<?xml version="1.0"?>
<rss version="2.0"><channel><title>All Activity</title><link>https://www.asd-forum.org.uk/forum/index.php?/discover/</link><description>Asperger and ASD UK Online Forum - All Activity</description><language>en</language><item><title>UK Government's new report "Young people and work: interim report"</title><link><![CDATA[https://www.asd-forum.org.uk/forum/index.php?/topic/41447-uk-governments-new-report-young-people-and-work-interim-report/&do=findComment&comment=377484]]></link><description>In the UK Government's new report titled "Young people and work: interim report", autism gets quite a few mentions:
 


	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/young-people-and-work-interim-report/young-people-and-work-interim-report</description><pubDate>Thu, 28 May 2026 13:41:25 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Some more recent autism related petitions on UK Gov petitions website</title><link><![CDATA[https://www.asd-forum.org.uk/forum/index.php?/topic/41400-some-more-recent-autism-related-petitions-on-uk-gov-petitions-website/&do=findComment&comment=377422]]></link><description><![CDATA[Some recent autism related petitions on the UK Government petitions web site:
 


	"Require all schools to carry out autism, ADHD &amp; dyslexia testing":
 


	https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/766238
 


	 
 


	"Neurodiversity: Fund police training, review of police custody &amp; data collection":
 


	https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/768251]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 23 May 2026 15:36:12 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Some recent autism related petitions on UK Gov petitions website</title><link><![CDATA[https://www.asd-forum.org.uk/forum/index.php?/topic/41219-some-recent-autism-related-petitions-on-uk-gov-petitions-website/&do=findComment&comment=377177]]></link><description>Some recent autism related petitions on the UK Government and Parliament petitions web site:
 


	"Review availability and speed of access to Right to Choose autism assessments":
 


	https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/766368
 


	 
 


	"Make neurodiversity education a mandatory part of the national curriculum":
 


	https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/765048</description><pubDate>Sun, 03 May 2026 17:40:54 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Article about magnetic brain stimulation for autistic children</title><link><![CDATA[https://www.asd-forum.org.uk/forum/index.php?/topic/41215-article-about-magnetic-brain-stimulation-for-autistic-children/&do=findComment&comment=377170]]></link><description>Article by an academic seen online, titled "A five&#x2011;day course of magnetic brain stimulation could help autistic children communicate better""Schools aren&#x2019;t designed for autistic children &#x2013; these are the sensory challenges they face":
 


	https://theconversation.com/a-five-day-course-of-magnetic-brain-stimulation-could-help-autistic-children-communicate-better-280623</description><pubDate>Sun, 03 May 2026 11:43:45 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Has anyone here worked at a start-up?</title><link><![CDATA[https://www.asd-forum.org.uk/forum/index.php?/topic/40876-has-anyone-here-worked-at-a-start-up/&do=findComment&comment=376689]]></link><description>I'd be interested to know what your experience was like. It could be said that a start-up environment, especially a high-growth one, has a degree of ambiguity and occasional interpersonal demands which might be too much for an autistic worker to handle. On the hand, maybe a company that accepts change as constant and is used to frequent staff turnover might have better procedures in place to ensure smooth onboarding and handovers. What do you think?</description><pubDate>Wed, 04 Mar 2026 21:22:27 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Article on schools and autistic children</title><link><![CDATA[https://www.asd-forum.org.uk/forum/index.php?/topic/40773-article-on-schools-and-autistic-children/&do=findComment&comment=376555]]></link><description>Article by an academic seen online, titled "Schools aren&#x2019;t designed for autistic children &#x2013; these are the sensory challenges they face":
 


	https://theconversation.com/schools-arent-designed-for-autistic-children-these-are-the-sensory-challenges-they-face-273498</description><pubDate>Tue, 10 Feb 2026 11:02:54 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Article on autism and joy</title><link><![CDATA[https://www.asd-forum.org.uk/forum/index.php?/topic/40772-article-on-autism-and-joy/&do=findComment&comment=376554]]></link><description>Seen online an article by an academic seen online, titled "Autistic people seem to feel joy differently &#x2013; here&#x2019;s what it can tell us about neurodivergence":
 


	https://theconversation.com/autistic-people-seem-to-feel-joy-differently-heres-what-it-can-tell-us-about-neurodivergence-273403</description><pubDate>Tue, 10 Feb 2026 10:39:05 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Dara McAnulty: How nature helped my autism</title><link><![CDATA[https://www.asd-forum.org.uk/forum/index.php?/topic/31587-dara-mcanulty-how-nature-helped-my-autism/&do=findComment&comment=376053]]></link><description>Dara McAnulty, a 21-year-old Northern Irish naturalist currently studying at Cambridge, is home for the winter break. He takes Martha Kearney to one of his favourite places nearby - the Murlough National Nature Reserve in the Mourne Mountains. This special landscape of ancient forest, sand dunes, and a colony of seals lies on the edge of Dundrum Bay, framed by the Mourne Mountains.
 


	Dara shares his deep connection to this place and explains why he loves visiting in all weathers. He reflects on his journey into the natural world, beginning with his early years in Belfast and growing up as an autistic child, finding solace, peace, and joy in the outdoors - and then writing about his experiences.
 


	His debut book, Diary of a Young Naturalist, won the Wainwright Prize for Nature Writing in 2020, among other accolades, and he is the youngest ever winner of the RSPB Medal. Dara has also written three children&#x2019;s books: Wild Child: A Journey Through Nature, A Wild Child&#x2019;s Book of Birds, and A Wild Child's Guide to Nature at Night.
 


	This Natural Life (Radio 4)</description><pubDate>Tue, 16 Dec 2025 23:12:57 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Autistic dogs? Neurodiversity in our pets ...</title><link><![CDATA[https://www.asd-forum.org.uk/forum/index.php?/topic/40161-autistic-dogs-neurodiversity-in-our-pets/&do=findComment&comment=375641]]></link><description>Article seen online, titled "Autistic dogs? Neurodiversity in our pets and what it might mean for us" :
 


	https://theconversation.com/autistic-dogs-neurodiversity-in-our-pets-and-what-it-might-mean-for-us-265888</description><pubDate>Mon, 24 Nov 2025 11:05:57 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Stage  3 disapliinary at college</title><link><![CDATA[https://www.asd-forum.org.uk/forum/index.php?/topic/40026-stage-3-disapliinary-at-college/&do=findComment&comment=375456]]></link><description>Adult son aged 24 recently  started  another  year at college  having done 2 years at same college  with only a few  minor issues.
 


	He is now suspended  and straight  onto stage 3 disapliinary  meeting.
 


	This has been a huge shock.  It involved  him flicking  an object  onto to a teacher  after getting  upset in a lesson.  No injuries  or anything  but obviously  classed as gross misconduct. 
 


	The meeting  is in 2 weeks. Just looking  for advice  on what  I should  be doing?
 


	Staff all know him and are  as shocked as we are by this behaviour as this is so unusual  for him.
 


	Never had any issues  though  School although  attended  special school. He has Level 1/Aspergers  and is incredibly  nieve.
 


	Never goes anywhere  alone  apart from myself  of 2 older siblings. 
 


	Thanks</description><pubDate>Sun, 09 Nov 2025 16:59:44 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Waitrose-rejected autistic worker gets Asda offer</title><link><![CDATA[https://www.asd-forum.org.uk/forum/index.php?/topic/39926-waitrose-rejected-autistic-worker-gets-asda-offer/&do=findComment&comment=375346]]></link><description><![CDATA[(Not written by me)
 


	Waitrose-rejected autistic worker gets Asda offer



	23 October 2025 


	
		An autistic man who was told he had to stop stacking shelves at the Waitrose supermarket where he had volunteered for four years has now been offered a job by a rival chain.
	 

	
		Frances Boyd said she was "overwhelmed" by how people had responded to her talking about her 28-year-old son's experiences at Waitrose's store in Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester.
	 

	
		Tom Boyd had been working unpaid there since 2021, accompanied by a support worker. When Frances asked in July if her son could be offered "just a few paid hours", Waitrose head office told her Tom's work experience placement had to end.
	 

	
		Frances said: "We've had some great news - Asda have offered him two five-hour paid shifts a week."
	 

	
		
			'Raising awareness'
		
	

	
		
			
				She added: "It's overwhelming and they are flexible to say if at any time he is struggling they are fine.
			 

			
				"How amazing that a company could do this."
			 

			
				Tom received the backing of Greater Manchester's mayor Andy Burnham, who posted on X that Tom had received "truly terrible" treatment and promised to "support him to find another placement that works".
			 

			
				He said Greater Manchester Combined Authority "would encourage all employers, including Waitrose, to sign up to our brand new Bee Neuroinclusive Code of Practice".
			 

			
				Speaking with Frances, who broke the news of Tom's job offer on BBC Radio Manchester, Burnham said: "Good on you for raising awareness because we need a huge awareness campaign here."
			 

			
				She accepted his on-air offer to be an advocate for the campaign.
			 

			
				Speaking on Wednesday, a Waitrose &amp; Partners spokesman said it worked with a number of charities to provide work experience and was "well experienced in making reasonable adjustments to help people succeed at work".
			 

			
				"We are sorry to hear of Tom's story and whilst we cannot comment on individual cases, we are investigating as a priority."
			 

			
				
					Frances said her son, who has limited communication skills, started at the Waitrose store as part of his skills development for the workplace further education course, and volunteered two mornings a week.
				 

				
					She said he was "so proud of his work", which involved putting stock out and tidying the shelves, and was praised for his work ethic by managers.
				 

				
					"He gave over 600 hours of his time purely because he wanted to belong, contribute, and make a difference," she said.
				 

				
					Frances praised and thanked staff at the store for supporting him and said the decision to end his association had been taken by Waitrose head office.
				 

				
					She added: "They included him and were absolutely brilliant.
				 

				
					"I think he was just under the radar - all was running smoothly until it went to head office."
				 

				
					Source: BBC News]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 24 Oct 2025 22:38:22 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>News article titled "Adults with learning disabilities die 20 years early, report finds</title><link><![CDATA[https://www.asd-forum.org.uk/forum/index.php?/topic/39483-news-article-titled-adults-with-learning-disabilities-die-20-years-early-report-finds/&do=findComment&comment=374802]]></link><description>Seen on BBC news website, article titled "Adults with learning disabilities die 20 years early, report finds
 


	People with learning disabilities and autism in England are dying almost 20 years younger than the rest of the population, a long-awaited report has said.
 


	The annual mortality review commissioned by NHS England, external was originally meant to be published last year but faced repeated delays.
 


	It found 39% of deaths of people with learning disabilities and autism were classed as avoidable in 2023, almost twice as high as the general population. ... ":
 


	https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c939311dpn1o</description><pubDate>Thu, 04 Sep 2025 14:53:30 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>ASPIE partner lies about secret woman</title><link><![CDATA[https://www.asd-forum.org.uk/forum/index.php?/topic/39418-aspie-partner-lies-about-secret-woman/&do=findComment&comment=374714]]></link><description>My aspie partner lied for 10 years hiding secret women he was chasibg hoping to have a child . I thought that was all over .  
	 
 


	now he&#x2019;s showed huge con artist deception skills to hide a woman platonic hiking buddy  who fot one year he&#x2019;s hidden from me 
 


	Presenting himself as a single man
 


	Befriending a single  woman  
 


	HAVIng hours of long chats flirtation attention
 


	going on long drives
 


	long day trips /hikes secretly 
 


	and spending months planning secret overseas trips and planning travelling together for weeks 
 


	lying completely to me re where he was travelling hiking chatting and with  who 
 


	Hiding  this other female platonic woman completely 
 


	living with her in the sane  hotel rooms but separate beds  for weeks overseas 
 


	I was so shocked and traumatised about being a sitting duck for so much deception secrets lies
 


	About another woman even if platonic  
 


	if I don&#x2019;t like hikes , then healthy couples do walks that both can enjoy
 


	sone men or women can&#x2019;t walk much I can 
 


	but their spouses don&#x2019;t go running across the world with with secret friends  of the opposite sex
 


	there's so much that is wrong about all this 
 


	but he doesn&#x2019;t understand at all 
 


	the shock and trauma  betrayal I&#x2019;ve suffered in so many ways is enormous 
 


	yet he thinks as long as he didn&#x2019;t have sex with her he&#x2019;s fine nothing wrong 
 


	Presenting himself as a  single   man 
 


	 
 


	befriending a sibgke woman 
 


	Enjoying  the attebtion
 


	connecting chatting making huge plans over a years 
 


	all secret
 


	even multiple secret  overseas trips
 


	he wouldn&#x2019;t even share his itinerary
 


	or tell me the day he was returning 
 


	it&#x2019;s such a terrible way to treat the woman he loves deeply 
 


	abd  APPArently  his selfish self focused brain doesn&#x2019;t understand what&#x2019;s is obvious to everyone else of honoring the one on one relationship he has and how bad this is what he&#x2019;s done
 


	 
 


	deciding to give a hiking travelling roll to a sibgke soman
 


	and hiding it all from the loyal loving woman in his life
 


	Lying chatting plans day trips long drives 
 


	 if soending huge  time secretly  with the opposite sex 
 


	planning overseas travel without me 
 


	keeping me in the dark with so much cruel deception 
 


	and  instead  secret travel with this other  woman and lying deceiving me for a year now for so mich
 


	now that he has this single friend he won&#x2019;t drop her 
 


	he could have easily found male hiking buddies
 


	he won&#x2019;t 
 


	no one wants me to stay with such a selfish cruel deceptive liar</description><pubDate>Thu, 28 Aug 2025 10:02:48 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Online article about dating and autistic people</title><link><![CDATA[https://www.asd-forum.org.uk/forum/index.php?/topic/38884-online-article-about-dating-and-autistic-people/&do=findComment&comment=373969]]></link><description>Seen online an article titled "Why dating can be tough for autistic people &#x2013; and what may make it easier":
 


	https://theconversation.com/why-dating-can-be-tough-for-autistic-people-and-what-may-make-it-easier-257534</description><pubDate>Tue, 12 Aug 2025 15:31:24 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Some autism related shows at this year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe</title><link><![CDATA[https://www.asd-forum.org.uk/forum/index.php?/topic/38793-some-autism-related-shows-at-this-years-edinburgh-festival-fringe/&do=findComment&comment=373855]]></link><description>Some autism related shows at this year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe:
 


	"Eccentrics Return &#x2013; Guerilla Autistics Show Year 11 CANCELLED" https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/eccentrics-return-guerilla-autistics-show-year-11-cancelled
 


	 
 


	"I'm Autistic &#x2013; A New Musical" https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/i-m-autistic-a-new-musical
 


	 
 


	"Cerys Bradley's Queer Tales for Autistic Folk" https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/cerys-bradley-s-queer-tales-for-autistic-folk
 


	 
 


	"1290.5 Steps to Autistic Success &#x2013; Kittenageddon (Sidequests and ... " https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/1290-5-steps-to-autistic-success-kittenageddon-sidequests-and-buffering
 


	 
 


	"Moving On... Really, Really Slowly" https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/moving-on-really-really-slowly
 


	 
 


	"Tides (An Autism Story)" https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/tides-an-autism-story
 


	 
 


	"Simon Harriyott: Autastic" https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/simon-harriyott-autastic
 


	 
 


	"My Life as an "Inspirational ... " https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/my-life-as-an-inspirational-porn-star
 


	 
 


	"Hidden Powers" https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/hidden-powers
 


	 
 


	"Cartoonopolis" https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/cartoonopolis
 


	 
 


	"Ted Hill: 110 Percent Normal" https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/ted-hill-110-percent-normal
 


	 
 


	"Bitter Baby" https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/bitter-baby
 


	 
 


	"Morgan Rees: Work in Progress" https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/morgan-rees-work-in-progress
 


	 
 


	"Jain Edwards: She-Devil" https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/jain-edwards-she-devil
 


	 
 


	"Alice-India: See You In Hell" https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/alice-india-see-you-in-hell</description><pubDate>Thu, 31 Jul 2025 11:07:07 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Some recent autism related petitions on the UK Government and Parliament petitions website</title><link><![CDATA[https://www.asd-forum.org.uk/forum/index.php?/topic/38760-some-recent-autism-related-petitions-on-the-uk-government-and-parliament-petitions-website/&do=findComment&comment=373821]]></link><description>Some recent autism related petitions on the UK Government and Parliament petitions website:
 


	"Require autism-friendly interview adjustments and sensory-friendly jobs":
 


	https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/728699
 


	 
	"Make a new business grant scheme for Neurodivergent Entrepreneurs":
 


	https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/730964</description><pubDate>Mon, 28 Jul 2025 09:32:31 +0000</pubDate></item></channel></rss>
