Dr. Tony Attwood - Key Learnings of Autism Thought Leaders

Post Reply New Topic

are autistics made to wear name tags so they can be differentiated from normal folks?

Aunty Jack (shame to bring such a great Australian comedic troupe into disrepute,)...your comments are just so boring and disruptive. May I suggest you take a break from the computer, go out, look at some trees and nature, and try to enjoy life a bit....it is there for the taking.

I'm more interested in unity and positive discussion about how people can work together than fixations on the negative ALL the time.

I asked a question: "Are they paying autistic speakers as much as they are paying the others?"

How is this negative?

it is the assumption that 'they' do not value Aspieness as they value NTness. it is the avoidance that one is a professional and has a name that draws the audience and one is not as experienced and is just getting started in the speaking business that could be the criteria of the speaking fees and not the neurological condition of either.

It is not as if you came to the discussion without the baggage of your other posts, auntyjack. Your protestations of 'innocence' make the question even more suspect.

Gah!! hard times at work. Frazzled and messing up quotes. [quotes fixed by sinsboldly]

Some of the Autistic speakers in Australia are professional and they have been working in the area of autism for many years. I don't know if they are paid. I asked. If they are being paid appropriately then that is a great thing and I would like to know about it so that I can express my appreciation. If not, perhaps that is something that could be considered in future.

In Australia Indigenous speakers are reimbursed for their work. They do not need professional qualifications. They are qualified by their experience. I suggest that professional autistic speakers be considered as valuable as professional non autistic speakers. I also suggest that autism associations consider supporting non professional autistic speakers in gaining experience in public speaking by encouraging them and providing opportunities for them to address smaller groups initially.

If my baggage is that I ask questions then I don't care about the baggage. I consider that if people object to being asked questions about their practice, they have the problem, not the questioner. If they have a good reason for not paying speakers equally, then there is no harm in explaining that. The fact is that if something is discussed in public forums, then there is the likelihood of dissent. If people don't want dissent then they need to mark their posts, "feelgood comments only". That way we will know that discussion is not in order. Discussion is not always agreement and dissent or questioning of practice is a useful way for us to consider our opinions in the light of new understandings.


I have posted about my own views on speaking. I do not ask for or receive reimbursement. I am a professional working in the area of autism but I am not a professional speaker and have no intention of becoming one. I dislike public speaking intensely as there is such a huge energy cost afterwards. If circumstances change and I find it easier, I might change my mind, however that is unlikely at this stage. I do like to be reimbursed for expenses, however if this means that Autistics pay more, there are times when I waver that, especially in developing countries, in my home state or to an Autistic only group.

Did anyone else see the title of this thread and think 'for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan' (like the Borat movie)?

I'm not the only one then

I was thinking Anal as is in obsessive and rule bound, a trait most of us resist to fit in better in the NT world LOL