Are you going to Autscape 2012?

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A new initiative this year to help participants meet others with shared interests. A variety of topics will be available to choose from. Each topic (except the "sharing sessions" in The Hangout) will run twice over the course of Autscape, so you will have another chance to go to one you may have missed, or to revisit a favourite topic. Interest groups are not intended to be in depth discussions of the issues, but we hope some people will take away connections for informal conversations or planned discussions at other times and places during Autscape.

The interest groups scheduled in session one (6pm Monday) are:

- Activism
- Alternative sexuality
- Psychology
- Languages
- Diet
- Sports/Olympics
- Programming & alternative OSes (e.g. Linux, Mac)
- Filmmaking

In addition, we'll have these:

- Creative works sharing sessions: bring along creative work that you have made yourself, to share with other people who would like to share theirs or just experience what others have done. A different theme each time. This time, it's music compositions.

- Parents and children sessions: these are intended as an opportunity to have an accessible experience of meeting with (or just being near) other parents and their children, the way NT parents and their children would at the school gates or playground. Meet at the play area outside, or at the creche in case of bad weather. There is no obligation for families to attend.

In the second session, at 12:30pm Tuesday, we have:

- Politics & current events
- Green/frugal living/environmental conservation
- Neuroscience
- Education
- Mental health
- Dancing
- SciFi
- Fitness & weight management
- Share your own writing/poetry

In session 3, at 5:30pm Tuesday, we have:

- Autism in the media
- Alternative relationships
- Autism research
- Sociology
- Alternative medicine
- Collecting
- Handhelds & apps
- Animals & pets
- Share your own photography
- Parents and children

Then at 12:30pm Wednesday we'll have the same as session 1 (6pm Monday) except the sharing session will be artwork and there will be no parents and children session.

At 5:30pm Wednesday it's the same as session 2 (12:30pm Tuesday) except the sharing session will be handicrafts (e.g. needlepoint, handmade cards) and there will be a parents and children session.

The final session at 12:30pm Thursday will be the same as session 3 (5:30pm Tuesday) with the sharing session for anything that didn't fit any of the earlier groups and no parents and children group.

The Information Pack for Autscape 2012 participants is now (finally) available.
PART 1: THE AUTSCAPE EXPERIENCE
What to expect at Autscape and how to deal with challenges.
http://www.autscape.org/AutscapeInfo%20 ... rience.pdf

The Programme part of the information pack is now available:
http://www.autscape.org/AutscapeInfo%20 ... gramme.pdf

This file contains the complete programme, including formal presentations, informal sessions, and activities. It is the most comprehensive programme Autscape has had to date.

New this year are the interest groups. These are designed to help meet other participants with similar interests.

Autscape 2012 begins on Monday afternoon.

It is finished now
Gone forever...

Here is a very nice blog post about Autscape 2012, by one of the presenters:
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"I have just returned home from one of the most wonderful experiences I have had this year…

I was presenting at an annual UK conference called “Autscape” (a conference for autistic people which is organised by autistic people). The reason I ended up there is because I have a form of high-functioning autism called Asperger’s Syndrome and I often give talks on various autism-related topics to autistic audiences as well as to parents of autistic people and professionals":
http://jennyberman.wordpress.com/2012/07/25/escape/