2025 Presentations (4-7 Aug)

• issues for autistic people at work, including lack of autistic space
• trade unions: what they are, what they do, their strengths and limitations, how they can help to create autistic space at work
• progress in trade unions becoming more inclusive of autistic workers
• autistic workers in trade union disabled members' structures
• autistic workers' experiences of trade union involvement
• how autistic workers can create autistic space in and through trade unions
• questions and answers, continuing in the associated discussion session.

As autistic people, we often focus on fascinating objects, activities, and knowledge. But are we as interesting to ourselves if we aren’t our own passion? What about feeling ourselves?

Many autistic individuals struggle with sensing their bodies, states of mind, or emotions for various reasons, many of which are linked to living as a minority.

This lecture will provide insight into why we may have difficulties with feeling, why it may be important and useful, and what we can do to improve it in order to keep ourselves healthy and happier in our own, inner autistic spaces. Additionally, we’ll explore what we can teach our autistic children to help raise them into healthy, self-aware autistic adults.

This presentation includes an introduction to experiences of feeling excluded or marginalized in social spaces that groups of autistic people develop for themselves. These experiences are described on the basis of discussions and interviews conducted with autistic people and analysed briefly in the light of social psychological theories.

The introduction is followed by a structured activity where participants are guided to create 'manuals' that outline in words, images and symbols how they could ideally be approched and supported by others to feel fully included and accepted. Perceived shortcomings of initiation / communication badge systems, both at Autscape and elsewhere, are used as a starting point.

Participants who wish to do so can display the results for all Autscape attendees, as the original work or as photos.

Autistic people are often expected to adapt to neurotypical spaces—but what happens when we create our own? This session explores Autistic-first spaces, focusing on how Autistic-led podcasts provide an evolving space for authentic communication, connection, and cultural expression.

Using The Autistic Culture Podcast and the Neurodivergent Podcaster Collective as examples, we will examine how podcasts enable deep dives into special interests, allow for asynchronous, sensory-friendly communication, offer a platform for Autistic-led storytelling, and build autistic community outside of NT-dominated spaces.

In this hands-on workshop, participants will gain practical insights about how podcasts function as autistic-first spaces and they will have the opportunity to design their own Autistic-first podcast concepts to experience the difference. Together, we’ll select one standout idea, and I’ll work with the creators to produce a pilot episode, bringing an Autistic-first podcast to life beyond Autscape.

Autistic communities and spaces across Europe are highly diverse. Both culture and language play significant roles in shaping the development of Autistic Spaces in different regions. What works in one place may not be effective elsewhere.

For example, the way autism and autistic people are described in particular languages, along with that society’s perspective on autism, influences the ability of individuals to be open about being autistic. These factors can either support the growth of Autistic Space, and how it grows, or create barriers that limit its development.

This presentation will try to explore these variations, highlighting the impact of linguistic and cultural differences on the establishment and evolution of Autistic Space in different European contexts.

I hope that it will spark a conversation where we can compare and contrast how things are where you live, and perhaps find ways to overcome particular obstacles together.

This workshop will examine the idea of the double empathy problem as posited by Damian Milton and will look at factors affecting communication between different neurotypes.

I believe the differences in the methodology we use to understand others (often called mentalising or theory of mind, but which I refer to as intuition of others thoughts) explains some inter neurotype communication difficulties.

The presentation will include an experiential excercise and discussion.

Join Laura to create your own little piece of autistic space, in the form of a handmade art postcard, to swap with others or to take home with you.

In this guided workshop we will discuss why autistic space is important to us, then use pens, coloured pencils and simple collage materials to create postcard-sized artworks inspired by our thoughts, feelings and experiences of autistic space.

Participants will then have the opportunity to take part in an art swap, or can choose to take their own postcard(s) home with them.

No previous art experience is required, and materials will be provided. All ages welcome.

Qigong (Chi Kung) was practised as long as 5000 years ago in China, and today is widely practised. It is a gentle and mindful movement exercise, similar to Tai chi.

In this hands-on workshop, I will show you some simple Qigong exercises to connect with yourself and to the ground. We’ll start with Swinging Arms exercises to warm up, then we'll do some moves from Shibashi (a popular qigong set also called Tai chi Qigong); ending with some relaxing breathing exercises.

Everyone is welcome, you can participate seated or standing. Suitable for any age and ability, however please seek medical advice first if you have a health condition that might affect taking part in exercise. Just wear comfortable clothes and shoes (flat soles are better).

For further information on qigong, see: ‘The Qigong Bible’ by Katherine Allen.