NeuroDisability Network

Consent is More Than “Yes” or “No”

One of the biggest misconceptions I come across in health and social care is that consent is simply about hearing the word “yes”.

It isn’t.

For people with learning disabilities and autistic people, this misunderstanding can have serious consequences.

As professionals, we often ask ourselves:
“Did they say yes?”

Perhaps the better question is:
“How do we know this was really their choice?”

A person may say yes because they want to please someone. They may agree because they are anxious, feel pressured, don’t understand what is being asked, or have learned throughout their life that saying yes avoids conflict.

Equally, someone may not say “no” because they don’t know they can, don’t recognise that something feels wrong, or struggle to communicate their discomfort.

This is why consent is so much more than a single word.

It is about understanding.

It is about having a genuine choice.

It is about feeling safe enough to change your mind.

It is about knowing that “no”, “stop”, or even “I’m not sure” will be respected.

When I deliver specialist Relationships and S*x Education, I rarely ask people to memorise a definition of consent. Instead, we explore situations together.

What happens if someone changes their mind?

What if someone feels pressured?

What if they only agree because they don’t want to upset the other person?

What if they don’t understand what is happening?

These conversations help people move beyond repeating information towards understanding how consent works in everyday life.

The same principle applies when we are supporting someone to make decisions under the Mental Capacity Act.

Repeating information back to us does not necessarily mean someone understands it.

Likewise, agreeing with us does not necessarily mean they have made a free and informed decision.

As professionals, we need to be curious.

We need to slow down.

We need to ask ourselves whether the person has really understood, whether they have been supported to make their own decision, and whether we would recognise if they were trying to tell us they were uncomfortable.

Good education is not about teaching people the right answers.

It is about giving them the confidence and understanding to make safer choices in real life.

That is where real learning happens.

I’d be interested to hear your thoughts.

How do you help people move beyond simply knowing the word “consent” to genuinely understanding what it means in everyday situations?

Cooking is about more than preparing a meal.

It’s about confidence, making choices, staying safe and becoming more independent.

Through our ENABLE service, we support adults with learning disabilities and autistic people to develop practical life skills that build confidence both at home and in the community.

Every achievement matters, whether it’s cooking a favourite meal, shopping independently or trying something new for the first time.

ENABLE
Living not existing.

www.neurodisabilitynetwork.co.uk

Every new skill builds confidence.

Whether it’s managing money, cooking a meal or travelling independently, learning practical life skills can open the door to greater independence.

That’s what ENABLE is all about.

Learning done differently.

www.neurodisabilitynetwork.co.uk

A huge thank you to the legend that is Zain for helping us get the website sorted! 🎉

We're excited to announce that our Resource Library is now live, with new resources being added regularly over the coming weeks.

Looking for practical information, guidance, and support? Simply visit our website, complete the short form at the bottom of the Resource Library page, and select the resources you'd like to receive. The PDFs will be sent directly to your inbox automatically.

Take a look and let us know what resources you'd like to see added next!

Visit the website and explore the Resource Library today.



https://neurodisabilitynetwork.co.uk/resource-library/

Safeguarding Training with - Specialist Care Careers yesterday for Dan. Fab group as per usual, really got involved in the session.

Last week we had yet another great day , refreshing Epilepsy. The brain hat has become a regular attendee at the training. 🧠

Today, we launch the first of our resources in our library. Isaac has been working on these over the last few months, building a suite of resources to use in LGBTQ+ sessions for adults with Autism and Learning Disability settings. We have tried to keep these complex subjects as accessible as we can. Please head over to https://neurodisabilitynetwork.co.uk/resource-library/ to access and use them within your practice!