Barney Angliss

What is your talk at the Annual Professionals’ Conference about?  

I will be sharing what we know about exclusions of autistic pupils from school and within school, how we know it and what we don't know, including what school leaders and governors don't know. 

Why is that subject important to you?  

Exclusion of autistic people from society is endemic and school exclusion reflects many of the tensions experienced in adult life. 

Who do you think will find your talk useful?  

As a process symptomatic of societal and environmental challenges to autistic identity, studying exclusion can be useful to anyone supporting autistic people entering and exiting social systems. 

What is one thing you would like more people to understand about autism?  

We are very far from understanding the emergence of autism as the leading category of special educational needs: we need to consider what it signifies and where it will lead.

Luke Beardon

What is your talk at the Annual Professionals’ Conference about? 

The talk reflects on why so many autistic individuals are so anxious so much of the time. My belief is that one is not born an anxious autistic person - in which case, anxiety is likely to be caused by society, rather than inherently by being autistic - in which case, we can do something about it! 

Why is that subject important to you? 

Living with high states of anxiety - indeed, trauma - can be devastating. It is imperative that the world adapts attitudes and support for autistic children and adults to reduce the risk of anxiety at every stage of life. 

Who do you think will find your talk useful? 

Literally anyone who has contact with autistic people - in other words, pretty much everyone on the planet. 

What is one thing you would like more people to understand about autism? 

That whatever they know about autism, they can't assume that the application of that knowledge is applicable to all autistic people. 

What is your talk at the Annual Professionals’ Conference about?  

Co-production of an accessible resource that encourages healthcare staff to consider reasonable adjustments with their clients. Considering ways to empower clients to advocate for their needs, thereby improving access to and engagement in services. 

Why is that subject important to you?  

Having seen and experienced the impact of health inequalities for autistic adults, we are passionate about supporting change. Many spaces can feel excluding for autistic adults; we hope to support opportunities for inclusion rather than exclusion.  

Who do you think would find your talk useful?  

Professionals working with neurodivergent individuals, autistic adults interested to learn how services can better meet their needs, and those who care or advocate for autistic individuals.   

What is one thing you would like more people to understand about autism?  

All autistic people are different, autistic experiences vary and reasonable adjustments are dynamic. Try to understand the individuality of each person’s experiences, and work with them to create environments which are enabling, not disabling. 

Rebecca Duffus

What is your talk at the Annual Professionals’ Conference about? 

My talk is about the importance of a young person knowing they are autistic and understanding that in a positive light. It covers ways to approach this conversation with neurodiversity affirming strategies.  

Why is that subject important to you? 

In my years of working with autistic young people, both in education and with their families, this is an area that's often been overlooked. Yet, a positive understanding of your autistic identity is a key indicator for future wellbeing and I believe all autistic individuals should have access to this as part of their education.  

Who do you think will find your talk useful? 

Individuals close to the autistic young person often lack confidence to support them to understand what their autistic identity means to them. So, this talk would be useful for any parents/carers or professionals who want to help a young person better understand themselves and advocate for their future.  

What is one thing you would like more people to understand about autism? 

Being autistic has many associated strengths. If society was able to see these strengths and was aware of simple adaptations that could be made to make someone's life easier, we would have happier school students and more successful workplaces. 

Dr Naomi Fisher

What are your talks at the Annual Professionals’ Conference about? 

My talks are about autistic children and school, and trauma and autism.   

Why is that subject important to you?  

In my clinical work I see many autistic children who are being harmed inadvertently by the way in which adults respond to them when they are struggling. They learn that there is something wrong with them, and they take this with them through their life. My aim is to help professionals change their approach so that more children can thrive. 

Who do you think will find your talk useful? 

My talks will be useful for professionals involved in education, mental health or any type of therapy with autistic children.  

What is one thing you would like more people to understand about autism? 

The most important thing for any autistic child will always be meeting them as a unique individual and respecting their experience. 

Sonny Hallett

What is your talk at the Annual Professionals’ Conference about? 

My talk is about the barriers and challenges often faced by autistic people when accessing counselling and psychotherapy, and how therapy can be made to be more accessible. It will also touch on the ways in which appropriate and accessible counselling can be really beneficial for autistic people, and also the potential value of working with neurodivergent practitioners. 

Why is that subject important to you? 

Because neurodivergent, particularly autistic, people, are far more likely to struggle with mental health difficulties, and yet are also more likely to struggle with accessing appropriate and meaningful support. It is so important for practitioners, providers, and those who support autistic people to understand what can help, what doesn't, and how to support and advocate for autistic people who are struggling with their mental health. 

Who do you think will find your talk useful? 

Autistic people who would like to understand more about therapy that could be helpful, family and others who support autistic people, professionals and practitioners, including but not limited to, those in mental health related roles. 

What is one thing you would like more people to understand about autism? 

That the mental health struggles experienced by autistic people are never 'innate to autism', or just a part of being autistic. We shouldn't be resigned to struggling with our mental health but supported with those difficulties, and have understanding, connection and agency, even while we exist as neurodivergent people in a neurotypical world. 

Clare Hughes

What is your talk at the Annual Professionals’ Conference about?  

I will be speaking about how we can embed the strategies that we use on a daily basis to assist with communication, processing and understanding for autistic people in the criminal justice system. 

Why is that subject important to you?  

Having worked across the criminal justice system for over ten years, I have spoken to lots of autistic people and their family members who have struggled to get support and an understanding of their needs. I have spoken to staff working in the criminal justice system who have been incredibly frustrated that they aren’t able to do their job in the way they would like with autistic people as they haven’t received training and the strategies they may put in place for other people they work with aren’t working for autistic people and they don’t know how to make the necessary changes. I am passionate about trying to change this. Having worked with numerous professionals across education, health, social care, employment etc, we need to make sure that autistic people in the criminal justice system and the people working with them have the knowledge, skills and understanding that most of us working with autistic people take for granted. 

Who do you think will find your talk useful?  

Anyone working with autistic people who have been involved with the criminal justice system or where there are concerns about involvement. 

What is one thing you would like more people to understand about autism?  

That behaviour is communication that needs to be understood and listened to.

What is your talk at the Annual Professionals’ Conference about? 

Autistic burnout is a serious problem for many members of the autistic community. In my talk I will draw on research evidence and the experiences of autistic people to describe what we know about autistic burnout, its causes and the recovery process.  

Why is that subject important to you? 

Working with autistic adults as a clinical psychologist, I noticed that one of the biggest issues my clients presented with was autistic burnout. As an autistic person, I had also experienced three major episodes of autistic burnout that caused me significant distress, disability and feelings of inadequacy. Despite this issue feeling incredibly important to my clients and I, there is very little research in the area.  Without an evidence base, many autistic adults, therapists and carers are left unsure how to help. I want to enable others to use the best evidence available to engage with the recovery process and help autistic people to avoid autistic burnout in the long term.  

Who do you think will find your talk useful? 

Professionals and carers who want to know how to help others recover from or prevent autistic burnout. This talk will also be helpful for autistic adults and young people who want to recover from or prevent autistic burnout.  

What is one thing you would like more people to understand about autism? 

That autistic people, including those who mask, need to feel accepted as their authentic selves to meet their own specific needs and ask for accommodations to make their lives more sustainable.  The pressure to appear neurotypical, whether explicit or implicit, causes high levels of stress and, in the long term, damages our mental health. 

What is your talk at the Professionals’ Conference about? 

A look at what Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB) have done to implement The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism, sharing the views of our experts by experience on being a trainer.

Why is that subject important to you?

I lead the ICB’s Learning from Lives and Deaths programme (LeDeR). As someone who works with and listens to people in our communities’ experiences of health and care services, I believe training is key in reducing health inequalities and improving quality and people’s experiences.

Who do you think will find your talk useful?

•    people who would like to learn from Suffolk and North East Essex’s ICB approach, what has worked well and what could be better
•    people who are interested to hear the views of our experts by experience.

What is one thing you would like more people to understand about autism?

Individual people need personalised care and approaches through reasonable adjustments.

What is your talk at the Annual Professionals’ Conference about? 

Our talk is about loneliness in autistic adults, and it addresses the widespread myth that autistic people do not seek meaningful social connection. We show that autistic people are just as lonely and distressed by being lonely as non-autistic people, and that sensory differences likely play an important role in this. 

Why is that subject important to you? 

As an autistic person who has often felt lonely, it is important to me that more people understand that autistic people yearn for meaningful connection with other people just like everyone else. 

Who do you think would find your talk useful? 

Hopefully professionals and the community will find our talk useful to learn more about loneliness in autistic adults. 

What is one thing you would like more people to understand about autism? 

There is just as much variance in autistic people as non-autistic people – we come on a spectrum of disabilities, strengths and challenges just like any other group of people. 

Loren Snow

What is your talk at the Annual Professionals’ Conference about? 

My talk is about the challenges autistic people have in inpatient units, what we’ve learned from the processes we’ve created to support autistic people in hospitals (such as the Dynamic Support Register, Care (Education) and Treatment Reviews and Safe and Wellbeing Reviews) and what we can be doing better. 

Why is that subject important to you? 

As an autistic adult supporting those in hospital, I see myself in every patient. I can see how I could have easily been where they are when I was younger. I see so many things being done that are traumatising that we could and should change. I see the same issues that every NHS report has been saying my entire career and find it maddening we continue to make the same basic mistakes. 

Who do you think will find your talk useful? 

Anyone commissioning services for autistic people in hospital and those that care for them there. 

Part of what I’ll be discussing will be the learnings we’ve made from Care and Treatment Reviews, the Learning Disabilities Mortality Review (LeDeR), Safe and Wellbeing Reviews and National Development Teams for Inclusion (NDTis). It’s not rocket science – it’s detailing the main sensory issues in these environments, the need for meaningful activities, and barriers to transition. 

What is one thing you would like more people to understand about autism? 

If we’re talking about those in inpatient units that support autistic people: that an autistic person in crisis, an autistic person sectioned in a hospital, is very different than one in the community. I work with doctors that have spent 30 years treating people in hospital and they have a very different idea of how we work as they’ve never or rarely seen us healthy and in the community.