We criticise people for the large number of individuals in this type of care, yet we do not adequately resource specialist community resources to support these people.

I wanted to scream but I could barely breathe as they handcuffed me, tied my legs together and threw me roughly into a cage in the back of the van. Facilitating support in the community for individuals is perhaps the most effective way of eradicating restrictive practices in our care settings, which Professor McDonnell discusses in more detail in this article . Major life events are difficult for anybody to manage and changes to lifestyle and routine can unsettle even the most resilient people.

She could not understand why her focus and passion, which had always won her praise in the past, was now causing “deep worry and deep scrutiny”. Flipping the narrative in highly controlling settings is more difficult, but not impossible, as can be seen in many settings in the UK and abroad where Studio 3 trainers and practitioners have made a significant difference in the practices of staff teams. So, although, yes, I think in principle [the measures relating to autistic people and those with learning difficulties] should be taken out [of the Mental Health Act], unless we can really know that people aren’t going to be criminalised, I think that’s more life-limiting.

The result was a complete breakdown in communication where I would end up in overload and then meltdown. Behaviour support should focus on changing the behaviour of supporters so they can be more compassionate carers, and focus on de-escalating distressing stimuli in the environment. Appropriate routine and structure needs to be explored and set up which suits the individual person.When I was detained under the Mental Health Act I felt like this was because of behaviour relating to my autism, not because I was mentally ill; the whole process lacked any understanding of the difference between autism and mental illness. Autistic woman and author of the memoir Unbroken, Alexis Quinn, spent three years “locked inside” various mental health hospitals, including Assessment and Treatment Units (ATU). And I find it difficult to interpret people’s body language, which can sometimes make social interaction difficult.