Pride is both a celebration of community and an ongoing protest

‘At its core, Pride is (and always has been) a protest. Pride is also a time of immense joy and celebration. We celebrate the courage of those who paved the way for us. We celebrate the fact that we can hold hands with our partners without fearing for our lives. We celebrate the fact that young people are finally seeing themselves represented positively in media. We celebrate the simple joy of being alive, feeling love, and having a place in a community that will accept you no matter what.’

By Caleb Jackson (SaLT), Hannah Anthony (SaLT), and Andrew (Andy) Fraser (Marketing Executive).

As June comes to a close, Pride Month on a global scale will eventually start to fade to the back of mind for many. That being said, it’s important (now more than ever before) to note that Pride is more than just a month… it’s a movement that is relevant and the community is actively celebrating (and protesting) all year round.

There are Pride events taking place in cities and towns throughout the Summer all across the UK, and it must not be forgotten that the act of raising awareness and continuing allyship goes far beyond just the month of June. Especially since this year, in record numbers, we are seeing a frightening uptick in violence, discrimination, and new policies targeting the safety and wellbeing of the LGBTQIA+ community at large.

To unpack this, a few members of our team wanted to share a bit about what Pride means to them and why support for the community doesn’t stop at the end of June.

Caleb Jackson (he/they), one of our Birmingham-based SaLTs is passionate about Queer history and politics and wanted to emphasise the importance and history that protest plays in the freedoms we now have in modern times as members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

“It would be wrong to say that Pride is not a celebration of love, identity, and progress. However, I am keenly aware that at its heart, it is a protest. In a perfect storm, Pride came to be through the influence of a celebrity death, a number of well-aimed bricks, and a few very angry lesbians. “

Caleb wrote a beautifully poignant and powerful retelling of the history of Pride and how it all started as a protest. If you’ve got a few minutes, Caleb invites you to take a stroll down the yellow brick road of history.

Hannah Anthony (she/her), one of our SaLTs based in Milton Keynes, wanted to highlight the importance of ensuring that we have a variety of safe, inclusive spaces that give everyone a chance to participate in Pride events that match their comfort levels.

”For many, having a diverse range of events to choose from is important - allowing members of the community to take part in activities that they feel comfortable and safe taking part in. Some love to dance the night away at a club, while others look for quieter, more sensory-friendly spaces to mingle and meet others. For example, my wife and I love going to the theatre (and do so often), certain shows attract more members of the Queer community than others. ‘Everybody’s Talking About Jamie’, for example, is a theatre show that features central characters that are proudly Queer. However, others aren’t as inclusive, and whilst we still feel happy to go to these shows, we feel less safe showing affection towards one another in these spaces.”

“In our case, my wife is slightly more introverted and doesn’t gravitate to the larger Pride events. I myself have marched in Pride parades, representing both the RCSLT and England Netball, but that isn’t something my wife would feel comfortable taking part in. We both gravitate to the types of events we know we will enjoy, in spaces where we know we will be safe. While we are both very lucky to feel supported in our jobs and feel safe to be ourselves, it would be great to one day be able to feel comfortable holding hands as we walk down the street - without having to think twice.

Andrew Fraser (he/him), our Marketing Executive here at Magic Words, grew up in a small-town on the East Coast of Canada and recently moved over to the UK to be with his British partner. He is a proud member of the Queer community, and feels that with some of the suggested changes in policy recently, that the safety of the LGBTQIA+ community at large is seriously at risk.

”Even though I’m still new to the country, I see a lot of people talking about the upcoming election and how scared they are to have their rights and everything they have fought for ripped away from them. We have been fighting for years just for the basic right to be unapologetically ourselves, to be free to exist and to love who we choose to love. We have not come this far, only to be forced to step back and to compromise on all of the things that make us proud to be who we are.”

“As Caleb highlighted, the importance of seeing Pride as more than just a party, and more of a protest, is the way we must move forward. As much as we would love to only focus on celebrating the magical things that make our community special, conservative, close-minded viewpoints are on the rise, and people are seemingly unafraid to speak out (in very hateful ways) against the community as a whole, or even worse, they say they are prepared to take action/commit acts of violence against those of us who are just trying to exist and live our day to day lives. That’s why it’s important to remind ourselves, and the people around us, that now’s not the time to back down and hide - if someone you love, someone close to you is a member of the Queer community, please let them know that you care. Let them know you are an ally, that you will be there in times of need. That means so much more than you’ll ever know”.

Caleb closes out this important conversation on Pride with an important reminder:

“Yes, Pride is still a protest. Pride is a time for me to protest the fact that my transgender community are unable to go to the bathroom safely. Pride is a time for me to protest my gay brothers and sisters being executed for daring to show their love. Pride is a time for me protest the fact that 31% percent of my Queer community have considered taking their own life, and 41% of nonbinary people have harmed themselves in the last year alone. Pride is a time for me to protest the poor social and medical care that leads 61% of the LGBTQ+ community to experience clinical depression in their lifetimes. Pride is a time for me to protest the fact that transgender people are being murdered at record levels -- more than 1 person each day.”

“However, Pride is also a time of immense joy and celebration. We celebrate the courage of those who paved the way for us. We celebrate the fact that I can hold hands with my partner without fearing for my life. We celebrate the fact that young people are finally seeing themselves represented positively in media. We celebrate the simple joy of being alive, feeling love, and having a place in a community that will accept you no matter what. But this yellow brick road to celebration is blood-soaked, and Pride is a time for us to remember that as well. Pride is a time for us to protest inaction, and vow to do better.”

Unmasking Neurodivergence: Acceptance and Building Self-Esteem

By Laura Boutarfa

Magic Words Speech and Language Therapy Apprentice Practitioner

Society expects all people to conform to behavioural norms: unwritten rules that, if broken, cause the person to be labelled as “strange” or “other”. But this idea in and of itself is flawed – we as a human race are a diverse population of different languages, cultures, religions, and values and inherently we are all unique. So, how can we expect all individuals in a society to follow the norm, and who even decides what this norm is? 

For many years, therapies have tried to cure or lessen neurodivergent traits in children and young people. Approaches such as Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) have sought to withhold items from a child in order to get them to complete a task in the way the therapist wants. Often, this will result in the child complying out of fear or a desire to get a certain item, but there is no intrinsic motivation to learn the new skill. As a result, they do not generalise the skill, and in many cases, we see the child in fight or flight mode, ready to escape or attack whenever they feel threatened. Many autistic adults report suffering with PTSD in adulthood because of such therapies.  

Unfortunately, many approaches used with autistic children, or children with other neurodivergences such as ADHD, are deeply rooted in ABA. Sticker charts, work-reward systems, Now and Next boards, Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)… all of these involve withholding something the child wants or needs, such as a sensory accommodation, until they do what an adult is demanding of them. We would not withhold physical accommodations such as a wheelchair from a child, so why are we withholding ear defenders, fidgets, or trampolines? 

When we aim from early childhood to make a child appear “less autistic” or “behave normally”, we are feeding into a life-long narrative for them that they are deficient in some way. That they are not enough. This message often becomes internalised and leads to children, especially those with low support needs, masking their neurodivergence to fit in and make friends. And if they cannot mask, they are frequently ostracised from society.  

Neurodivergence does not have to be a disability – society is what makes being neurodivergent a disability, because society is ableist and geared towards neutotypicals, with the onus on neurodivergents to request accommodations and change themselves to fit in with the norm.  

Take away messages:  

Let’s reframe how we talk about neurodivergence from the very beginning – no-one is flawed because of how their brain works. All differences should be accepted and celebrated, and therapy should be person-centred.  

When working with a child or teenager who has a history of masking, let’s work on building self-esteem and exploring unmasking.  

And let’s start talking to all children about the importance of being accepting of all people, regardless of their neurotype. Below are some great TV and book recommendations to start having these conversations at home:   

• "Mister Rogers' Neighbourhood" is a classic children's show that promotes kindness, empathy, and understanding of differences.   

• "How to Be a Superhero Called Self-Control! Superpowers to Help Younger Children to Regulate their Emotions and Senses" by Lauren Brukner - this is a book that provides practical strategies for children to regulate their emotions and senses, which may be helpful for the client.   

• “Young Sheldon” is a TV programme where we see Sheldon’s journey through school and trying to make friends and navigate relationships when he was younger. Young Sheldon never explicitly mentions autism so it’s not specific.   

• “A Kind of Spark” is a CBBC TV show that uses neurodivergent actors.   

• "The Autism Acceptance Book: Being a Friend to Someone with Autism" by Ellen Sabin - this is a children's book that introduces autism and emphasises the importance of acceptance and understanding.   

• "All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome" by Kathy Hoopmann - this is another children's book that uses cats as a metaphor to explain some common traits of people with Asperger's (which is on the autism spectrum).   

• "The Reason I Jump" by Naoki Higashida - this is a memoir written by a young man with autism who shares his experiences and insights.   

• "NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity" by Steve Silberman - this is a comprehensive history of autism and advocacy for neurodiversity.   

• "Sesame Street" has a character named Julia, who is a Muppet with autism. The show has resources available for families and educators to learn about autism and how to support children on the spectrum.   

• "Atypical" is a Netflix series that follows the story of a teenager with autism navigating high school and relationships.   

• "The A Word" is a British TV drama series that depicts a family's journey after their son is diagnosed with autism.   

• "Speechless" is a comedy series that follows the story of a teenager with cerebral palsy and his family.   

• “Pablo” is a TV programme on CBeebies, the characters are voiced by Autistic Actors. There are different characters that portray different aspects of Pablo's personality.    

• “The Big Bang Theory” is a TV programme where one of the characters has a very literal and direct communication style.   

Unmasking Neurodivergence

By Laura Boutarfa

Magic Words Speech and Language Therapy Apprentice Practitioner

Society expects all people to conform to behavioural norms: unwritten rules that, if broken, cause the person to be labelled as “strange” or “other”. But this idea in and of itself is flawed – we as a human race are a diverse population of different languages, cultures, religions, and values and inherently we are all unique. So, how can we expect all individuals in a society to follow the norm, and who even decides what this norm is? 

For many years, therapies have tried to cure or lessen neurodivergent traits in children and young people. Approaches such as Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) have sought to withhold items from a child in order to get them to complete a task in the way the therapist wants. Often, this will result in the child complying out of fear or a desire to get a certain item, but there is no intrinsic motivation to learn the new skill. As a result, they do not generalise the skill, and in many cases, we see the child in fight or flight mode, ready to escape or attack whenever they feel threatened. Many autistic adults report suffering with PTSD in adulthood because of such therapies.  

Unfortunately, many approaches used with autistic children, or children with other neurodivergences such as ADHD, are deeply rooted in ABA. Sticker charts, work-reward systems, Now and Next boards, Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)… all of these involve withholding something the child wants or needs, such as a sensory accommodation, until they do what an adult is demanding of them. We would not withhold physical accommodations such as a wheelchair from a child, so why are we withholding ear defenders, fidgets, or trampolines? 

When we aim from early childhood to make a child appear “less autistic” or “behave normally”, we are feeding into a life-long narrative for them that they are deficient in some way. That they are not enough. This message often becomes internalised and leads to children, especially those with low support needs, masking their neurodivergence to fit in and make friends. And if they cannot mask, they are frequently ostracised from society.  

Neurodivergence does not have to be a disability – society is what makes being neurodivergent a disability, because society is ableist and geared towards neutotypicals, with the onus on neurodivergents to request accommodations and change themselves to fit in with the norm.  

Take away messages:  

Let’s reframe how we talk about neurodivergence from the very beginning – no-one is flawed because of how their brain works. All differences should be accepted and celebrated, and therapy should be person-centred.  

When working with a child or teenager who has a history of masking, let’s work on building self-esteem and exploring unmasking.  

And let’s start talking to all children about the importance of being accepting of all people, regardless of their neurotype. Below are some great TV and book recommendations to start having these conversations at home:   

• "Mister Rogers' Neighbourhood" is a classic children's show that promotes kindness, empathy, and understanding of differences.   

• "How to Be a Superhero Called Self-Control! Superpowers to Help Younger Children to Regulate their Emotions and Senses" by Lauren Brukner - this is a book that provides practical strategies for children to regulate their emotions and senses, which may be helpful for the client.   

• “Young Sheldon” is a TV programme where we see Sheldon’s journey through school and trying to make friends and navigate relationships when he was younger. Young Sheldon never explicitly mentions autism so it’s not specific.   

• “A Kind of Spark” is a CBBC TV show that uses neurodivergent actors.   

• "The Autism Acceptance Book: Being a Friend to Someone with Autism" by Ellen Sabin - this is a children's book that introduces autism and emphasises the importance of acceptance and understanding.   

• "All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome" by Kathy Hoopmann - this is another children's book that uses cats as a metaphor to explain some common traits of people with Asperger's (which is on the autism spectrum).   

• "The Reason I Jump" by Naoki Higashida - this is a memoir written by a young man with autism who shares his experiences and insights.   

• "NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity" by Steve Silberman - this is a comprehensive history of autism and advocacy for neurodiversity.   

• "Sesame Street" has a character named Julia, who is a Muppet with autism. The show has resources available for families and educators to learn about autism and how to support children on the spectrum.   

• "Atypical" is a Netflix series that follows the story of a teenager with autism navigating high school and relationships.   

• "The A Word" is a British TV drama series that depicts a family's journey after their son is diagnosed with autism.   

• "Speechless" is a comedy series that follows the story of a teenager with cerebral palsy and his family.   

• “Pablo” is a TV programme on CBeebies, the characters are voiced by Autistic Actors. There are different characters that portray different aspects of Pablo's personality.    

• “The Big Bang Theory” is a TV programme where one of the characters has a very literal and direct communication style.