QAuDHD Weekly

This week I'm celebrating a doubly successful Qualicon and reminding everyone of the importance of accessibility advocacy, in the wake of Global Accessibility Awareness Day!As always: please share, drop in comments and let me know your thoughts/suggestions for future topics.#videogames #qa #gamequality #autism #adhd #audhd #qaudhd #qualicon #gaad

This week I'm providing a BBC style "balanced perspective" on last week's rant about people in the industry not appreciating or understanding game quality, and a far less balanced rant about the terrifying results of certain recent elections.As always: please share, drop in comments and let me know your thoughts/suggestions for future topics.#videogames #qa #gamequality #autism #adhd #audhd #qaudhd

Hi everyone! Apologies for missing last week - you'll see why when you get stuck into this week's issue since we kick-off talking about this year's GAconf and Qualicon events, before going on a little rant about how underappreciated game quality still seems to be.As always: please share, drop in comments and let me know your thoughts/suggestions for future topics.#videogames #qa #gamequality #autism #adhd #audhd #qaudhd #qualicon #gaconf

Hi everyone! This week I discuss what happens when your limitless patiance turns out not to be so limitless and discuss some simple (and some less simple) time saving techniques which can make your game testing more efficient!As always: please share, drop in comments and let me know your thoughts/suggestions for future topics#videogames #qa #gamequality #autism #adhd #audhd #qaudhd #efficiency

And after the Easter break, we're back! This time we're talking about authority and responsibility, both in more general terms and when it comes to our role in game quality.As always: please share, drop in comments and let me know your thoughts/suggestions for future topics#videogames #qa #gamequality #autism #adhd #audhd #qaudhd #authority

This week I'm talking about tests. Not like QA tests, but tests for QA... of QA... tests for testing a tester's ability to test. My head hurts. I also discuss the (lack of) special educational support I recieved growing up and briefly touch on some appauling racism (as if there's any other kind).As always: please share, drop in comments and let me know your thoughts/suggestions for future topics#videogames #qa #gamequality #autism #adhd #audhd #qaudhd #nostalgia #intersectionality

This week feels less instructional and more like a bit of a rant... but thos can be fun, too! First up, we're talking intersectionality and why it can be difficult to achieve, then we're casting our minds all the way back to when physical games came with those awesome little instruction booklets.As always: please share, drop in comments and let me know your thoughts/suggestions for future topics#videogames #qa #gamequality #autism #adhd #audhd #qaudhd #nostalgia #intersectionalityP.S. If you're enjoying the QAuDHD series, please consider nominating me for The Voice of Games Quality award at this year's QualiCon: ⁠Vote Here⁠!

This week I open up about a particularly low moment for me in the week, including downward spirals, imposter syndrome and parenthood, then cover some basic advice on managing test cycles to avoid wasted effort and tester fatigue.As always: please share, drop in comments and let me know your thoughts/suggestions for future topics#videogames #qa #gamequality #autism #adhd #audhd #qaudhd #releasemanagement #goldP.S. If you're enjoying the QAuDHD series, please consider nominating me for The Voice of Games Quality award at this year's QualiCon: ⁠Vote Here⁠!

This week I cover how easily I can get overwhelmed by sights, sounds and textures, but how much I rely on constant input just to function. I also cover how to keep your quality team's own documentation up to scratch.As always: please share, drop in comments and let me know your thoughts/suggestions for future topics#videogames #qa #gamequality #autism #adhd #audhd #qaudhd #releasemanagement #goldP.S. If you're enjoying the QAuDHD series, please consider nominating me for The Voice of Games Quality award at this year's QualiCon: Vote Here!

We're back! And this week we're talking high profile ADHD athletes and finally covering what my actual job is (better late than never).As always: please share, drop in comments and let me know your thoughts/suggestions for future topics#videogames #qa #gamequality #autism #adhd #audhd #qaudhd #releasemanagement #gold

This week I'm talking about the difficulty I have with emotional regulation and how difficult it can be to manage and the test the difficulty in your game. It's a difficult one!Also, heads up that I will be taking a break next week as I'm on holiday!As always: please share, drop in comments and let me know your thoughts/suggestions for future topics#videogames #qa #gamequality #autism #adhd #audhd #qaudhd #difficulty

This week we're talking about how good (and bad) my memory is, and taking a look at Persona Testing.As always: please share, drop in comments and let me know your thoughts/suggestions for future topics#videogames #qa #gamequality #autism #adhd #audhd #qaudhd

This week I'm mostly panicking about potentially giving a talk at the global Game Quality conference and asking whether the games industry has got it wrong when it comes to one of the fundamental principles of quality.As always: please share, drop in comments and let me know your thoughts/suggestions for future topics.#videogames #qa #gamequality #autism #adhd #audhd #qaudhd

This week we talk about dolls (yes, really) and unpacking one of the most shocking posts I've seen from someone working in Game Quality.As always: please share, drop in comments and let me know your thoughts/suggestions for future topics.#videogames #qa #gamequality #autism #adhd #audhd #qaudhd

As we bring our mini-series of issues about testing UX Design principles to a close, we talk this week about Documentation and how difficult it can be to watch things end.As always: please share, drop in comments and let me know your thoughts/suggestions for future topics.#videogames #qa #gamequality #autism #adhd #audhd #qaudhd

In our first issue of 2026, we're looking at how neurodivergent people seem to make me MORE neurodivergent and how to test our next UX Design principle: Structure.As always: please share, drop in comments and let me know your thoughts/suggestions for future topics.#videogames #qa #gamequality #autism #adhd #audhd #qaudhd

In our last issue of 2025 (I'm giving myself next week off - so kind of me) I discuss why "taking the Mick" can cause issues for those of us who prefer to be more direct, and I cover some general testing tips when looking at how games offer players Feedback.As always: please share, drop in comments and let me know your thoughts/suggestions for future topics.#videogames #qa #gamequality #autism #adhd #audhd #qaudhd

This week I'm apologising for failing to have fun like a normal person and helping QA teams to better test in-built Constraints within their games.As always: please share, drop in comments and let me know your thoughts/suggestions for future topics.#videogames #qa #gamequality #autism #adhd #audhd #qaudhd #fun

In this week's issue we're talking about why we ask why, why that seems to annoy some people and how we can get the same information without causing upset. We also look at some suggestions for how to test your games for their levels of Comfort.As always: please share, drop in comments and let me know your thoughts/suggestions for future topics.#videogames #qa #gamequality #autism #adhd #audhd #qaudhd #why #comfort

This week I'm talking about the importance of authentic representation in games (and in other areas of our society) before discussing a few key things to look out for when testing for Equitable design in games.As always: please share, drop in comments and let me know your thoughts/suggestions for future topics.#videogames #qa #gamequality #autism #adhd #audhd #qaudhd #equity

Yes I'm banging the Accessibility drum again this week, both in our Neurospicy topic of the week and our main topic, as we cover the importance of Flexibility in design.As always: please share, drop in comments and let me know your thoughts/suggestions for future topics.#videogames #qa #gamequality #autism #adhd #audhd #qaudhd #accessibility #a11y

We return to our regulalry schedueld programming this week with a flashback to playing tennis as a kid which caused some upset, and a look at how to assess games for their Ease.As always: please share, drop in comments and let me know your thoughts/suggestions for future topics.#videogames #qa #gamequality #autism #adhd #audhd #qaudhd #ease

This week's episode is a special one, because being ill (again) brought to light the realities of just how hard it is to parent on your own and that in turn finally gave me some inspiration on how to support a great campaign that's running right now via The Dad Shift and Pregnant Then Screwed.

It can be difficult to own up to your mistakes, especially in a workplace and especially in an industry still suffering from so many layoffs. But it's essential for learning and growth, developing (and re-establishing) trust, and so-on. Handling mistakes is also essential in game design, since failure is often an expected part of the experience, which is why we're covering Tolerance this week.As always: please share, drop in comments and let me know your thoughts/suggestions for future topics.#videogames #qa #gamequality #autism #adhd #audhd #qaudhd #ux #oops #tolerance

Having gotten over whatever man-flu had me down for the count last week, we're back!This week we're talking, perhaps unsurprisingly, about how I handle being off sick (spoiler alert: not well) and about Consistency in game design.As always: please share, drop in comments and let me know your thoughts/suggestions for future topics.#videogames #qa #gamequality #autism #adhd #audhd #qaudhd #ux #sick #consistency

This week we're discussing the complex nature of "truth", especially when it comes to being honest about ourselves. Following that, we go through how to test our next UX Design Principle: Perceptibility.As always: please share, drop in comments and let me know your thoughts/suggestions for future topics.#videogames #qa #gamequality #autism #adhd #audhd #qaudhd #ux #truth #perceptibility

This week we're talking about climbing corporate ladders and testing our next UX Design princuple - Mapping!As always: please share, drop in comments and let me know your thoughts/suggestions for future topics.#videogames #qa #gamequality #autism #adhd #audhd #qaudhd #ux

This week I'm debunking terrible medical advice, defending my own existence and talking about the three steps to effectively asses Signifiers in your game.As always: please share, drop in comments and let me know your thoughts/suggestions for future topics.#videogames #qa #gamequality #autism #adhd #audhd #qaudhd #ux #tylenol

This week I complain about neurotypicals and ex-girlfriends, then talk about how test teams can assess a game for it's Simplicity.As always: please share, drop in comments and let me know your thoughts/suggestions for future topics.#videogames #qa #gamequality #autism #adhd #audhd #qaudhd #ux

It was only after everything was uploaded and scheduled that I realised I should instead have gone with the Creed line "I'm having a little trouble motivating..." for the title of this week's QAuDHD.Oh well!This week we're talking about how to test Discoverability in your game, and also chatting a bit about self-motivation and (shudders) homework!As always: please share, drop in comments and let me know your thoughts/suggestions for future topics.#videogames #qa #gamequality #autism #adhd #audhd #qaudhd #ux #homework

And we've finally reached the end of Part 1 for this mini series on UX Design, as we cover off the final design principal before taking a look at how to test against each of them.Our other topic this week centres around how to keep in touch with your team at work, either as a group or individually.As always: please share, drop in comments and let me know your thoughts/suggestions for future topics.#videogames #qa #gamequality #autism #adhd #audhd #qaudhd #ux

Sorry everyone! The last couple of weeks have been understandably hectic, but I managed to find some head space (somehow) to get things going again.This week I'm talking about processing change (or not) and covering the penultimate two UX design principles in our current mini-series.As always: please share, drop in comments and let me know your thoughts/suggestions for future topics.#videogames #qa #gamequality #autism #adhd #audhd #qaudhd #ux

We're nearly at the end of this short series of deep-dives into some core UX design principles, but fear not - that just means we can start talking about how to test them soon!I also talk about the concept of fairness, why it's so important, and why it's so frustratingly illusive, especially for us neurodivergent folks.As always: please share, drop in comments and let me know your thoughts/suggestions for future topics.#videogames #qa #gamequality #autism #adhd #audhd #qaudhd #disabilitypride #ux

Disability Pride Month ends this week! Today I'm despairing at some estimates and results from various experts and researchers around ADHD, then covering two more UX design principles.As always: please share, drop in comments and let me know your thoughts/suggestions for future topics.#videogames #qa #gamequality #autism #adhd #audhd #qaudhd #disabilitypride #ux

Disability Pride Month continues! Two days ago was #ImpactDay and I've been over the moon with the response to my talk. In case you missed it and just can't get enough of me rambling on about things, please check it out here:https://lnkd.in/eJVwzENVThis week, I ramble more about turning disavantage into advantage, and cover two more UX Design principles!As always: please share, drop in comments and let me know your thoughts/suggestions for future topics.#videogames #qa #gamequality #autism #adhd #audhd #qaudhd #disabilitypride #ux

It's still Disability Pride Month (all month, in fact - weird), so this week I'm talking "pride"... and how difficult that is for me in general.Fair warning, I do my best to give myself a little shout-out for my achievements in the industry so far, so apologies if this is cringeworthy.But I also continue going through some core design principles as I build towards the "and how to test them" part.As always: please share, drop in comments and let me know your thoughts/suggestions for future topics.#videogames #qa #gamequality #autism #adhd #audhd #qaudhd #disabilitypride

Happy Disability Pride Month!It can often feel like a difficult thing to be "proud" of, especially when it generally causes you so much pain and you're so often made to feel like a burden.This week I talk about my "imposter syndrome" when it comes to the disability community, as well as differet models of disability and how UX desgin and accessibility can work together to remove some common barriers.As always: please share, drop in comments and let me know your thoughts/suggestions for future topics.#videogames #qa #gamequality #autism #adhd #audhd #qaudhd #disabilitypride

It's exam season - even for me! So I'm wishing good luck to everyone taking, or waiting on the restults of, any exam of any kind.On that subject, this week I talk about how much I generally hate taking exams, why "exam craft" is so ridiculous and why going beyond the test as written is so important in QA.As always: please share, drop in comments and let me know your thoughts/suggestions for future topics.#videogames #qa #gamequality #autism #adhd #audhd #qaudhd #exams

How 'bout that weather we're having eh? Everyone enjoying the unbearable heat?!That's right, this week I'm doing the most British thing I can possible do - complain about nice weather!I also talk a bit about how teaching others is such a great way to further develop your own understanding of a topic.Oh and it's hot... so very hot.As always: please share, drop in comments and let me know your thoughts/suggestions for future topics.#videogames #qa #gamequality #autism #adhd #audhd #qaudhd #teaching #melting

Today I'm celebrating Father's Day (albeint a little late) with some insights into my own experiences as a dad, a little window into how my diagnosis came about, and what it's liking bringing a new life into the world... of game quality.As always: please share, drop in comments and let me know your thoughts/suggestions for future topics.#videogames #qa #gamequality #autism #adhd #audhd #qaudhd #fathersday #shamelessplug

Today I wanted to share a revalation I had during a meeting at work last week and try to put an end to those situations where work stalls because it isn't clear who is meant to be doing what.As always: please share, drop in comments and let me know your thoughts/suggestions for future topics.#videogames #qa #gamequality #autism #adhd #audhd #qaudhd #perfection #doomsdaydevice

Happy Pride Month!This week I'm talking a bit more about how the language we use can further the cause of marginalisation within the neurodivergent community, and about bug workflows (no link, just two hopefully useful topics).I leave you with an additional thought: if your argument against EDI is that you're afraid someone will take your job because they're part of a margianalised community, then what you're really saying is that you don't think you're very good at your job and only got it because you're NOT part of that community. Have fun unravelling that!As always: please share, drop in comments and let me know your thoughts/suggestions for future topics.#videogames #qa #gamequality #autism #adhd #audhd #qaudhd

What's in a name? Well, it turns out, quite a lot!This week, I break down why ADHD could do with a rebrand and also talk about the exciting launch of the GameQuality Academy and new certification programme!As always: please share, drop in comments and let me know your thoughts/suggestions for future topics.#videogames #qa #gamequality #autism #adhd #audhd #qaudhd #namesP.S Here's the link for more information about the GQ Academy launch!https://gamequality.org/academy-pre-launch/

We are now officially into Season 2 of QAuDHD!I finished last season on a two-part-er cliffhanger about test cases, so this week let's finish off that little section while also talking about the downsides of the neurodivergent ability to think "outside the box".As always: please share, drop in comments and let me know your thoughts/suggestions for future topics.#videogames #qa #gamequality #autism #adhd #audhd #qaudhd #testcases

Can you believe it's been one whole year since I started QAuDHD? Me neither. I mean I knew I could ramble on about my special interests until the cows come home, but how I've not run out of topics, I don't know.Anyway, this week I'm talking scripts: both social and for testing.As always: please share, drop in comments and let me know your thoughts/suggestions for future topics.#videogames #qa #gamequality #autism #adhd #audhd #qaudhd #flurps

This week I'm talking self-deprecating humour, clowning around at school and the next stage of human evolution (just as a light topic to finish us off). Then I dive into the emerging role of Accessibility QA within games!As always: please share, drop in comments and let me know your thoughts/suggestions for future topics.#videogames #qa #gamequality #autism #adhd #audhd #qaudhd #aqa #classclown

And we're back! Back again. DJ's back. Tell a friend (OK I'll stop).This week we're back to our double-topic format, with some scientific justification for constantly re-watching the same shows on Netflix and a few tips on ensuring a positive initial experience for players of your games!As always: please share, drop in comments and let me know your thoughts/suggestions for future topics.#videogames #qa #gamequality #autism #adhd #audhd #qaudhd #tutorials

SEX!Now that I've got your attention, this week marks a half century of QAuDHD episodes/issues (I know it says 49, but ignore that), so I'm doing a special episode all about... well sex, actually. Just not sex in that sense. Unless you've been living under a rock this past week, I'm sure you can figure out what I mean, and either way - the best way to find out is to read/listen!As always: please share, drop in comments and let me know your thoughts/suggestions for future topics.#videogames #qa #gamequality #autism #adhd #audhd #qaudhd #transwomenarewomen #ally

This week I'll be talking once again about allyship, especially in the wake of recent events in games and the world of entertainment as a whole. I'll also be giving a brief explanation of how to utilise your quality teams as part of any post-launch support efforts for your games!As always: please share, drop in comments and let me know your thoughts/suggestions for future topics.#videogames #qa #gamequality #autism #adhd #audhd #qaudhd #gaas #dei #ally

Happy (belated) World Autism Awareness Day! This week I talk a bit about a show that's doing amazing things for Autism Awareness (at least in my opinion) and I also cover off some of the less obvious stumbling blocks that can affect game submissions for console release.As always: please share, drop in comments and let me know your thoughts/suggestions for future topics.#videogames #qa #gamequality #autism #adhd #audhd #qaudhd #waad #somebodyfeedphil #loveonthespectrum