Schedule

This page about Autscape 2012 is of historical interest only. Go to the home page for current information.

Updated 19 July 2012

Everything at Autscape is completely optional. You are not obliged to attend anything, communicate with anyone (unless you are a parent or carer), or participate in any way. If you are interested in doing things, there is plenty going on throughout the day, serious, fun, structured and unstructured.

Daily activities

Unless otherwise stated, each of the following activities occurs every day of Autscape at the indicated times.

Place	Time	Activity
Drop-in Area (Rainbow Rooms)	Ongoing	Drop-in Come to the Drop-in Area, just outside Meeting Room 1 (Main Conference Hall), to chat with people, do some simple crafts, help with a jigsaw, decorate your badge, or play a board game. There will be some scheduled sessions for an opportunity to learn or share an informal activity. The information area will also be here.
Drop-in Area (Rainbow Rooms)	12:30-13:00 AND 17:30-18:00 (18:00-18:30 on Monday)	Sharing Sessions A chance to share your own creative works. There will be a different focus each time: music compositions, photography, handicrafts, artwork, and writing, with a further session for whatever doesn’t fit one of these.
Various locations	12:30-13:00 AND 17:30-18:00 (18:00-18:30 on Monday)	Interest Groups A new initiative this year to help participants meet others with shared interests. A variety of topics will be available to choose from, each of which will run twice during Autscape, so you will have another chance to go to one you may have missed, or to revisit a favourite topic. These are not intended to be in depth discussions, but we hope some people will take away connections for interaction at other times and places.
TV Room (Ellingham)	Morning	A place to view films and documentaries about autism as well as programmes that are popular with autistics or feature ‘autistic’ characters.
TV Room (Ellingham)	14:00-17:30 AND 19:30-23:00	TV marathons On Tuesday we will have a Star Trek marathon during the afternoon and evening featuring a selection of favourite and ‘most autistic’ episodes and on Wednesday there will be a similar marathon of The Big Bang Theory.
Lounge (Small Conference Hall)	Afternoon	Art workshops
	Evening	Casual socialising
	21:00-23:00	Bar open A small selection of drinks will be available to buy.
Sensory Room (Beccles)	Ongoing	We will have a small sensory room set up for participants to explore and enjoy equipment at their leisure. At certain times there will be scheduled sessions in here, as well as some silent times and a noisy time every evening after dinner until 9pm.
	14:30-15:30	Sharing sensory toys and apps – unfacilitated
	19:30-21:00	Noisy time
	21:00-11:00	Quiet time All night and for the first part of the morning the sensory room will be on ‘red’ which means no interaction or unnecessary noise.
Meeting Room 2 (Conference Room)	Afternoon	Table Tennis The table tennis table will be located here for scheduled coaching or free play except when the room is in use for films.
Meeting Room 2 (Conference Room)	21:00-23:00	Films Each evening an autism-relevant film will be shown.
Meeting Room 1 (Main Conference Hall)	Evening	This room houses a grand piano and may be booked for personal use when not in use for scheduled activities.
Outdoors	21:30	Sparklies in the dark Lawn or Meeting room 1 (Main Conference Hall) in case of rain Time to share enjoyment of light up toys and glow sticks.
	Breaks, after meals, other free time	Singing It is traditional at Autscape for small groups to gather in the garden to sing simple songs such as rounds. Feel free to join in. Everyone welcome.
	Ongoing AND 14:30-15:30	Swimming There is an outdoor pool available for swimming during daylight hours. At least two adults must be present at all times. You are very likely to find someone else who wants to swim during the leisure time in the afternoon, particularly if the weather is good.
Play Area Outdoors	Ongoing	There is a play area outside which may be used by children any time and by adults when no children are using it, or with the consent of their parents or carers.
Play Area Outdoors	12:30-13:00 (in Creche – Bungay – if raining)	Family Meet-up Families with children, or others who wish to, are invited to meet at the play area outside. In case of bad weather, parents may meet at the creche to talk to each other and/or to childcare staff. These sessions are intended as an opportunity to have an accessible experience of meeting with other parents and children. There is no obligation for families to attend.

Monday 23 July

Time	Activity
16:15-17:15	Registration Lounge (Small Conference Hall) On arrival, please go to registration, then you can leave your things in your room.
	Drop-in activities During registration, the following drop-in activities will be available to join at any time.
	Decorate your badges Drop-in Area (Rainbow Room) Help others to identify your interests, or just decorate for fun. Remember to leave enough uncovered that others can tell what it says.		Autistic friendly cooperative games Meeting Room 2 (Conference Room) Spend time with others in a less verbal, more active way. No NT-style ‘ice breakers’, we promise!
	Refreshments Quiet Dining Room (Ditchingham) A chance to meet up with old friends and acquaintances or get to know new ones.		Children’s programme meet & greet Creche (Bungay) People bringing children to Autscape may use this opportunity to get familiar with the childcare rooms and staff.
17:30-18:00	Orientation Meeting room 1 (Main conference hall) Orientation will explain a few things about how things work at Autscape. We are at a new venue this year, so please come along even if you have attended Autscape before.
18:00-18:30	Interest groups An opportunity to meet others with shared interests. Each topic will be run twice. More details on pg. 2.
	Activism Meeting room 1 (Main Conference Hall)		Diet Quiet Dining Room (Ditchingham)
	Alternative sexuality Meeting room 2 (Conference Room)		Sports/Olympics Discussion room (Earsham)
	Psychology Activity room (Small Conference Hall)		Programming & alternative OSes (e.g. Linux, Mac) Sensory room (Beccles)
	Languages The Library		Filmmaking TV room (Ellingham)
	Sharing session	Share your own music compositions Drop-in Area (Rainbow Room)
18:30	Evening meal Dining Room & Quiet Dining Room (Ditchingham) Please be on time for meals. Service will end when everyone present has been served. Those who need more time to eat may stay for up to 1.5 hours, but catering staff will begin to clear up and prepare for the next meal before this. A quiet dining room will be available in the Ditchingham Room. Please eat your meal in one of these rooms unless you are unable to.
20:00-23:00	Evening activities A variety of casual and semi-structured activities will be on offer, and more may be added at Autscape, so be sure to check the information area for updates or to add your own. See pages 2 & 3 for daily activities such as socialising, drop-in, sensory room and films. At the time of publication, we currently have the following activities planned:
	20:00-22:00	32 Short Films about Glenn Gould TV Room (Ellingham)
	20:00-21:00	Escaping the zoo: autistic run projects and ventures – discussion facilitated by Damian Library About ‘projects’ such as setting up groups, compiling books, running events, etc..
		Women’s group – facilitated by Alexis Quiet Dining Room (Ditchingham) This group is intended for women only. Male carers may attend if necessary to facilitate a woman’s participation, but should not participate in their own right.
		Making ‘logo bugs’ – facilitated by Debbie and others Drop-in area (Rainbow room)
	21:00-22:00	Loneliness - Library This discussion is organised in memory of Baukje van Kesteren, an Autscape member who passed away recently. Loneliness in autism was a topic so important to Baukje that she wrote a book about it.
	21:00-23:00	Adam (film) Meeting Room 2 (Conference Room)

Tuesday 24 July

Time	Activity
8:30	Breakfast Dining room & Quiet dining room (Ditchingham) Please be on time for meals. Service will end when everyone present has been served.
9:30-11:00	Lectures Meeting Room 1 (Main Conference Hall)
	9:30	Support workers. What are they supposed to do and how do I get them to do it? – Josh Hennessy
	10:00	Perceptions of diversity and the parent/self-advocate divide – Damian Milton
	10:30	Questions and answers about morning lectures.
11:00	Break Refreshments in the Dining Room
11:30	Discussions
11:30	The parent/self-advocate divide Meeting Room 1 (Main Conference Hall)		Support workers Meeting Room 2 (Conference Room)
12:30	Interest groups
	Politics & current events Meeting Room 1 (Main Conference Hall)		Mental health Quiet Dining Room (Ditchingham)
	Green Meeting Room 2 (Conference Room)		Fitness & weight management Discussion Room (Earsham)
	Neuroscience Activity room (Small Conference Hall)		SciFi Sensory room (Beccles)
	Education Library		Dancing Computer room (Ellingham)
	Family meet-up Play Area or Creche (Bungay) if raining
	Sharing session	Share your own writing/poetry Drop-in Area (Rainbow Room)
13:00	Lunch Dining Room & Quiet Dining Room (Ditchingham)
14:30	Leisure activities A number of leisure activities will be on offer, and more may be added at Autscape, so be sure to check the information area for updates. At the time of publication, we currently have the following activities planned:
	Similarities and diversities in musical tastes – unfacilitated Meeting Room 1 (Main Conference Hall) Look for similarities and diversities in the music we enjoy.		Learn to draw mandalas – Lydia Drop-in Area (Rainbow Rooms) Make beautiful patterns using only a pencil, compass and ruler.
	Table tennis coaching – Damian Meeting room 2 (Conference Room)		Techniques for choosing and applying makeup – Elaine Library
	Card making – Caroline Lounge (Small Conference Hall)		Star Trek Marathon TV Room (Ellingham) Back-to-back episodes of some of the best and most autistic episodes of any series of Star Trek. 14:00-17:30 & 19:30-23:00
15:30	Break Refreshments in the Dining Room
16:00	Workshops Parallel workshops and discussions will be available to choose from. Other discussions or activities may be added later. We currently have the following planned:
	Formal Programme		Alternative Programme
	Dating and romance – have more success and less heartbreak – Jay Blue Meeting room 1 (Main Conference Hall)		Exploring the ‘rhizome’: how non-verbal autistic people helped to inspire postmodernist philosophy – Damian Library
	Exploring personal responses to similarity and difference in the context of autistic community – Caroline Hearst Lounge (Small Conference Hall)		Similarities and diversities in sensory processing – Kalen Sensory Room (Beccles)
17:30-18:00	Interest groups
	Autism in the media Meeting room 1 (Main Conference Hall)		Alternative medicine Quiet Dining Room (Ditchingham)
	Alternative relationships Meeting room 2 (Conference Room)		Collecting Discussion room (Earsham)
	Autism research Lounge (Small Conference Hall)		Handhelds & apps Sensory room (Beccles)
	Sociology Library		Animals & pets TV room (Ellingham)
	Sharing session	Share your own photography Drop-in area (Rainbow Room)
18:30	Evening meal Dining room & Quiet Dining Room (Ditchingham)
20:00-23:00	Evening activities More may be added at Autscape, so check the information area for updates or to add your own. See pages 2 & 3 for daily and ongoing activities. The following are currently planned:
	19:30-23:00	Star Trek Marathon (continued) TV room (Ellingham) 14:00-17:30 & 19:30-23:00
	20:00-21:00	How can we make autism work for us? – Discussion facilitated by Alexis Quiet Dining Room (Ditchingham)
	20:00-21:00	Memory, meaning making and photography – Workshop by Damian Library
	21:00-23:00	Board games – facilitated by Stephen Drop-in Area
		Is autism a difference or a disability – discussion facilitated by Caroline
		Snowcake (film) Meeting room 2

Wednesday 25 July

Time	Activity
8:30	Breakfast Dining room & Quiet Dining Room (Ditchingham) Please be on time for meals. Service will end when everyone present has been served.
9:30-11:00	Lectures Meeting room 1 (Main conference hall)
	9:30	How to get the best out of your dentist – Malcolm Hamilton
	10:00	Vive la difference: does how others describe us matter? – Larry Arnold
	10:30	Questions and answers
11:00	Break Refreshments in Dining Room
11:30-12:30	Discussions
11:30-12:30	Dentist – Malcolm Hamilton Meeting Room 1 (Main Conference Hall)		Vive la difference – Larry Arnold Meeting Room 2 (Conference Room)
12:30-13:00	Interest groups
	Activism Meeting Room 1 (Main Conference Hall)		Diet Quiet Dining Room (Ditchingham)
	Alternative sexuality Meeting Room 2 (Conference Room)		Sports/Olympics Discussion Room (Earsham)
	Psychology Activity Room (Small Conference Hall)		Programming & alternative OSes (e.g. Linux, Mac) Sensory Room (Beccles)
	Languages Library		Filmmaking TV Room (Ellingham)
	Family meet-up Play Area or Creche (Bungay) if raining
	Sharing session: Share your own artwork Drop-in Area
13:00	Lunch Dining room & Quiet Dining Room (Ditchingham)
14:30-15:30	Leisure activities
	Expressing autistic views of social life – Art workshop facilitated by Damian Lounge (Small Conference Hall)		Finding musical pitches using the principles of relative pitch – Music workshop by John Meeting room 1 (Main conference hall)
	Table tennis – no coaching Meeting room 2 (Conference Room)		The Big Bang Theory Marathon TV Room (Ellingham) Back-to-back episodes of The Big Bang Theory, which features at least one unidentified autistic character. 14:00-17:30 & 19:30-23:00
15:30	Break Refreshments in Refreshment Area of Dining Room
16:00-17:30	Workshops
	Formal Programme		Alternative Programme
	Interests, people, and autism – Dinah Murray Meeting Room 1 (Main Conference Hall)		Art Workshop – Trish Lounge
			Getting involved in organisations – Yo Meeting Room 2 (Conference Room)
17:30-18:00	Interest groups
	Politics & current events Meeting Room 1 (Main Conference Hall)		Mental health Quiet Dining Room (Ditchingham)
	Green Meeting Room 2 (Conference Room)		Fitness & weight management Discussion Room (Earsham)
	Neuroscience Activity Room (Small Conference Hall)		SciFi Sensory Room (Beccles)
	Education Library		Dancing TV Room (Ellingham)
	Sharing session: Share your own handicrafts Drop-in Area (Rainbow Room)
18:30	Evening meal Dining room & Quiet Dining Room (Ditchingham)
20:00-23:00	Evening activities More may be added at Autscape, so check the information area for updates or to add your own. See pages 2 & 3 for daily and ongoing activities. The following are currently planned:
	19:30-23:00	The Big Bang Theory Marathon (continued) TV room (Ellingham) 14:00-17:30 & 19:30-23:00
	20:00-21:30	Entertainment Evening Meeting room 1 (Main Conference Hall) Our ever-popular final evening event where participants share their talents with an appreciative audience. All forms of entertainment can be included, from poetry recitation to leading a sing-along. If you have something to contribute, please contact the organisers Trish or Katja.
	21:00-23:00	Film (title TBC) Meeting room 2

Thursday 26 July

Time	Activity
8:30	Breakfast Dining room & quiet dining room (Ditchingham) Please be on time for meals. Service will end when everyone present has been served.
By 10am	Vacate rooms Pack up and put your bags in the Lounge (Small Conference Hall). Don’t forget anything you may have created or brought to share. When you are finished, please leave your key in the bedroom door.
10:00	Panel discussion Meeting room 1 (Main conference hall) An opportunity for questions and debate on the theme of ‘Similarities and Diversities’ with a panel of presenters and others representing different views on the topic.
11:00	Break Refreshments in Dining Room
11:30	Annual General Meeting Meeting room 1 (Main conference hall) The Annual General Meeting (AGM) is where you can hear about how things went last year and influence the future of Autscape. Come take part in other major decisions asked of the membership.
12:30	Interest groups
	Autism in the media Meeting room 1 (Main Conference Hall)	Alternative medicine Quiet Dining Room (Ditchingham)
	Alternative relationships Meeting room 2 (Conference Room)	Collecting Discussion room (Earsham)
	Autism research Lounge (Small Conference Hall)	Handhelds & apps Sensory room (Beccles)
	Sociology Library	Animals & pets TV room (Ellingham)
	Share other creative work Drop-in Area
13:00	Lunch Dining room & quiet dining room (Ditchingham)
14:00	First transport to Norwich Station leaves
14:30-15:30	Casual activities You may use this opportunity to say goodbye to other participants, to play a little tennis or table tennis, go for a swim, join in playing music or other leisure activities. However, there will be few, if any, structured activities during this time. Organisers will be busy packing up.
15:30	Break Drinks and biscuits in Dining Room
16:00	Final transport to Norwich Station leaves