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Found 49 results

  1. www.awares.org/conferences We are delighted to announce that the latest in our series of monthly one-day online autism conferences is with Anna Kennedy. Join us next Monday (March 17, 2014) to put your questions directly online to Anna, who is a leading British autism campaigner, lobbyist, author and mother of two children on the spectrum. Register right now in the Awares Conference Centre (www.awares.org/conferences) Teesside University Honorary Graduate Anna Kennedy OBE is the mother of two boys, Patrick and Angelo, who are both affected by autism. In 1999, having been turned away by no fewer than 26 special needs schools when searching for appropriate educational facilities for her sons, she decided to take matters into her own hands and remortgaged her home to transform a derelict council building in Middlesex, West London into Hillingdon Manor School. The school, which is now a centre of excellence for children and young adults with autism, has earned considerable recognition for its outstanding work and early in its life caught the imagination of Esther Rantzen who is now Hillingdon Manor's patron. In 2008, Anna co-authored her best-selling biography 'Not Stupid' which poignantly portrayed her struggle to find appropriate provision for her boys - a story which will be familiar to many parents who feel they could not get what they felt their children needed from the local education authority. Anna's story appeared as an hour long BBC 'pick of the day' Video Diary documentary and her story has been featured in numerous magazines and newspapers, including the Times Educational Supplement, The Times, The Observer, The Guardian, The Daily Mirror and The Daily Mail. Anna is regularly invited to speak at conferences on the subject of autism and has also taken part in many high profile TV talk shows, debates and news programmes. Recently, Anna met with the Department of Health to share results of their charities survey on autism diagnosis. Anna will share these results and feedback at her presentation in April at the University. In 2008, she merged her school with Hillcrest Autism Services to gain access to greater resources to continue her work. Anna went on to win 'Woman of the Year' in 2009, an award run in conjunction with The Observer newspaper and during the same year was also the recipient of the coveted Institute of Directors (IOD) Chairman's special award for outstanding contribution to the community. Samantha Cameron named her the Daily Mail's most Inspirational Woman of the Year 2010 and most recently Tesco Mum of the Year 2013. In November 2013, Anna, who is from Middlesbrough, received an Honorary Doctor in Professional Achievement from the University. For further details about this and all other Awares online conferences - hosted by Autism Cymru, Wales's pioneering national charity for autism and run by myself, Adam Feinstein - please contact me at: adam@autismcymru.org Best wishes, Adam Feinstein
  2. www.awares.org/conferences Welcome to the third of a series of free online seminars from the Autism Research Policy Practice Hub (Autism RPP Hub) http://www.autismrpphub.org/ The presenter in this third free event is Professor Ann Le Couteur. Ann Le Couteur is the Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Newcastle University and an Honorary Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist for Northumberland, Tyne & Wear NHS Trust where she leads the North East Regional Complex Neurodevelopmental Disorders Service. Her clinical and research work has focused on understanding the aetiology, assessment, diagnosis, management and treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and other complex mental health disorders (such as Early Onset Bipolar Disorder) in children, young people, adults and their families/carers. Professor Le Couteur is one of the authors of Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) (1996,2003) and is an internationally recognised trainer for the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) Ann LeCouteur will be online at www.awares.org/conferences on February 5 and 19, 2014. The Autism RPP Hub is an open-access site that champions the use of research in policy and practice in the UK and beyond. It is sponsored by the Economic and Social Research Council and the Welsh Government .We are running this seminar in collaboration with the AWARES Conference Centre. You will also find a copy of the keynote paper on the Autism RPP Hub site as a 'Resource' at You will also find a copy of the keynote paper on the Autism RPP Hub site as a 'Resource' at http://www.autismrpphub.org/article-resource-categories/diagnostic-interview-tools-awares-online-conferences. Additionally, any abstracts/open access papers associated with the keynote paper will also be a 'Resource' on the Autism RPP Hub. Following on from the AWARES conference you can participate in a Discussion about each Diagnostic Interview Tool on the Autism RPP Hub athttp://www.autismrpphub.org/groups
  3. www.awares.org/conferences Dr Judith Gould - colleague of Dr Lorna Wing - is online today and tomorrow (January 9 and 10) to answer all your autism-related questions. This is a free event. Please register right now at www.awares.org/conferences Best wishes, Adam Feinstein
  4. www.awares.org/conferences Just to let you know about Autism2013, which is now open at www.awares.org/conferences and will run from December 2 until midnight (UK time) on Friday, December 6, 2013, twenty-four hours a day. Please take advantage of this unprecedented chance to put your questions directly to many of the world's leading autism authorities - as well as individuals on the autism spectrum - and to read their papers. This is the ninth, week-long international online autism conference to be held within the AWARES conference centre. The conference is run, as every year, by myself - Adam Feinstein, Editor of Awares - and hosted by Autism Cymru, Wales' pioneering National Charity for Autism. The outstanding speaker list includes: Professor Simon Baron-Cohen, Donna Williams, Dr Wendy Lawson, Dr Darold Treffert and Dr Manuel Casanova. Please let your friends, colleagues and networks know about this exciting event, which Professor Simon Baron-Cohen has called 'the finest online conference on the planet'. Best wishes, Adam Feinstein
  5. www.awares.org/conferences I am thrilled to announce that Donna Williams - one of the world's most celebrated women on the autism spectrum - will be online all day on Friday, September 20, 2013 to answer your questions. Her thought-provoking paper on 'Autism and dissociative processes' is available to read right now at www.awares.org/conferences as soon as you register on the conference site. You can also, of course, exchange views with one another in the forum before Donna logs on. The online conference is open to everyone, so please do let your friends, colleagues and networks know about this exciting event, which is part of a series of prestigious monthly online conferences run by Autism Cymru, Wales' pioneering national charity for autism. Born in Australia in 1963, Donna Williams was eventually diagnosed as autistic in her twenties. A year after her diagnosis, her international bestseller, Nobody Nowhere, was published which she followed over the years with three sequels, Somebody Somewhere, Like Colour To The Blind and Everyday Heaven. She went on to become an international public speaker and to write four textbooks: Autism: An Inside-Out Approach, Autism and Sensing: The Unlost Instinct, Exposure Anxiety; The Invisible Cage and The Jumbled Jigsaw as well as having a book of poetry and prose published in 2004 called Not Just Anything. She is also an accomplished sculptor, painter and composer and runs her own website www.donnawilliams.net. Together with her husband, Chris Samuel, she helped create the world's first international on-line self-employment facility for people on the autistic spectrum at www.auties.org For further information about this and all other Awares online autism conferences, please contact me at: adam@autismcymru.org Best wishes, Adam Feinstein
  6. Hi all There is now a new Autism highland one stop shop in the highlands for adults 16 and over follow link on Facebook to Read more https://www.facebook.com/highlandonestopshop?fref=ts
  7. Hi, For the last few months I have been looking for part-time work to fit around an upcoming Uni course. I have taken the decision to tell any prospective employers that I have Asperger's Syndrome, because at my last job I didn't (because I hadn't been diagnosed then) and, long story short, I had to quit because of the stain the job put on me. I worked at a petrol filling station and, to be fair, the boss wasn't very good - but what also stressed me out was dealing with customers that I found difficult to read and understand as they often did silly, illogical things that often confused me. Right, that's enough context - what I am wondering is does anyone have an experience where they feel that they have been turned down for a job because of an ASD? I'm quite sure that my last boss wouldn't have employed me had she known I was autistic, as I think she wasn't intelligent enough to realise that it doesn't mean that you're a loony. I know that since the Equalities Act (2010) stipulated Asperger's Syndrome as an official disability that it is illegal for an employer to discriminate against someone with an ASD. However it can be covered up with excuses like "you're just not quite the candidate we're looking for" or what I seem to get: "the vacancy's been filled". It's hard enough that I struggle with Asperger's without bigoted middle managers scuppering my employment chances. Any shared experiences gratefully accepted. -Skaro7
  8. www.awares.org/conferences We are delighted to announce that the latest presenter in the series of monthly one-day online autism conferences on the Awares Conference Centre, run by Autism Cymru - Wales's pioneering national charity for autism - is Dr Connie Kasari. Connie's brilliant paper on education is available to read here right now once you register at www.awares.org/conferences and she herself will be online all day on Tuesday, July 23, 2013. Please feel free to put all your autism-related questions directly to Connie in the discussion forum on the site on July 23. You can also, of course, exchange views with one another in the forum before Connie logs on. I very much hope you enjoy the event! Simply click on the Discussion button and take advantage of this unique chance to connect directly with one of the great world authorities on educating children with autism. This online conference is open to everyone. Dr Connie Kasari is Professor in the Human Development and Psychology programme in UCLA's School of Education as well as Professor in the Division of Child Psychiatry. She has supervised the doctoral training of nearly 40 PhD students and the research of 15 post-doctoral fellows. Dr Kasari's research has focused on social and communicative development in typical and atypical children. She has many funded research projects involving the development of novel interventions for children with autism primarily using randomized controlled clinical trial designs. Her work is increasingly centred in school settings with a focus on under-served, under-represented, and under-resourced populations of children with autism. Prior to her appointment in Education, she was a post-doctoral fellow with Dr Marian Sigman, collaborating on a number of research studies on autism and Down syndrome. Dr Kasari received her doctorate in education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1985. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship in child development at UCLA prior to joining the UCLA faculty in 1990. For more information about this and all other Awares online conferences, please contact myself at: adam@autismcymru.org Best wishes, Adam Feinstein
  9. Professor Stephen Shore will be online all day this Thursday (June 27, 2013) to answer your autism-related questions www.awares.org/conferences We are thrilled to announce that the latest presenter in the prestigious series of one-day online autism conferences on Awares - run by Autism Cymru, Wales's pioneering national charity for autism - is Professor Stephen Shore. Stephen's insightful paper on bullying is available to read right now on the Awares Conference site (www.awares.org/conferences) and he himself will be online all day on Thursday, June 27, 2013 to answer your questions. Please register now at www.awares.org/conferences to take advantage of this unique opportunity. This online conference is open to all, so please let friends, colleagues and networks know about this exciting event. About Professor Stephen Shore: Diagnosed with 'Atypical Development and strong autistic tendencies' and 'too sick' for outpatient treatment, Professor Shore was recommended for institutionalisation. Non-verbal until four, and with much support from his parents, teachers, wife and others, Stephen is now a professor at Adelphi University in Long Island, New York, where his research focuses on matching best practice to the needs of people with autism. In addition to working with children and talking about life on the autism spectrum, Stephen presents and consults internationally on adult issues pertinent to education, relationships, employment, advocacy and disclosure as discussed in his books Beyond the Wall: Personal Experiences with Autism and Asperger Syndrome, Ask and Tell: Self-advocacy and Disclosure for People on the Autism Spectrum, the critically acclaimed Understanding Autism for Dummies, and the newly released DVD, Living along the Autism Spectrum: What it means to have Autism or Asperger Syndrome. President emeritus of the Asperger's Association of New England and former board member of the Autism Society, Dr Shore serves on the boards of the Asperger Syndrome and High-Functioning Autism Association, the Autism Services Association and other autism-related organisations. For more details about this and all other Awares online conferences, please contact myself at adam@autismcymru.org Best wishes, Adam Feinstein
  10. www.awares.org/conferences Liane Holliday Willey has just come online at www.awares.org/conferences to answer your autism-related questions and will stay online for the rest of today (Monday, May 20, 2013). Please register right now at www.awares.org/conferences to read Liane's paper immediately and to join in the discussion forum. This online conference is open to everyone, so please let your friends, colleagues and networks know about this exciting event. Dr Liane Holliday Willey, Ed.D. (www.aspie.com) is an inspirational speaker who helps her audience truly understand the importance of accepting people with differences. All her life, Liane knew she was different, but only after one of her family members was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome did Liane realise the reason behind her own differences; she too was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome. Liane spends much of her time working with horses at the equestrian facility she owns. Dr Willey has authored several internationally best-selling books all published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers, including Pretending to be Normal: Living with Asperger Syndrome (foreword by Tony Attwood), Asperger Syndrome in Adolescence: Living with the Ups, the Downs, and Things in Between, and Asperger Syndrome in the Family: Redefining Normal and Safety Skills for Asperger Women: How to Save a Perfectly Good Female Life. Liane has contributed to many additional books and journals, and is currently the senior editor for Autism Spectrum Quarterly. In addition to her numerous interviews on national and international television and radio, Liane's life story was an inspiration for the film Normal Folk, currently in pre-production, and the feature film, Adam, as well as the focus of the video Asperger Syndrome: Crossing the Bridge with Dr Tony Attwood. Liane believes the Asperger's syndrome community is a wonderfully rich world that is populated by some of the most interesting and incredible individuals on the planet and she is exceptionally proud to be a part of it.
  11. www.awares.org/conferences Put your autism-related questions directly to Dr Olga Bogdashina on March 27, 2013. And register right now at www.awares.org/conferences to read Olga's brilliant new paper on sensory issues. Olga Bogdashina MA Education (Autism), PhD (Linguistics) has worked extensively in the field of autism, as teacher, lecturer and researcher with particular interests in sensory perception, cognitive functioning, communication and language development in autism. Since 1994, she has been the Director of the first Day Centre for autistic children in Ukraine and the President of the Ukrainian Autism Society. She is Co-founder and Programme Leader and Lecturer at the International Autism Institute, KSPU. She has worked extensively in the field of autism as a teacher, lecturer and researcher. She is a visiting lecturer at universities in Europe, presents at national and international autism conferences and is an Autism Consultant for services for children and adults. Olga has written five books in English (some translated into nine languages), and two in Russian. Olga has an adult son (25) with autism and a daughter (22) with Asperger syndrome. We are delighted to welcome Olga on March 27 as the latest presenter in the series of monthly online autism conferences here at the Awares Conference Centre, run by Autism Cymru - Wales's pioneering national charity for autism. Register right now at www.awares.org/conferences and read Olga's paper right now. She herself will be online all day from 9am (UK time) on March 27 to answer your questions. Best wishes, Adam Feinstein
  12. www.awares.org/conferences Just a reminder that Charlotte Moore will be online later today (Wednesday, February 27, 2013) to answer your autism-related questions. Charlotte is the author of 'George And Sam', her acclaimed account of life with her autistic sons. She has also published four novels, four historical books for children and 'Hancox - A House And A Family', a social history based on a family archive. She is a freelance journalist and has written widely about autism, and has spoken on the subject at many meetings and conferences. She lives in East Sussex with her three sons. An updated edition of 'George And Sam' - including her 'Mind The Gap' columns originally written for The Guardian - is available in Penguin paperback. Register right now for this one-day conference at www.awares.org/conferences Charlotte's paper is on the conference site right now and she herself will be available to answer your questions all day from 9am (UK time) today. This conference is open to everyone, so please let your friends, colleagues and networks know about the event. This is the latest in the exciting series of one-day online autism conferences run by Autism Cymru, Wales's pioneering national charity for autism. Best wishes, Adam Feinstein
  13. www.awares.org/conferences We are delighted to welcome two of the world's leading autism authorities, Theo Peeters and Hilde De Clercq, all day from 9am (UK time) on December 17, 2012 - as the latest presenters in our exciting series of monthly online conferences here on the Awares Conference Centre. Theo and Hilde's papers are available to read immediately at www.awares.org/conferences once you have registered and they themselves will be online all day on December 17 to answer your questions. Please let your friends, colleagues and networks know about this exciting event. Register right now at www.awares.org/conferences and do not miss out on this unique opportunity. Theo Peeters graduated in Philosophy and Literature from the University of Louvain and gained his Masters in Neurolinguistics from the University of Brussels. He acquired a second Masters in Human Communication. from the University of London. He studied the psycho-educational approach to autism at the TEACCH headquarters, University of North Carolina, in the USA. In 1981, he founded the Opleidingscentrum Autisme (Centre for Training) in Antwerp. He was asked by the Belgium Ministry of Education to offer training to teachers and para-medical staff for the first official 'Experiment in Autism in Special Education' in 1985. He has been responsible with his colleagues for autism training in most European countries and also outside Europe (Chile, Peru, Colombia, Mexico, Argentina etc). He has published many articles and six books on autism in Dutch. A few have been translated into many different languages. The special focus of the Opleidingscentrum is on 'understanding autism from within' emphasising meaning and trying to understand autism through the eyes of people with autism. This ethical point of departure is symbolized by the iceberg philosophy'. After Hilde De Clercq had her son with autism, Thomas, she started work at the parents' society in Flanders as a trainer for parents. In 1994, she began work as a Parent-Professional (and Professional Parent) at the Opleidingscentrum (Centre for Training in Autism in Antwerp. She has been jointly responsible for practical and theoretical training in autism. She has worked at the Opleidingscentrum Autisme for almost 20 years and has both national and international experience as a speaker and trainer in autism. She gives conferences on several subjects, but mostly on 'Autism from Within', explaining the specific cognitive style of people with autism and its influence on all aspects of daily life. Other topics are communication, high-functioning people with autism and individuals with Asperger's syndrome, relationships and sexuality, autism as a specific culture, parent-professional collaboration, parent training, developing a 'plan for life' for people with autism, sensibilisation of society, etc. She has experience in including people with autism in her training. She has been involved in training and seminars in most European countries as well as outside Europe. Her book on detailed thinking ('lack of Central Coherence') in autism, Mum, is that a human being or an animal?, has been translated into English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Polish, Spanish, Danish, Swedish, Russian, Hungarian, Greek and Czech. Another book, Autism from Within: A Handbook, has been published in Dutch, English, Swedish , Spanish, Polish and Italian. A French version is expected by the beginning of 2013. This book describes the 'pervasive' characteristics of autism in all kinds of daily life situations: development of play, eating and sleeping problems, tidiness, self -help skills, development of communication, emotional development, sexuality and relationships. The book contains many practical tips for professionals and parents. She is an international Associate Editor of Good Autism Practice, edited by Glenys Jones and Hugh Morgan in partnership with the University of Birmingham (UK) and Wales's pioneering National Charity for Autism, Autism Cymru. For further details about this and all other Awares online autism conferences, please contact myself, Adam Feinstein, at: adam@autismcymru.org Best wishes, Adam Feinstein
  14. Just came across this. http://www.lgo.org.uk/news/2012/dec/buckinghamshire-cc-criticised-insufficient-education-boy-special-needs/ Buckinghamshire CC criticised over insufficient education for boy with special needs Date Published: 06/12/12 Buckinghamshire County Council did not provide enough education for a boy with special needs for over a year finds Local Government Ombudsman, Anne Seex. In her report, issued today, she says: "The boy received no education at all between February and May 2010, and then only a little over five hours a week until April 2011. There is no evidence that the Council ever tried to establish what education would be suitable for him and what he could cope with in his medical condition." She added: "The Council's position at the time seems to have been the Education Act 1996 requires only five hours tuition on medical grounds. This is wrong – as a child's health improves, the hours should normally be increased." Mr and Mrs A have looked after their 15-year-old grandson, Z, since he was seven years old. At 13, he stopped attending school because of anxiety related to autism. Z's GP referred him to the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS). CAMHS told the Council that Z was autistic and would be unable to cope in a mainstream school. CAMHS offered Z some education at an attached School Room, but it only had capacity to offer 5.5 hours of education per week. He received education there for almost a year. During this period, Mr and Mrs A had to take on the task of caring for him almost full time. Although the Council was aware from March 2010 that it was likely that Z had special educational needs, it did not use its powers to assess these. Nor did it tell Mrs A that she could ask for an assessment. Eventually she found out and requested one immediately. Z was assessed in November 2010 and found to need specialist education, but he did not start at a special school until April 2011. The Ombudsman found maladministration causing injustice because the Council failed to provide Z with suitable education between February 2010 and April 2011 and failed to fulfil its duties under the Education Act 1996. The Ombudsman recommends the Council to: create a fund equal to the cost of private tuition for the hours of education that Z lost, to be held for him until he is 21 and to be used to provide him with additional tuition, educational opportunities or equipment that an educational psychologist recommends would benefit him, but not for any provision to which he would be entitled as part of his statement of special educational needs, and apologise to Mr and Mrs A and pay them £2,000 in recognition of the impact its maladministration had on them. On behalf of the Council, the Chief Executive has indicated that it will agree to this remedy. Report ref no 10 010 281
  15. www.awares.org/conferences I am delighted to say that, by public request, Carol Gray - inventor of the celebrated Social Stories for autism - is returning tomorrow, Thursday (September 20, 2012) to reply to your questions again on the Awares conference site (www.awares.org/conferences) between 12 noon and 3pm UK time (7am and 10am US East Coast time). Don't miss this unique opportunity to put your questions to one of the world's great autism authorities. Register right now at www.awares.org/conferences to join the discussions and read Carol's brilliant paper. I will be keeping the discussion forums open all the way through until Thursday to allow delegates to exchange views with one another, before Carol comes back online. If you have any queries, please contact me at: adam@autismcymru.org Best wishes, Adam Feinstein
  16. Hello all, I am putting together an comprehensive, add free, website on all matters SEN. I have worked in the field for around 8 years; teaching, support and staff development. I would be interested to read any feedback you may have on the following topics: Autism: Asperger's Behavioural, Emotional and Social Difficulties (BESD) Any feedback gratefully received, Regards, Ben
  17. www.awares.org/conferences Carol Gray - inventor of the celebrated Social Stories to help children with autism - will be online all day on the Awares conference site (www.awares.org/conferences) on September 17, 2012. This is a unique chance to put your questions to one of the world’s great autism authorities. Carol’s excellent paper, ‘Social Stories - An Introduction and Implications for the Future,’ is available to read immediately. Carol is the President of The Gray Center for Social Learning and Understanding in Grand Rapids, a non-profit organisation serving people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and those working on their behalf. She is an internationally respected author and speaker with over 20 years' experience as a teacher and consultant working on behalf of children and adults with ASD. In 1991, Carol developed Social Stories, a strategy used worldwide with children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). She has published several articles, chapters and books on topics related to the education and welfare of people with ASD, addressing challenging issues ranging from how to teach social understanding and social skills, bullying, death and dying, and loss, learning and people with ASD. Carol and The Gray Center have also been working in collaboration with Mark Shelley and the Specialminds Foundation, a non-profit organisation, to develop Storymovies and co-ordinating materials. Carol is the recipient of the Barbara Lipinski Award for her international contribution to the education and welfare of people with ASD. This is the second in a series of monthly one-day online seminars on www.awares.org/conferences in 2012 (featuring an outstanding line-up of figures from the world of autism) to be run by Autism Cymru, Wales’s National Charity for Autism. Please let friends and colleagues know about this exciting event. For further details about this and all other Awares online autism conferences, please contact Adam Feinstein at: adam@autismcymru.org
  18. http://www.justgiving.com/Sarah-Stokes2 I would appreciate any donations/sponsors for my first 5k run for Autism/Aspergers. Many thanks
  19. If a blind person and a deaf person (as an example) can form a stronger whole together than they could individually where one strengthens vision and the other strengthens hearing what type of individual would make the perfect symbiotic relationship for an Aspie?
  20. I have high functioning autism and presently work in a well-paid engineering/construction job where I am really struggling with office politics. My whole team disrespects me because of my poor social skills and I’m feeling incredibly depressed because of this and feel I have no choice but to resign. I am also seriously considering giving up my career because I know I could take up a similar job but will sure enough experience the same abuse and again be forced to resign. I wonder if there are others on the spectrum here who decided to give up their career and how they feel about things now? I know whatever I do it’s not going to pay as much as my current job, where I earn about £60k/yr. I’m thinking about jobs that don’t rely so much on social skills, such as a cab/train/lorry driver or even home based online work, which would be ideal. I'm even considering online trading. I realise it might seem like a big step backwards but the money doesn’t compensate for the depression. I have been suffering depression for a long time and it has progressively gotten worse the last 4 years I’ve been with the company. My depression was bad even before at my previous jobs and when at University and school where I was bullied. I was also treated horribly by my family who I now live apart from. I have no friends. I am feeling depressed about what the future holds, but it must be better than how I feel right now. If things don’t work out job wise, plan B is to move to another country where living costs aren’t so high and spend my savings of which I have close to £80k. I could probably survive on that for 7 years and live OK. I don’t spend much and I have no plans to get married and have children. The other thing I’m factoring into my decision making process is that I’m not sure I’m going to live long. My family has a history of heart problems and I’m experiencing problems now and I’m not even 30. On top of that I also have ADHD-PI and severe psoriasis (on my face and all my body).
  21. We're all accustomed to them now and most of us have accepted them almost like modus operandi of modern times but do any of you experience irrational levels of stress and anxiety with security guards and cameras in shops? I remember when I was much younger having many such irrationalities when masses of cameras first started springing up everywhere but with education in security I learned a lot to dispel many of the myths I'd imagined and was able to quell some of the anxieties I felt back then. However with education there is always the danger of knowing too much and that can backfire and make one even more self-conscious to the point of pure paranoia. Even now I get uncomfortable sensations when I'm looking up and round at the signs over the shopping isles of shops I don't know so that I can easily navigate to the correct section of the shop but then accidentally ending up locking sight with security cameras (which seem only to beg to be stared at with their huge bug-eyed appearances) and then feeling as if I'm being followed by every camera and security guard until I've finished my purchases or walked out empty handed (which in a way is even worse as every security guard is suspicious of people leaving huge supermarkets without having made a single purchase). I had one such experience yesterday when I was in a DVD store and I suddenly got this surge of anxiety because I'd taken my coat off before entering the store due to being way too sweaty and I'd wrapped it up and held it in an ever-unravelling ball in my arm which I had to keep re-wrapping. I became self-conscious that it was bad to have my coat wrapped in my arm this way (bearing in mind thieves use these ploys to conceal things) but could do nothing practical about it. Well that was it wasn't it - as soon as I'd thought that, I could do nothing to forget it and the anxiety intensified. I decided I didn't want to buy anything as nothing took my fancy and that only made things worse. I slowly began to gravitate towards the exit and I floated near the security fences on a kind of high-alert that they were following me - I exited the store and just froze in cold petrification for several moments in the precinct where again there were more cameras and just very nervously began to walk away from the store. You see from the point of view of the Security agents I would probably have seemed highly suspect and that thought was circulating round my mind at the time which only made it worse and I could see no way to stifle those feelings to help me relax. And I needed to escape that situation (that discomfort) but again any hasty exit would make me look even more suspect. Of course I understand the common reason for having security in shops and elsewhere for our protection but it does a lot to undermine our confidence too. There's nothing worse than feeling you're being following/stalked/watched which only intensifies anxious-behaviour which makes them even more likely to follow. And all of this has made me wonder if any one else here has experiences like this. What are your experiences with security?
  22. LINKS UK Specialists Ltd is hosting a series of important half day seminars designed specifically for Frontline Education staff. These include topics such as … Ø An introduction to Autism and other related diagnosis Ø Differentiating topic for children with Autism/ADHD within a classroom setting Ø Behaviour Management Ø Effective Communication for children with Autism Ø Individual Education Plan (IEP) creation and delivery LINKS UK Specialists Ltd has secured the force behind The Island Project School as key speakers for a number of events to share best practice and effective strategies. Ofsted has recognised The Island Project as ‘outstanding’ in all areas of SEN provision. The school serves five local authorities and accommodates children with the most complex needs. “The school’s use of multidisciplinary staff to support learning, so that all areas of the pupil’s development are targeted, is a fundamental aspect of its impressive work” “Pupil’s behaviour is outstanding and no disruption to learning was seen during the inspection. Although pupils enter school, often with challenging behaviour, they are quickly given respect for what they bring to the school community and clearly established routines and strategies rapidly encourage positive behaviour” “Staff are very skilful at following the highly individualised behaviour plans so that any initial signs of discontent are identified and pupils are not distracted, or their behaviours de-escalated, before any learning is lost.” – Ofsted 2012 Please contact me for a booking form and a copy of our brochure outlining the workshops currently on offer and prices. The next available dates are in April 2012 so please email your booking form to reserve a place immediately as interest is high. Course dates will be confirmed as soon as places have been reserved. Kind Regards Mr Chris Gardner Director LINKS UK Specialists Ltd Tel: 07565852118 Email: chrisgardner.linksukspecialistsltd@hotmail.co.uk
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