2013 Presenters

Contents

1. Alfie Green
2. Damian Milton
3. (Name removed at presenter's request)
4. Kalen
5. Larry Arnold
6. Lyte
7. Peter Baimbridge
8. Susy
9. Yo

2013 Presenters' Bios

Alfie Green

Alfie Green, BPhil Autism 2:1 was diagnosed quite some time ago and has been involved in a number of projects including the group that created the self-advocacy booklet as a co-author. He facilitates autism social groups in the Bristol and Bath areas including a self-advocacy group. His degree is in autism and he has personal experience of using the book to help him communicate in difficult situations. He is also a wheelchair user and has found this booklet can be used to communicate any needs he has difficulties expressing himself. As the booklet is free from the NAS website he hopes many people will be able to benefit from using this resource.

bio updated 24 Sep 2020

Damian Milton

Damian is currently studying for a doctorate with the Autism Centre for Educational Research at the University of Birmingham. He is a member of the steering group for this department, a member of the programme board for the Autism Education Trust, and a member of the scientific and advisory committee for Research Autism. Damian has also recently started work for the National Autistic Society as a consultant for their ‘Ask Autism’ project. Damian holds a number of academic qualifications and a number of years experience as a lecturer in both FE and HE. Damian’s interest in autism began when his son was diagnosed in 2005 as autistic at the age of two. Damian was also diagnosed with Asperger’s in 2009 at the age of thirty-six.

(Name removed at presenter's request)

(Bio removed at presenter's request)

Kalen

(bio to follow)

Larry Arnold

Larry has played a pivotal role in the Autism Rights movement in the UK, serving on the board of the NAS and facilitating a local neurodiversity group amongst other things. He has presented at Autscape before, and at various conferences. He comes from a background of disability rights and specialises in video, this being the topic of his PhD research in Autism and Education at the University of Birmingham. He claims the right to be called neuro-diverse by virtue of more than one neurological diagnosis; however, autism is one he is happy to use as a positive affirmation of who and what he is.

Lyte

Lyte has been a regular attender of Autscape since discovering and identifying with the neurodivergent community as an adult. Life spent in ‘socially enforced NT-emulation mode’ resulted in survival but not in gaining the freedoms that appear to be on offer in wider society. This raises questions of how to reclaim a sense of ‘wholeness’ which Lyte has been exploring through a search for Meaning, and the seeking, learning, loss and findings encountered along the way.
An experienced teacher in higher and further education currently studying at post grad level in mainstream education, and with a backdrop of other areas of study including humanistic psychology and nonviolent communication, Lyte is a qualified and practicing artist.
Recently Lyte has presented at Birmingham University and collaborated on papers featured in various academic journals such as 'Good autism Practice' and ‘Autonomy’, as well as being cited in other writings. 

Peter Baimbridge

Diagnosed with high-functioning autism, Peter built a career in sales and marketing and has been helping individuals with interpersonal communication difficulties on a personal basis. Direct and second hand experience has given him insights into some of the problems many people face meeting new people and making small talk.

Susy

Susy grew up with autism and neuro-diversity ‘in the family’ and has spent her adult life challenging discrimination and fighting for equal rights at all levels of education and across the arts, community and health sectors in the UK and abroad. She is currently investigating ways to incorporate the views and diverse identities of autistic young people in debates around inclusion in services as a part of her doctoral research at the Autism Centre for Education and Research at the University of Birmingham. Susy is more comfortable with the identity of neurodiverse as regards describing her various neurological challenges.

Yo

Yo is autistic and has two children who are both also autistic. She has a PhD in policy analysis and her academic work in social sciences has often involved the study of political and social organisations. She has an obsessive interest in organisational structures, procedures and underlying legal frameworks, particularly in the voluntary sector. She has 8 years experience as secretary and company secretary of Autscape during which she has supported the process of Autscape's organisational development. Prior to and alongside that experience, she has knowledge and experience of a wide range of other organisations (mostly outside the autistic community and ranging from political groups to charities to campaigning groups to local forums and community groups). In the past she has presented to a variety of audiences (including previously at Autscape) and is looking forward to the challenge of making a seemingly 'dry' subject relevant and interesting to Autscape participants keen to 'find a voice'.