Aurora Autistic Consulting

A huge week again with so much work, connecting, learning, and amazing to collaborate with such good friends too.

Oh my goodness, what a fun day I had on Wednesday last week! I had the absolute pleasure of travelling down to Edinburgh to speak with the incredibly lovely folks at Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society about Autism, neurodiversity, accessibility, and how very important Autistic Pride is. It was fab to take a look at how Autistic Pride in Aberdeen has developed over the years, and challenge stereotypes. I was incredibly impressed at how engaged and curious the group were, some fantastic questions and a lot of laughs along the way. It was also great to share some copies of Autistics Unleashed, and loved seeing how enthusiastically the team took to stickers of Autistic Pride Aberdeen’s dragon mascot, Cal! As you can see, the feedback so far has been amazing, and big thanks to the attendee who described the session as “educational, enjoyable and entertaining" just as we were finishing up! #edfringe #autism #training #ActuallyAutistic #neurodiversity #neurodivergent #workplace #smallbusiness #livedexperience

I was recently asked a question, and I wanted to share my response with you all. The question was: What should an employer do when an Autistic employee shows behaviour that is incompatible with the general public? Ooft. There’s a lot to unpack here. First off, what are these behaviours, and what makes them incompatible? It is so important to remember that what is incompatible in one culture may not be so in another, so whose cultural standards are we referring to? Autistic culture does not demand, for example, eye contact the way many cultures do. But we are far from alone in this, many other cultures regard eye contact negatively in many circumstances. Autistic culture doesn’t require small talk which seems so highly prized to many cultures. Again, we are not alone in this, other cultures feel the same. Shaking hands is not a universal greeting either, and can be very uncomfortable for many Autistic people. Yet these things are frequently cited as problematic behaviours. So, what exactly is it that is incompatible? And are we so very, very, very sure it’s not just a cultural expectation? Has the line manager actually spoken with the Autistic staff member to see how they feel about these things, or what they want to happen next? If the “behaviour” is related to being Autistic, then supporting the general public to be more understanding is a move to consider. A few weeks ago many of us shared an amazing post by Sushi Inverness who showed brilliant allyship by advising customers they have neurodivergent staff so please stop giving low reviews for social differences. Whether or not we look at someone’s eyeballs doesn’t change how good the food tastes! A handshake doesn’t increase the quality of our work. And small talking about the weather might just be exhausting to us. Normalising these differences not only supports Autistic and otherwise ND staff, it supports staff from different cultures. It also validates your customers who may present differently too. The more allies stand up and advocate rather than redeploy or let employees go, the faster things will change for the better. If your organisation would like to better support your Autistic staff and clients, email us at [email protected] for a free initial consultation #AutisticCulture #autism #autistic #neurodiversity #neurodivergent #AutisticAtWork #employment #employee

So many places are recognising that having quiet accessible spaces are important. This is a good thing! But their execution often leaves a lot to be desired. I spent 3 hours in a “quiet space” last week while on call and here is a realtime exploration of what that was like, why it was so awful, and what we can do better. If your organisation would like support to develop a truly accessible quiet space, email [email protected] to arrange an initial consultation. #accessibility #autism #autistic #neurodivergent #quietspace

I said at the start of the week it was going to be a busy one - that was an understatement! This week at Aurora HQ included: Attending an event celebrating 25 years of the Scottish Parliament with the lovely folks at GREC. I had the pleasure of a couple fab chats with Maggie Chapman and Audrey Nicoll MSP. Fab to meet the awesome Edward Obi Chartered FCIPD, MIRP, TechIOSH too, a real pleasure! Delivering an incredibly powerful session on elopements, meltdowns, and shutdowns for the lovely folks at The Autistic Collective. I am still reeling from the amazing feedback we received. Helping plan for the Scot Parliament Cross Party Group for Autism’s AGM as part of my role on the secretariat representing a collective of Autistic People’s Organisations across Scotland. I had the absolute pleasure of feeding into the amazing Jade Farrington MSc, MNCPS Acc. Community Guide to a Happy Neurodivergent Christmas. And last night I travelled home after spending two days in Glasgow for work. As ever the trusty travel Porg, Morpheus kept me company in the hotel. And I am so looking forward to our webinar on Autistic Sensory Experiences, making a big old list of things that can help make the festive season more accessible and enjoyable for all to include in it. On a personal note, I was thrilled to meet up with an incredibly dear friend who joined me for dinner at the amazing Mosob in Glasgow. I have asked if they are open to opening a restaurant in Aberdeen. I would be there a lot! Their vegan platter (in the pics) was delicious! Brilliant to see such enthusiastic staff who love their food and take such love and care preparing it. Unbeatable! So I’m very glad take a few days off to spend lots of time with my family, catch up on some hobbies, and enjoy some board games and movies! And sleep. I am going to sleep! ?? #ScottishParliament #training #webinar #planning #watchthisspace #sensory #sensoryprocessing #Glasgow #APO #DPO #autism #autistic #neurodivergent #neurodiversity

"I thought the content was exceptional in it's relevance and delivery: a deeply personal and emotive topic, which was handled incredibly sensitively. Thank you." My heart welled when I got this piece of feedback from yesterday’s amazing session with my good pals at The Autistic Collective CIC - East Renfrewshire looking at elopements, meltdowns, and shutdowns. I absolutely loved the support and community the attendees showed with each other. A real pleasure and a privilege. As a trainer I try to craft my sessions extremely carefully so they flow smoothly and are jam packed with up to date, relevant information. I don’t shy away from the Big Topics, and the aim is always to empower people with ideas, approaches, and strategies they can take away and try themselves. I can’t wait for our next session on Autistic Mental Health. If your organisation would like to speak with Aurora about arranging training, drop me a line at [email protected] #feedback #training #webinar #smallbusiness #SmallBusinessBigDreams #autism #autistic #ActuallyAutistic #AutisticBusiness #neurodivergent #neurodiversity #neuroaffirming

Why is it so hard to reach the point for so many Autistic folks? A few days ago I posted about having to go back and add in the social niceties into emails. It sparked a conversation about the length of emails and why it’s so hard to reach the point when we are communicating. In my case I think it’s often linked to the thousands of miscommunications I’ve experienced where I was blamed for not understanding. So in response, I’ll give you all the context, background info, everything you need to understand my point as clearly as I do and avoid confusion. So if it takes us a wee while to get there, be patient and please bear in mind we are doing our best to communicate as clearly as possible and enjoy the detour! #autism #autistic #actuallyautistic #neurodiversity #neurodivergent #communication

I am so excited to share Aurora’s next webinar on Making Sense of Autistic Sensory Experiences! Date: Thursday 28th November Time: 5:30-7:30 pm Cost: ￡10 for general admission, ￡15 for general admission plus access to a recording for 1 month We will be looking at: ?? How Autistic people process sensory information ?? What that feels like in practice ?? Practical ideas for supporting sensory needs, including during the festive period ?? Q&A This event is open to anyone with an interest in Autism including Autistic people, family, carers, and professionals. Feedback from our last webinar included: “Excellent and informative session” “Very good, very reassuring and affirming” Got any questions? Let me know! Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/e2MJenZe #webinar #event #Autism #Autistic #ActuallyAutistic #sensory #neurodivergent #neurodiversity #festiveperiod #neuroaffirming

“How are you?” 3 words that leave me confused every time. I now know the expected answer is “fine thanks, how are you?”, especially when it’s a “meet in the street or supermarket and we are both gonna keep walking” type situation. But what if that’s not true? What if I am super happy but worry that might overwhelm the other person as it’s overwhelming me a little? What if I am feeling really down? What is some areas of my life are absolutely rocking and others are really difficult? What if work is great but my partner is struggling with their health? Or if my home life is bliss and work is tricky? What if I don’t want to answer this question fully but don’t want to be inauthentic? Recently I’ve started answering that question with, “I’m really not sure how to answer that but I am happy to see you!” When I am happy to see them of course! Sometimes I’ll reply that it’s a complicated answer but then lead with an aspect of my life that is going well. Or not so well if it’s someone I trust. How do you answer when someone asks how you are? #autism #autistic #communication #howareyou #autisticcommunication #smalltalk

During a meeting some time ago, the organisation I was speaking with told me they don’t use the word “disability”. This, of course, led to an interesting discussion about why they didn’t – they didn’t want to stigmatise people. And this then led to further discussion about why we need to use the word disability. I will start by saying that every Autistic person has the absolute right to decide whether or not they identify as disabled. Autism is a protected characteristic and we are entitled to reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010, and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Avoiding using a word to describe any marginalised community to avoid stigma actually achieves the opposite. It increases the stigma. And often leads to those who are part of that community to feel ashamed of that part of their identity. One of the best ways to destigmatise disability is to talk openly about why it can be ok to be disabled. Disability is one of life’s experiences that any one of us could experience. Even if you don’t become disabled yourself, chances are someone you know or even love may become disabled one day. Eliminating the stigma helps everyone. Talking about it at a young age means disabled kids can grow up knowing we are disabled by society, and learn how to advocate for reasonable adjustments. This could be adjusted lighting, using accessible toilets, using different entrances and exits from colleagues and fellow students. Taking about it means we can feel better about applying for Adult Disability Payment, getting concessionary entry into attractions, and giving ourselves permission to set our own boundaries that match our needs. We can reach out to the disability community, charities, and other organisations for support. Talking about disability as a society means we can strive towards disabled people being seen and treated with equity. I am both physically disabled and Autistic. I have innate value as a human being just as all human beings do. Disability is not a bad word, and it’s essential we destigmatise disabled experiences. If your organisation would like support destigmatising disability, email Aurora at [email protected] #disability #inclusion #equity #justice #autism #autistic #actuallyautistic #reasonableadjustments #EqualityAct2010 #UNCRPD #stigma