Chloe (she/her)

🌿 I'm excited to share that, alongside my day job, I've launched my own initiative: Coproductive Consultancy! Bringing my passion for SEND, autism, learning disability, and co-production into training and consultancy. 🤝 Rooted in living experience and neuroaffirming, trauma-responsive practice.

When people say "I blacked out & bought XYZ," they mean they made an impulse purchase. As someone diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder, blacking out means losing time & doing things I genuinely can't remember. It's terrifying, not a quirky way to describe shopping.

On #WorldMentalHealthDay, spare a thought for those of us with psychiatric diagnoses deemed "unpalatable" & sidelined from mainstream mental health conversations. Our experiences matter too. Our humanity matters too. Our lives matter too.

I had a call the other day to say that I was accidentally referred to the wrong clinic. I have now been triaged by the correct clinic & the specialist thoracic surgeon wants to see me. But it won't be until around June '27 due to it being a national service with a long waiting list. I am gutted.

I'm on top of my injectable meds, but struggle to take my 6+ daily oral meds reliably. I've ordered little glass pots with lids to label, decant each medication into, and leave on the kitchen counter. Perhaps in sight = in mind? We'll see!

If you're ever wondering about the specificity of some NHS booking systems, I have been given a 3:44pm appointment to get my COVID booster & flu jab.

Content note: suicidality No, I don't want to download the free self-management app "getUBetter" in a futile attempt to self-manage debilitating pain that self-management didn't touch & that landed me under the crisis team for weeks earlier this year because it made me suicidal.

I recently started a trinket trade box that is housed in the most gorgeous little shop in Brighton. I'm absolutely loving watching/hearing about people doing trades & getting joy from it. www.instagram.com/brighton.tri... If you're local, do pop by & give it a visit.

Yesterday I turned 29. It feels weird (in the best way possible) to go into my 29th year feeling stable & happy, despite lots of negative stuff happening in my life lately that is beyond my control. I'm determined to hold onto that sense of stability & happiness.

I've lived in 11 different properties in the last 10 years: some nice, some truly horrible. I feel so lucky that my newest rental - number 11 - is the one where I feel very relaxed, at home, & like it's a little sanctuary for me/my dog/my cat. I'm loving furnishing it dopamine décor style!

As if I received an NHS appointment letter today where my home address is *over twenty years* out-of-date?!

For 1.5 years, I’ve had investigations for rib pain. Whenever I said, “I have hEDS - could it be slipping rib syndrome?” I was told, “that doesn't happen". In December, I have an NHS appointment with an out-of-area "slipping rib syndrome specialist" thoracic surgeon. Relief is an understatement.

Content note: death My grandma died last week. Mere hours after her death, her GP surgery texted her asking for her to rate their service (because they deregistered her once they knew that she had died). Automated patient communication is brilliant - until it isn't & it misses the mark.

Autistic & ADHD commissioner here who is *very tickled* by commissioners being described as spreadsheet shaggers. Can confirm that I despise spreadsheets.

🧵on my experiences of doing mental health lived experience work whilst also being a commissioner.

I am lucky that I am able to work & that I have a decently paying job. However, I have no savings. Why? Trichotillomania (stimming by pulling my own hair out). I have spent literally all my would-be savings on wigs, hair extensions, hair systems, hair toppers, etc. Stimming can have a price.

The specific brand of salacious glee expressed by many in the face of the manufactured, racist, ableist smear campaign against Jason Arday was utterly sickening. I am thinking of Jason Arday, his loved ones, & all those affected by the devastating news of his death.

CN: Death, suicide. Absolutely horrified that autistic professor Jason Arday—who was relentlessly smeared by ableist bullies—was found dead today. Our sincere condolences to his family and loved ones, and shame upon The Telegraph & other outlets who hounded him. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

I am ecstatic to have moved back to Brighton. However, the mental health services here are... well... if you know, you know. I am trying to use this as an incentive to stay well as, historically, I have faced immense iatrogenic harm from services in this city. Anyone in/around Brighton... hi!!

Awkward to offer MH centres with unspecified treatment, resourcing or staffing, rather than funding current projects & services, & known gaps e.g. Autism & ADHD assessment & provision. There will be 3 across Greater Manchester's 9 boroughs - separate towns & cities.

What a joy to co-deliver this session with Rosie from @coprocollective.bsky.social. @sprockethub.bsky.social is a research & innovation hub aiming to transform the delivery of services for children & young people with complex health needs & for those who care for them at key transition points.

Today is avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) awareness day. As someone with an ARFID diagnosis... ARFID is *not*: - simply fussy eating - being ungrateful - being willfully difficult - a choice - down to bad parenting Please educate yourself before judging.

Are you a UK-based autistic adult (formally diagnosed or self-identified) who has (like me) been assigned the "challenging behaviour" label or similar? If so, I'd love to hear from you for my @uoppald.bsky.social research, supervised by @drstevenkapp.bsky.social. 📧 Chloe.Apter@myport.ac.uk

Our MSc teaches progressively on autism, intellectual disability, & neurodivergence. Online: study anywhere, w/ option to attend "live" or study on own. Psych background not needed. Same cost everywhere! £11,200 split over 2 years - competitive for UK, US, AUS, CAN... www.port.ac.uk/study/course...

Happy Disability Pride month! This paper was written partly to help update @drstevenkapp.bsky.social's Neurodiversity Studies module for our @uoppald.bsky.social MSc Psychology and Learning Disability (autism, LD, ND) course - students got first access. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

My @uoppald.bsky.social student @chloeapter.bsky.social is recruiting autistic adults in the UK who have been assigned a label like “challenging behaviour” as she has. Would you consider sharing your experience with her or reposting so others may have more opportunity to do so? Thank you.

Are you a UK-based autistic adult who has - like me - been assigned the "challenging behaviour" label or similar? If so, I'm looking to hear more about your experiences for my @uoppald.bsky.social research. 📧 Chloe.Apter@myport.ac.uk Supervisor: @drstevenkapp.bsky.social

I used to work supporting autistic adults given the "challenging behaviour" label. Then, I was diagnosed as autistic & given the "challenging behaviour" label myself. Are you a UK-based autistic adult who has received this or a similar label? 📧 Chloe.Apter@myport.ac.uk @drstevenkapp.bsky.social

Are you a UK-based autistic adult who, like me, has been described as having "challenging behaviour", "behaviour that challenges", "problem behaviour", or "behaviours of concern"? 📧 If so, please email Chloe.Apter@myport.ac.uk to participate in my research. Supervisor: @drstevenkapp.bsky.social

Are you autistic? Have you been described as having "challenging behaviour", "behaviour that challenges", "problem behaviour", or "behaviours of concern"? If so, I would love to hear about your experiences for my MSc research. 📧 Chloe.Apter@myport.ac.uk Supervisor: @drstevenkapp.bsky.social

My @uoppald.bsky.social student @chloeapter.bsky.social is seeking more participants for her study on autistic people's experiences of being assigned a label like "challenging behaviour"/"problem behaviour" etc (like her). W/ enough participants, all going well, we hope to publish. Could you repost?

As someone with a hair loss condition caused by stimming, I have shaved my head many a time & have worn wigs for years. These last few days, I've been wearing a pink/peach/purple wig because if I'm going to have no hair, why not have fun with it? Fellow hair loss folks, I really recommend this!

It's a sad indictment of NHS mental health services that whilst I was in crisis, my (wonderful!) counselling psychologist had no choice but to discharge me from eating disorder therapy for ARFID "as a strategic move" to get me urgent support from crisis services.