Aeolienne

This article mentions Specialisterne, Aspiritech and ULTRA Testing: "Autism Without Fear: Don’t Get TOO Excited About Autism Employment Initiatives" http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-john-carley/autism-without-fear-dont-_2_b_9365380.html

Further to my last post, I should clarify that Asperger's has been dropped from DSM-IV (or V, or wherever we are now) but not from ICD10 (the British equivalent).

I wish I could make my path come to me. It's been nearly eight years now.

I don't know whether the film X + Y (the one based on the true story of an autistic teenager participating in the International Mathematical Olympiad) has been mentioned on these forums already - it's impossible to search on the name. Anyways, there's a screening next Sunday (2 April) in Oxford: 17:30 - 20:00 at the Ultimate Picture Palace, Jeune Street, OX4 1BN. http://www.uppcinema.com Part of the "Brain Diaries" exhibition and event programme: http://www.braindiaries.org

A story of two brothers, 1 family, goodies, baddies and autism. Follow Jack Bray - a young man with severe autism - through the imaginary world he creates in his back garden. Based on his TRUE story, come with Jack’s brother, Lewis & fight inner demons, famous cartoon characters & a whole heap of baddies to stop ‘Mayor Sharp’ from taking over Cartoonopolis and killing creativity once and for all… After watching cartoons as a young boy, Jack found that they provided him with a gateway into communication and now, as a young adult he has created his own imaginary world: Cartoonopolis. Follow a host of well-known characters as well as some created in Jack’s imagination - like the evil Mayor Sharp - on an adventure to save the city! Told alongside this theatrical fantasy world is a real story about living with Jack and his autism… Of how, with his Mum and Dad, we see the family’s highs and lows and their ability to pull together through adversity. Lewis Bray is an emerging actor and writer. This is his first play performed by himself to outstanding reviews as part of Liverpool Everyman Playhouse Ignition Project and now touring. http://www.derbylive.co.uk/whats-on/cartoonopolis

Recently opened in Grassmoor nr Chesterfield in Derbyshire... http://www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk/news/video-cat-cafe-is-the-purr-fect-place-to-unwind-1-8422025

According to the latest DSM, none. Traditionally the distinction comes down to whether there was a delay in learning to speak: yes for HFA, no for Asperger's.

For my part, I’ve never attempted to claim ESA, but someone I spoke to the other day seemed to think it would be better for me than JSA (assuming I’d be eligible for either). I’m not eligible for income-based JSA because I own a property I’m not living in. My eligibility for contribution-based JSA depends on my NI contributions between 06/04/14 and 05/04/16, but I was only in employment for five months during all this time. I’ve never applied for DLA/PIP because I can (for instance) cook a meal and travel independently by public transport.

OTOH, the Israeli army has launched a recruitment drive for autistic people. Makes a change from software testing, I guess. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-39106200

I managed to speak to someone today. At the moment they're only taking referrals from Southampton residents.

Has anyone had any dealings with these people? This employability assessment service sounds impressive. I rang them just now but no-one answered the phone - perhaps the staff are on reading week. http://www.port.ac.uk/department-of-psychology/facilities/autism-centre-for-research-on-employment/

What about Trabants?

And in Brazil: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-39003786

Those kids must consume an awful lot of sweets. I hope the school has an onsite dental surgery!

Interesting article from Scientific American: Winston Churchill, Astrobiologist https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/winston-churchill-astrobiologist/

A friend has suggested that I contact the autism research peeps at Birmingham University on the offchance that one of their projects might help me find a way forward, i.e. to that ever-elusive proper job (see the latest twist in my tale of woes). I've had a look at the course website but I don't see any call for participants/volunteers. Is this a long shot?

The National Autistic Society is running a two-day course on 'Understanding the Workplace' for autistic women. Various dates are available, all at their London HQ in Islington (around the corner from Angel tube station). I've booked for March. More information

Did that come to anything? The Indiegogo page says that the crowdfunding target was not met. https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/empower-individuals-with-autism-through-coding#/

I had bad acne at a similar age and got put onto Roaccutane (Isotretinoin). This did the trick, although I was still scarred for a few years afterwards. You can only get the drug from a dermatologist.

Ernst & Young have come over all inclusive now - they have scrapped the minimum entrance requirement of a II.i and they "prevent interviewers from asking about relevant experience", apparently. More from the Grauniad

Too bad their remit doesn't include Warwickshire.

Has anyone here used the app Anki? I've downloaded the Android version to my phone but as it doesn't come with any instructions I'm unsure what to do with it.

With the recent news that my contract will not be extended beyond mid-March (more information here: http://www.asd-forum.org.uk/forum/index.php?/topic/30575-bbc-project-aspergers-and-employment/?p=353556) I now face the prospect of looking for work again. I was tipped off about an agency that could support me looking for jobs in the Warwickshire area. Just to clarify, I am not from this area originally (see my intro thread http://www.asd-forum.org.uk/forum/index.php?/topic/26315-hello-from-aeolienne for a partial bio) but I would prefer to stay around for a bit. I know it's important to be geographically flexible, but OTOH it's so bl00dy expensive to move for each job, especially with my track record of long gaps in between. Anyways, I was given a leaflet about WEST (Warwickshire Employment Support Team) which describes it as "a county-wide service for people with a learning disability or who are on the Autistic Spectrum [sic], who want to work and who meet the criteria for Fair Access to Care Services." It also said, under "Eligibility for a Service", that "Customers must have been assessed by a Social Worker [sic]", although the person who gave me a leaflet said that the mere fact that I had a medical diagnosis of Asperger's would be enough. So I gave WEST a call and spoke to someone who said that they usually deal with referrals from social services but there's some other scheme that would enable me to be referred directly, or something like that. They should get back to me by next week. I then had a look at WEST's website http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/west, which only mentions learning disability, not the autistic spectrum. How helpful is it likely to be?

Unfortunately it hasn't worked out in the way I'd hoped. The TV crew were a bit disingenuous (quelle surprise) in that they got me to talk to camera about what having a proper job would mean to me, but that was before it was revealed that the job was actually going to be a three-month placement as an agency worker at National Grid. I pointed out that I would be unlikely to find somewhere to rent in the Warwick travel-to-work area for less than six months, so with a stroke of a pen the company extended the initial contract to six months, i.e. from March to September 2016. This was later extended for a further six months, albeit still as an agency worker, with the proviso that if I displayed sufficient analytical skills (I was given a project to showcase them) I would be upgraded to a permanent member of the team. Unfortunately I didn't and I wasn't. So much for the happy ending.

Autism: Challenging Behaviour. Available on the iPlayer for another week.