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Posted on April 12th 2022
Autism Acceptance Events, 31st March 2022 - What happened?
On 31st March, pupils from Years 7-11 joined an event in the library where two autistic adults joined us to talk about their experiences of autism, the world’s perception of autism and the importance of developing understanding and acceptance of autism in our school and wider communities.
The event, which was held during World Autism Acceptance Week, was for all pupils with a diagnosis of autism, traits of autism, or who are going through the process of being assessed for autism.
One of our guests was a past pupil and another a member of our staff. Pupils had the chance to submit questions in advance or ask them on the day. There was an incredible atmosphere of inclusivity with pupils reporting feeling comfortable and safe to talk about their experiences amongst other young people with autism.
Questions asked and discussed included:
How do you cope with sensory overload? This included talking about different sensations and objects that can really help with feelings of being overwhelmed. A lot of boys tried out our weighted blanket which can bring great comfort.
Does having autism make you more or less able to focus? This lead to a lot of discussion about how autism can help focus hugely. Some boys talked about their interests and hobbies and how when they are really motivated they can focus for a very long time. In some circumstances it can be very hard to focus as there is so much else going on around us – lights, sounds, smells, movement.
How do you cope with the transition from Year 11 to 6th Form?
What advice to you have for coping with waiting for big news, such as exam results? Our guests advised making time to do things that you enjoy, exercising and doing your hobbies can mean that you give your brain times to think about other things.
What is it like to have a job if you have autism? Our guests talked about how choosing work that fits with your skills and interests is really important (as it is for all people). A theme that came up too was making sure that you organise your work carefully in a way that helps you, and organisation and meticulous attention to detail is certainly one of the strengths of autism.
A display of books in our library for World Autism Acceptance Week.
What is it important for people to know about autism?
Pupils and staff were also invited to complete speech bubbles to illustrate what they feel is important to for others to know about autism. Here are some of them.
“I may be different to you, but I am still human. I still have human emotions, thoughts, and feelings. You don’t need to talk to me any differently or think of me differently."
"I am not stupid, but just experience the world differently to you. It’s not you and I, but we.”
“How much stress they have with autism.”
“It's a gift.”
“It’s not a linear spectrum. No one is more or less autistic. We all have strengths and struggles in different areas.”
“How autistic people feel, how they think they are stupid while they are not. How they think and how people help them.”
“It doesn’t make you different from others.”
“It doesn’t affect your memory.”
“Some people prefer ‘I am autistic’ others prefer ‘I have autism’. Ask which people prefer or use ‘autistic’.”
“If you have met one person with autism, you have met one person with autism. We are not all the same and do not have the same traits.”
“Sometimes I feel like two different people and because of that it makes me lose focus often.”
This awareness and celebratory works links with our previous Autism Awareness Week held last March and with wider work to promote awareness of SEND in our community.
