Liz Lucy Robillard

  Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) in nonverbal autistic individuals presents unique challenges, yet a behavioral approach rooted in positive reinforcement and gradual exposure can be transformative. First, recognize that food aversions often stem from sensory sensitivities rather than defiance. Instead of coercion or punishment, create a structured and predictable environment around meals. Introduce new foods systematically—starting with tolerated textures and subtly modifying them over time. Pair each step with preferred reinforcers, ensuring that progress is met with immediate, meaningful rewards. Desensitization is key. If a child resists a new food, begin with proximity: having it on the plate, then touching, smelling, and eventually tasting. Allow them to explore at their own pace, removing pressure but maintaining consistency. A visual schedule or token system can enhance predictability, reducing anxiety. Additionally, model eating behaviors. Even nonverb...

 The recent arrests and questioning of individuals in the UK for expressing political opinions have deeply troubled me.  Too many brave service men and women have sacrificed their lives to protect our fundamental freedoms, including freedom of speech and expression, which are the cornerstone of British culture.  While I have immense sympathy and empathy for minorities, I believe compassion is not exclusive to any one party.  My experience with our former Tory MP was positive—conscientious, helpful, and genuinely compassionate, as is our Lib Dem councillor. Labour, however, seems entrenched in outdated idealism rather than focusing on what’s best for the country.  Though it’s early days for Labour, their approach hasn’t earned my support. Next time, I’ll be voting to safeguard the freedoms we hold dear.

  In the UK, social work must proceed with a deep understanding of human cognition and its limitations.  To blame individuals for their lack of awareness regarding their own needs is to misunderstand the very nature of suffering.  Many who require support are constrained by circumstances—economic deprivation, psychological distress, or cognitive impairments—that hinder their ability to recognize or articulate their own vulnerability. Compassion, not judgment, must guide intervention. The mind does not always possess the clarity to diagnose its own suffering; trauma, social conditioning, and systemic barriers often obscure self-awareness.  To fault people for this is to commit a moral error.  Instead, social work must operate with a commitment to evidence-based compassion, ensuring that those most in need are not further alienated by an expectation of self-diagnosis, but are instead met with the understanding and care their situation demands. Ai assisted

  Conspiracy to pervert the course of justice arises when individuals, often operating within institutions like local councils, prioritize reputation over truth.  This is not merely bureaucratic self-preservation—it is a moral failure driven by fear, incentives, and a misguided sense of duty.  Officials, acting in concert, suppress evidence, obstruct investigations, or manipulate outcomes to shield the council from scandal.  They justify this as protecting public trust, yet it achieves the opposite: eroding confidence in governance.  Such conspiracies thrive where transparency is absent, where legal safeguards are treated as obstacles rather than obligations.  The moment reputation eclipses accountability, corruption festers.  The remedy is an unflinching commitment to truth—where integrity, not optics, defines public service. Anything less invites systemic decay, turning councils into engines of deceit rather than instruments of justice. Ai assisted

  Shame is a deeply ingrained force in the human mind. It masquerades as a necessary companion to our moral compass, a signal that we have strayed from the path. But more often than not, shame is nothing more than a cruel echo of past conditioning—an illusion that serves only to paralyze and diminish us. The antidote to shame is neither repression nor indulgence. It is not found in distraction or denial. The only path forward—the only way to dissolve shame rather than merely suppress it—is through self-compassion and self-love. When we practice self-compassion, we acknowledge our imperfections without condemning ourselves for them. We recognize that suffering, failure, and missteps are not personal anomalies but universal aspects of the human experience. To love oneself is not to grant oneself an escape from responsibility, but rather to engage with reality from a place of clarity rather than self-loathing. This is not a call to narcissism or unchecked self-indulgence. It is...

  Human behavior, in all its complexity, is not immune to the fundamental principles of learning. Even the most perplexing actions—such as fecal smearing in autistic individuals—are governed by neurological imperatives, sensory needs, and conditioned responses.  If we are to address this behavior ethically, sensitively and effectively, we must discard moral judgment in favor of science. First, we must recognize the origins of this act.  For some, it is sensory-seeking—an exploration of texture and touch. For others, it is communication, a desperate attempt to externalize internal distress.  Communication programs must be provided and taught wherever possible.  See the free film 'Spellers' on Youtube. Just because a person is non-verbal does not equate to low intelligence, often a huge error of judgement made across the board by some parents and professionals.  Non-verbal people are often unable to express their emotions which leads to huge frustration and ...