Aeolienne

And more germane to the current situation: Grants Online / Coronavirus

I'm already on Facebook, LinkedIn, WhatsApp and Slack ... I can't handle any more social media!

I recently found this reading list which may be helpful: Essential autistic reading list - Lizzie Huxley-Jones

What's "speed friending"? Sounds like a contradiction in terms.

Tuesday 1 September at 09:00 on Radio 4; repeated at 21:30 Francesca Happé on autism The Life Scientific When Francesca Happé started out as a research psychologist thirty years ago, she thought she could easily find out all there was to know about autism – and perhaps that wouldn’t have been impossible as there were so few papers published on it. Francesca’s studies have increased our knowledge of how people with autism experience the world around them, and their social interactions. She’s looked at their brains using various imaging techniques, studied the families of people with autism to explore their genetics, and raised awareness of how the condition can appear differently in women than in men. Jim al-Khalili talks to Francesca, now Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience in London, about her research career and her current projects, including how people with autism experience mental health issues, such as PTSD.

I've been working full-time for the duration of the lockdown (my job was already set up for working for home). This I know makes me one of the more fortunate ones, but it has meant that I haven't enjoyed the massive increase in free time that other people are apparently experiencing. Nor have I got to know my neighbours any better. I live in a top floor flat and I don't even know how many other people are in the building. Physically I've been fine, apart from initially suffering sore hands from the frequent washing and (in the last month) somehow straining an abductor hip muscle which makes some yoga poses painful. In fact I've shed 4 kg. Amazing what a difference the absence of vending machines, colleagues' birthday cakes and samosa sales have made! My greatest achievement was to land two job offers last month: one for an internal promotion I'd been interviewed for back in mid-March (the last time I ever shook hands with anyone) and one with a different employer, an energy consultancy. I've decided to go for the latter. I'm still officially with my current employer until 29 June and am now using up my annual leave. Too bad there's not much I can do with it.

What about virtual meetups? That's all we're advised to do in the current circumstances.

I wouldn't rule out someone on the autistic spectrum being capable of being a TV chef. In fact, I could see how someone who struggles with social situations finding solace in the physicality of handling food and the rule-driven procedure of a recipe. Working in a noisy restaurant kitchen could be a challenge for someone with auditory sensitivities, but on the other hand some might find the blunt style of communication used by chefs easier than that used by office workers where you're expected to work out what people actually mean. That said, I don't think Jamie Oliver is autistic. Not simply because of how he comes across as a presenter, because as Chris Packham has showed it's possible to develop a separate persona as a performer. I just think we would surely have heard about it by now if he were. Given how open he's been about his dyslexia diagnosis, it would seem out of character to keep an autism diagnosis secret. Nor do I think it likely that he would be autistic and unaware of it, because he would surely have learnt about it via his children. Although there wasn't as much awareness of autism when he received his dyslexia diagnosis in the 90s, I'm sure he would quick to notice if any of his children (how many does he have? 4? 5?) were dyslexic and be rooting for them to get all the assessments they need, including all associated conditions.

In addition to the Meetup groups I have already mentioned there is the Autism One on One group which meets on the second Wednesday of every month between 18:30 and 20:30 at the Kenilworth Sports & Social Club. Apparently they've been in existence since before I moved to the area, but they only advertise their presence on Facebook and are not included in the NAS directory.

Or this little gem from Host Unusual: Kudhva George "Amazing Spaces" Clarke would approve of this.

Alex from the last series talks about his Undateables experience from 10 minutes in...

(Not written by me) Autism to ADHD: thinking differently about recruitment Despite having much to offer, neurodiverse people can struggle to land a job. Some firms are now looking at new ways to tap into their talents By Georgina Fuller Mon 3 Feb 2020 The term “diversity and inclusion” has become ubiquitous in the corporate world yet neurodiverse people – those with autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyspraxia or dyslexia – are often overlooked. One in seven people are "neurodivergent", according to ACAS. Despite this, a recent study by the CIPD found that seven in 10 businesses ignored their own neurodiversity policy. Neurodiverse people can, however, often bring a dazzling array of skills and an alternative perspective to the workplace. Those with ADHD, for example, could have the ability to “hyper focus” and excel when working to tight deadlines. People with autistic spectrum disorder may have the ability to concentrate for long periods of time and be supremely reliable. And those with dyslexia might have strong verbal skills. Some employers have realised that standard recruitment methods, such as panel interviews, might not work as well for neurodiverse people: Ernst and Young, BT and Siemens all have programmes for neurodivergent employees. Consumer goods giant P&G has recently launched an apprenticeship programme in conjunction with the National Autistic Society (NAS) for its innovation sector. Emma O’Leary, who oversees the programme, says: “To attract different thinkers, your approach needs to be different. The traditional method of verbal-based interviews is very limiting if social communication is a challenge.” While the programme focuses on those with autism, P&G encourages anyone with a neurodivergent condition to apply. “So far, between the UK and Boston, P&G have had more than 50 people attend the assessment day, and 11 employees progressing on to internships,” O’Leary says. Liz Johnson, co-founder of The Ability People, a disability inclusion consultancy, says there are a number of measures employers can take to make apprenticeship schemes more accessible. “They include: training interviewers to allow neurodiverse candidates to perform at their best; eliminating jargon in job descriptions; explicitly stating you welcome neurodiverse candidates; and completing desk assessments for new joiners, so they don’t experience sensory overload.” Having a more neurodiverse workforce can help employers reflect the different needs and outlooks of their customers, Johnson adds. “The extra insight they gain will help them adapt their products so they best serve the needs of their whole customer base.” Emma Kearns, head of Enterprise and Employment at the NAS points out that only 16% of autistic people are currently estimated to be in full-time employment. “Most autistic people are desperate to find a job that reflects their talents but the recruitment process, with unpredictable questions, is often a huge barrier.” Ultimately, says Johnson, employers need to realise that failing to recruit and include neurodiverse people can mean missing out on new ways of thinking and untapped talent. “And in the incredibly competitive world of business this isn’t something any company can afford to miss out on.” Source: Guardian

Check her out at the Made by Dyslexia conference - 2 hours 34 minutes in...

Did you make it? "I moved from Scotland to Berlin to bake"

IMVHO I don't see what the point of the upside-down goggles is at all. And for the record, I am much more comfortable with written communication than with engaging and working with other people. Shame there's no special software to help with the latter.