Saturday, April 16, 2011

AUTISM AMBASSADORS CORPS’ GOAL #2: Providing the general public with a complete and current understand of autism

 a.    Autistics on Autism Conferences: There are numerous conferences on autism held every year.  However, the bulk of the speaking at these conferences are done by researchers and educational professionals.  A few of these conferences allow autistics to make some contributions while many others never a lot any stage time autistics at all.  It is the view of many autistics, myself included, that some (although not all) of these professionals come across as placing little or no value on the insights that autistics have about themselves.  The purpose of these Autistics on Autism Conferences is to give us a chance to contribute more to the discussion about ourselves and our fellow autistics.  We are not saying that the professionals do not know anything; we are saying that we know some things about ourselves that are just as important.
Another problem that I have seen at these conferences is that the information given by the researchers is of little or no tangible benefit to the no-researchers in the audience.  Especially when they are talking about possible causes and potential cures for autism using terminology that no one but them can understand.  Therefore, the Autistics on Autism Conferences will endeavor to provide information to the audience that is both relevant and understandable.
b.    Autism Web Conferences: Similar to the Autistics on Autism Conferences, except they would be done over the internet.  A web conferencing program would be used in order to enable audience participation.
 c.    Special presentations to professional training, networking, religious and social groups: There are many groups that are bound to come across autistics.  They may not feel the need to attend an all day conference, but they might be willing to hear an abbreviated presentation that is most reverent to them.  There are also teachers and medical professionals that are required to attend in-services to make sure that their knowledge stay up to date.  We would be more than happy to play a role in such in-services, even if we are not the main presenters.
d.    Promotional Videos: Provides information about autism, as well as were the Autism Ambassadors Corps stands on various autism related subjects.

No comments:

Post a Comment