Autistic Minds LIVE Cardiff 2024 Seminar Speakers

10.15 - 10.45

Nadine Honeybone

Welcome

A warm and heartfelt welcome to everyone attending Autistic Minds LIVE | Llandudno 2024

10.45 - 11.15

Dimensions UK - Owen and Jordan

Owen and Jordan’s Experience: Don’t Give Up and Never Stop Learning

We invite you to listen to two inspirational autistic men, supported by Dimensions, who have both had unique experiences in their journey to independence and supported living. They have both experienced their triumphs & tribulations in their lives, but both have gone on to achieve incredible things including marathons, employment and more….
Listen & see what young adulthood can look like and feel like to someone who is autistic, and remember, don’t ever give up, and never stop learning.

11.15 - 11.45

Konrad Halabuda

How to bring autism to the forefront

When Konrad found out his son, Hunter, had autism, his life shifted. However, with love, understanding and the support of people around him, the family have used their experiences to shine a light on how positivity and empathy can lead to incredible outcomes at home and in work.

11.45 - 12.15

Sophie and Jessica - THINKEDI

Now you see me: How to support service users that mask?

Join autistic CEO, Sophie Mason, as she shares the importance of understanding neurodivergent masking in supporting your service users and shares ThinkEDI’s most effective key coaching tools which you can use to support service users, employees, or even yourself

12.45 - 1.30

Jordan James and Simon Scott - Podcast

The Neurodivergent Experience

The Neurodivergent Experience is the weekly podcast dedicated to exploring the vast world of Autism, ADHD & Neurodivergence.
Our experiences may overlap but no two stories are the same. In this podcast, we challenge the misconceptions & dive deep into our diverse experiences by sharing our personal stories with insightful conversations about living in the spectrum, alongside guest experts, advocates, & allies who are passionate about creating an inclusive & accepting world.

1.30 - 2.15

Dan Jones and Alex Watts

Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA)

In this talk, Dan and Alex from The Aspie World will be discussing the parts of life where adult PDA impacts your daily life from not only an autistic person’s point of view but that of ADHD also. Covering the ups and downs.

2.15 - 2.45

Leanne Mathers

Managing the Transition Process: Practical tips to aid a smooth transition

To think about what transitions might be like for individuals on the autism spectrum, highlight the importance of communication and look at practical and meaningful things you can do to support an individuals transition.

10.45 - 11.15

My story - Caitlyn Sheldon - CVS Technical LTD.

My story - Caitlyn Sheldon - CVS Technical LTD.

Caitlyn, a 24-year-old autistic entrepreneur, started a business after feeling marginalised & overwhelmed in traditional jobs. Drawing on her troubleshooting skills & love for IT, she launched her repair and support business. CVS Technical LTD promotes inclusivity, welcoming neurodiversity & prioritises honest, straightforward customer interactions. Her efforts extend to advocating for autism acceptance in workplaces, supporting the LGBT community, and encouraging others to embrace diversity and see how valuable neurodiverse people are to the workplace.

11.15 - 11.45

Amber Okpa-Stother .

How to support neurodiversity in the workplace.

The talk is about how to support neurodiversity in the work place . It gives tips and advice to employees about how to do this with people who are neurodiverse.

11.45 - 12.15

Stephen Ash

Working alongside the NHS and the Senedd as a represented of Wales Mental Health and Wellbeing forum.

My experience with mental health and Autism and how I used my skill’s to help come up with the neurodiverse policy when I was apart of the Senedd advisory board and how you can work within the Health board to improve service for people with learning disability and mental health problems.

12.45 - 1.30

Patrick Samuel & Hakon X

Visual Symphonia - Managing Autism, Synesthesia and Misophonia

Patrick and Hakon X have been at each other’s side for over 20 years. In that time, they’ve recognised their neurodiversity as something that not only unites them and makes them allies, but also gives them unique abilities with which they face their challenges as partners, artists and performers as the dark rock duo Visual Symphonia. As a joint presentation, they’ll be sharing how they’ve supported and enriched each other not just in their creative efforts, but daily lives as well.

1.30 - 2.15

Angela Kingdon

Celebrating Autistic Culture: Our Contributions and Impact

Autistic Culture Podcast host, Angela, explores the rich & unique tapestry of autistic culture, highlighting significant contributions of autistic individuals from the invention of the first stone tools to advancements in technology & the arts. She will delve into the core values of autistic culture, such as deep thinking, pattern recognition, & commitment to justice & honesty. By celebrating these, Angela aims to break down stigmas, advocate for greater acceptance, & demonstrate how embracing neurodiversity enriches society. Angela highlights joy, resilience & creativity in our community, as the audience discovers the profound impact of autistic minds on our collective cultural heritage.

2.15 - 2.45

Jodie Clarke

Stop the world I want to get off; an introduction to autistic burnout in children and young people

This talk will comprise of information and insight to aid recognition, recovery and prevention of autistic burnout in children and young people. This talk is being delivered ahead of Jodie’s book with the same title, which is due to be released by Jessica Kingsley Publishers in Jan. 2025.

10.45 - 11.15

Hannah Ensor

Communicating about hidden disability

Communicating about disability in a way that is understood and accepted by those around us is not easy. Attempts to explain are often seen as complaining/being negative. Other times people over-react & only see limitations, believing that life with disability means constant tragedy. Actually what we want & need is to have people around us who understand the hidden challenges we face, can provide support when needed, & step back when it’s not. Hear about some of the tips & tricks which have helped me address these issues through life with a hypermobility syndrome, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, & undiagnosed neurodivergence of some kind.

11.15 - 11.45

Simone Buehner

Functional Medicine for autism and natural ways to support

What is Functional Nutrition?
· Overcoming common co-conditions with Personalized nutrition testing
· Gut bacteria and its influence on autistic traits
· Foods that Heal, foods that harm
· Various diets to consider
· Practical tips

11.45 - 12.15

Laurence Sharman

Autism and Intimacy (or lack thereof).

One of the least talked about struggles, but the one I have faced with autism more than any other struggle, is the impact on my experience of sex and relationships due to struggling with social interactions. My talk aims to raise awareness of this.

OVER 18’s ONLY - Adult themes

12.45 - 1.30

Nicola Reekie

I’m not too… I’m actually autistic

An inside view to help understand why your child does the things they do & sharing some of my experiences growing up in a world I didn’t understand. I’ll share how I never knew how to cope within groups. I would listen & pay attention in a small group at playtimes & social activities. I copied what everybody else was doing. This is why autistic girls get missed; because we sit, watch & copy. I got teased and bullied for copying everybody. By the time school was over, I was unable to communicate clearly & would slip into trauma response. I’m going to do a short intro about the limbic system and why I’m hosting Nanny Aut in The PDA Space. I find learning about how our brain works is very helpful for late identified autistics, helping us identify ourselves better.

1.30 - 2.15

Alex Swift

Re-Defining Our Lives: Towards a Social Understanding of Neurodiversity

This presentation makes the point that how we define autism, shapes our understanding of the condition, as a society. The talk touches on and, strongly advocates for, the social model of disability, drawing on my personal experiences having assessments, & coming to understand & define the condition for myself. In the presentation I will conduct a thought experiment, describing “neuro-typical” traits in the same way you often see autistic traits presented in the media, to illustrate the importance of language in these discussions. The talk is will challenge preconceptions about autism & give a different perspective on how they think about disability!

2.15 - 2.45

Paul Griffiths

Late Diagnosis in Adulthood

Diagnosis at 56 - the challenges faced, assessment process, working to strengths, visual mind and how can recite information such as every King and Queen of Britain since 757 - how this memory aid has transformed into four fellowships - masking in my roles as Associate Director/Head of Health and Safety, with plus and negatives of this - personal executive functioning issues such as self care, money etc - need for routine - change of attitude since diagnosis