Upcoming & Previous
Events And Training
See also my pages with GROVE, Emergent Divergence, Stimpunks, and Thriving Autistic, to find out more about other events
I am supporting and facilitating throughout the year.
The Speech Den presents Gestalt Language Processors Conference 2025
Host: The Speech Den
Building on Knowledge, Reflecting on Progress, Empowering Every Voice
Date: Thursday 9 October – Friday 10th October – Monday 13th October – Tuesday 14th October – start 9:30 GMT
Focus of my presentation with Cathy Shilling:
We’ll be co-presenting on Monotropism and Gestalt Language Processing (GLP). We’ll explore how the theory of monotropism – a way of understanding autistic attention and focus – intersects with GLP, and how this insight can inform supportive strategies for our children and young people.
GLP 2025 Conference
Following the success of last year’s GLP conference, we return for a second year—Bringing fresh insights, latest evidence base, practical ideas and solutions, and retrospective reflections. Together, we’ll explore how Gestalt Language Processors are supported across diverse settings and celebrate the real-world successes families and professionals are experiencing.
Book Tickets: www.registration.glpconference.co.uk/glp25
Yellow Ladybugs Conference 2025
Host: Yellow Ladybugs
Date: Online and in-person 3-5 June 2025
Focus: Mapping the Monotropic Mind: An Introduction to This Autistic Thinking and Processing Style alongside Wenn Lawson
A deep exploration of monotropism and mapping the autistic mind as an interest system. Learn about this affirming theory of autism and how we can better support our ladybugs through understanding concepts including attention tunnels and flow states.
Find out more: Yellow Ladbybugs Conference 2025
Host: Thriving Autistic
Date: Monthly on Thursdays (see eventbrite for info)
Title: Adults Monthly Meet-Up
I will be facilitating the parent/carer room to discuss all things related to education and supporting young people with a focus on navigating the barriers to education and creating neuro-affirming home and school environments.
Tickets: EventBrite
Find out more: https://www.thrivingautistic.org/
Host: SWAN Scotland
Date: Tuesday 13th May 7-8:30pm
Title: A Parent’s Perspective: Barriers to Education & Embracing Monotropism
Tickets: EventBrite
By sharing my lived experience as an Autistic person, parent to two neurodivergent children and an Early Years/Primary teacher with over 20 years working in SEND settings, I am offering a space to discuss why so many Autistic and neurodivergent families are struggling in the education system and experiencing mental health difficulties – burnt-out parents and burnt-out children. We will explore if an understanding of the theory of monotropism could help at home/school and through professional practice by reframing the deficit-based medical model of Autism and adopting a neuro-affirming approach.
Find out more: https://swanscotland.org/
Autistic Burnout Network Conference 2025
Host: Viv Dawes Autistic Advocate
Date: Saturday, May 17 th 2025 – 9am – 6:30pm GMT+1
Tickets: Eventbrite
Autistic burnout is something that most autistic people understand and have experienced to one degree or another and yet many outside of the autistic community and particularly professionals working with autistic people, have not heard about it or understand the antecedents and best ways to support autistic individuals.
Experiencing autistic burnout can have very serious consequences for many, impacting education, employment, mental and physical health and many other aspects of life. It can for many also lead to extreme crisis and hospitalisation.
The Autistic Burnout Network https://www.autisticadvocate.co.uk/autistic-burnout-conference was established by Viv Dawes (autistic advocate) in 2024 and is a group of neurodivergent lived experience professionals, all from different backgrounds and includes psychologists, medical professionals, social workers, therapists, advocates, etc. We have a passion to help other professionals, but also parents and neurodivergent individuals understand autistic burnout and recovery.
This one day conference is for parents, individuals and professionals and will cover a range of topics including:
Supporting autistic teens experiencing burnout
Burnout and family life
Intersectionality
Being missed and misdiagnosed
The impact of shame
The double empathy problem
All sessions will be recorded and ticket holders will have access to all these recordings and bonus content after the conference.
TICKETS ARE £44 FOR PROFESSIONALS AND INDIVIDUALS/PARENTS CAN GIVE WHATEVER THEY CAN AFFORD
Donations will go to some great organisations including Papyrus UK and Equal Potential CIC.
Find out more: https://www.autisticadvocate.co.uk/autistic-burnout-conference
Host: National Autistic Society: Annual Professionals’ Conference 2025
Date: Online on Thursday 13 March 2025, 9 am to 5 pm
Focus: Neuro-affirming research into practice – monotropism in the classroom and beyond
Delivered by: Tanya Adkin, Autistic education consultant & Helen Edgar, teacher and consultant
This session will focus on understanding monotropism, a neuro-affirming theory that offers a holistic and, to many people, a new understanding of both Autistic (and ADHD) experiences. Drawing from Autistic culture, we’ll explore how this theory provides insights into many Autistic experiences, examine practical strategies that align with a monotropic perspective, and develop additional support strategies through this lens. The session will be relevant to children with profound and multiple learning disabilities and those without.
Find out more: www.autism.org.uk/what-we-do/autism-know-how/conferences
Host: Autism Early Support: Family Portal
Date: Online 12th February 2025 at 7pm
Focus: Supporting Young Autistic People and Families Through Burnout
Viv Dawes, Autistic Advocate and Helen Edgar will be delivering a webinar to support families and professionals to learn more about Autistic Burnout and ways to support young people and home and in educational settings.
Find out more: www.autismearlysupport.org.uk/
Out Now!
In collaboration with the Stimpunks Team, We have created free open-source training to help people understand Neuroqueer Theory and its benefits for learning spaces.
Further information: Please see our Neuroqueer Learning Spaces Project Pages.
In collaboration with the Stimpunks Team, We have created open-source training to explore how an understanding of the theory of Monotropism can support Autistic/ ADHD/ AuDHD people and validate their lived experiences.
Free open source training pack available
Accompanying workbook available.
Further information: Please see our Map of Monotropic Experiences & Autism Map of Neuronormative Domination
Resources and Posters: Please check out Stimpunks Shop (all funds support community work).
