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Talks & Conferences

Talks & Conferences

Since 2023 I have been lucky enough to share ideas about monotropism, Autistic burnout, barriers to education, PANS/PANDAS and neuro-affirming practice with families, educators, clinicians and researchers in the UK and internationally. Almost all of this work has been co-created with other Autistic and neurodivergent people, and I am so grateful to every collaborator named below. Speaking alongside community is at the heart of how I work.

Jump to: Coming Up · 2026 · 2025 · 2024 · 2023 · Events Attended · Listen & Watch

📅 Coming Up

  • 10 Oct 2026: Why Community Matters: Neurodiversity, Solidarity and Collective Voice, NeuroShow 2026, JIM Foundation, Poland (Lived Experience Lab, online)
  • 13 Oct 2026: The impact of autoimmune conditions such as PANS and PANDAS on Autistic people, My Unique Self: Beyond Behaviour, Kent Autistic Trust, Maidstone, co-created with Laura Hellfeld (presented in person by Laura)
  • 26 to 27 Oct 2026: Ecologies of Belonging: Star Stuff, Kinship, and Becoming Community (An ecosystemic model of distress, joy, and belonging in practice), EcoNeuro Symposium, University of Oslo (in person in Oslo and online), joint online presentation with David Gray-Hammond
  • 5 to 6 Feb 2027: Tes SEND Show North, Manchester, with Jess Garner (GROVE)

2026

  • 20 Aug 2026: Clarion Call, an emergency community gathering hosted by Viv Dawes, with guest speakers Sofia Farzana, Claire Betson and Katie Munday (facilitated)
  • 17 Aug 2026: NeuroHub Live: Reflecting on the Mental Health Conference, panel with David Gray-Hammond and Tanya Adkin
  • 16 Jul 2026: Defining Neurodiversity Affirming Space, presenting our research and definition, with Dr Kate Fox and George Watts
  • 6 Jun 2026: Autistic Young People, Education and Supporting through Burnout, Autistic Burnout Network Conference 2026, with Jess Garner (GROVE)
  • 21 May 2026: Let’s Change the Environment! Designing Schools Around Autistic Experiences (Not the Other Way Round!), Yellow Ladybugs Conference 2026 (Panel 2.7, online), with Ruth Moyse and Elaine McGoldrick. Our panel brought together Autistic SPACE, monotropism and designing school environments, and I compiled the take-home resource list for attendees
  • 4 Mar 2026: Weird Pride and Neuroqueering from Liminal Spaces: Building belonging, advocacy, collective power, and resistance from the margins, Neurodiversity is More Than… symposium (Weird Pride Day), Neurodivergent Humanities Network, organised by Abs S. Ashley and Ombre Tarragnat (online), co-presented with David Gray-Hammond. Other speakers: Tasha Downs, Lucas Aloyse Fritz, Lloyd Meadhbh Houston, Michael Lundblad and Berenice Vargas-García
  • 12 Feb 2026: Cavendish Space workshop, Building Neurodivergent Cultures of Regulation, York St John University
  • 29 Jan 2026: PANS/PANDAS and neurodivergence, PDA North America, with Laura Hellfeld
  • 7, 14 and 21 Jan 2026: Embracing Our Autistic Selves, three-session course with David Gray-Hammond
  • 11 Jan 2026: Cavendish Space workshop, Stimpunks community Campfire

2025

  • 14 Oct 2025: Leaning into Monotropism: monotropism and play for Gestalt Language Processors, Gestalt Language Processors (GLP) Conference 2025, The Speech Den, co-presented with Cathy Shilling
  • 6 Oct 2025: Creating Safe Spaces for Autistic People: Everyday Practices for Individuals and Organisations, Thriving Autistically 2025, Neurokindred, with Laura Hellfeld and Scott Neilson
  • 4 Oct 2025: Map of Monotropic Experiences, Thriving Autistically 2025, Neurokindred
  • 2 Oct 2025: Neurodivergence and PANS/PANDAS, Navigating PANS and PANDAS family conference, PANS PANDAS UK, with Laura Hellfeld (watch the webinar)
  • Autumn 2025: Navigating the Barriers to Education and Exploring Monotropism (recorded presentation), Access to Academic Learning Conference 2025, Discover Inclusion, recorded with founding director Kerry Thalia
  • 18 Sep 2025: Discovery Celebration: Autistic Community Shaping Neuro-Affirmative Support, panel with Fergus Murray, hosted by Tara O’Donnell-Killen, Thriving Autistic
  • 11 Aug 2025: Monotropism and understanding the Autistic mind, live recorded webinar for The Nook community, The Nurture Programme, with David Gray-Hammond
  • 18 Jun 2025: Navigating the Barriers to Education: Exploring Monotropism & Finding Support, presentation and Q&A for the East Team, Educational Psychology Service, Children and Families Directorate, Birmingham City Council, invited by Dr Aruna Pintilei (Educational Psychologist)
  • Jun 2025: Mapping the Monotropic Mind: An Introduction to This Autistic Thinking and Processing Style, Yellow Ladybugs Conference 2025 (Panel 2.7, recorded 26 February and streamed in June), with Wenn Lawson. We introduced the Map of Monotropic Experiences, and I shared our training and workbook with the Yellow Ladybugs team
  • April to June 2025: Autistic Wellbeing monthly webinars with David Gray-Hammond and Tanya Adkin, including Autism and Substance Use (12 May) and Empowering Advocacy: Neuro-Affirming Support for Your Autistic Young Person at School (11 Jun)
  • 17 May 2025: Autistic Burnout and School Trauma, Autistic Burnout Network Conference 2025, with Viv Dawes
  • 13 May 2025: A Parent’s Perspective: Barriers to Education & Embracing Monotropism, evening webinar for SWAN Scotland (Scottish Women’s Autism Network), hosted by Becky Choat. My booklet Embracing Monotropism and Supporting Young People was shared with attendees
  • 13 Mar 2025: Neuro-affirming research into practice: monotropism in the classroom and beyond, National Autistic Society Annual Professionals’ Conference, with Tanya Adkin
  • 12 Feb 2025: Supporting Young Autistic People and Families Through Burnout, Autism Early Support, with Viv Dawes

2024

  • 27 Jun 2024: Neurodiversity Affirming Practice, University of Wolverhampton, with Tracy Jones
  • 15 May 2024: Autistic burnout in young people, parent workshop, Autism Early Support
  • 26 to 28 Apr 2024: Barriers to School Attendance, Monotropism & Autistic Burnout, The PDA Space Summit 2024, with Jess Garner (GROVE)
  • 5 Mar 2024: Discussing Barriers to Attendance for Our Autistic Young People, Future in Mind / HPCN, with Jess Garner (GROVE)
  • Early 2024: The neurodiversity paradigm and inclusive education, guest lecture at London Metropolitan University, invited by Karam Bogal
  • 2024: Barriers to Education and Embracing Monotropism: Through the Lens of an Autistic Person, Diversifying our Perspectives: Listening & Learning from Lived Experience, speech and language therapy conference hosted by Kate Boot

2023

  • 26 Nov 2023: Connection, Community & Growth for Autistic Children & Young People, GROVE launch webinar
  • 14 Nov 2023: Neuro-affirmative Hot Topics 2023, PANDA (Promoting Autism Neurodiversity Awareness), Barnstaple, with Tigger Pritchard
  • 20 May 2023: Autistic Burnout: Supporting Children and Young People, The PDA Space Summit 2023, with Viv Dawes

Holding space for others is just as important to me as speaking. You can find the community spaces I facilitate and co-organise on Partnerships, and my writing on Writing & Resources.

🌿 Conferences and Events Attended

Learning alongside others keeps my work grounded and growing. Highlights include ITAKOM 2023 in Edinburgh (Mindroom), the Wonderstruck reading group run by The Philosopher journal (eight weeks, Oct to Nov 2024, with a final session joined by author Helen De Cruz), the ASAN conference (2025) and the Intensive Interaction Conference (2026). Training I have completed includes Kieran Rose’s Inside of Autism course (2021), PAPYRUS suicide prevention training (SP-OT) and Suicide First Aid Lite (both 2023), Neurodiverse Connection’s Neurodivergent Wellbeing Approach course (2024), the Trauma Geek Nervous System Study Group (eight weeks, 2023), and webinars including Dr Luke Beardon’s What Works for Autistic Adults and Autistic Professionals and the Triple Empathy Problem (both 2023).

🎙️ Listen and Watch

Invite me to speak

I offer talks, workshops, panels and pre-recorded sessions, online or in person where my capacity allows. I’m always happy to co-present with other neurodivergent people. As a neurodivergent person I also need support to access work, so please share any accessibility details early. Get in touch.

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