned to be able to thrive, rather than just survive thanks to the Autism community.

Hear all about how Joseph is trying to make an Autistic state and is working on the neurodivergent worker's manifesto. As well as all the other roles he has in the Autism community.

Is The Autism Community Too Focused On Language?

This week on the podcast The Chew Crew ask the question "is the autism community too focused on language?" This comes after a discussion during the SWAN Podcast last week saying how it's ok to admit that you didn't know any better at one point in time. As long as you learn from it.

This leads to the discussion of whether it's time to stop worrying so much about the language used around the Autistic Community and focus more on teaching the general public about the nuances of the specific surrounding Autism.

As well as this the crew talk about the autism show and what their favourite parts were. 

Are Autistic Girls Being Set Up To Become Self Fulfilling Prophecies?

This week Jenny talks to Catriona from Swan and asks the question, are girls being set up to become self-fulfilling prophecies.

SWAN stands for Scottish Women's Autism Network, and as the name suggests, they are a network for Autistic Women based in Scotland but have connections all over the UK and beyond.

Catriona talks about how her life was affected by her autism in terms of feeling like her self-esteem was affected when she didn't fit in. One of the areas discussed is the importance placed on making friends in childhood. Catriona says that these efforts could be better placed in honing into autistic people's interests.

SWAN has created meetups and online forums for adults and young people on the spectrum that are aimed at support and community. These are run by people on the spectrum themselves.

 

To find out more about SWAN go here:

 

Website http://swanscotland.com

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/swans.scotland/

Is Special Education Heading Towards a Cliff Edge?

With cuts to funds. We ask is special education heading towards a cliff edge without a parachute?

SEND protests have been happening all over the country over the last few weeks and the chew crew discuss this news story as well as asking is mainstream education really the best option for children?

This comes after The Sun published an article about a child being "too autistic for mainstream and not autistic enough for a special school." This is a position Lorraine has found herself in before and gives some great insight too.