CAPH Eden Conference 2019

John Simpson is a 32 year old man with a diagnosis of an autism spectrum condition. He is an experienced public speaker, having spent over ten years presenting to conferences and delivering training sessions. During his career, he has worked in a residential service for adults with a diagnosis of ASC, as an Independent Visitor in an autism specific school, and served a term as a self-advocate member of the National Autism Programme Board between 2010 and 2015.  Last year, he graduated from the University of Birmingham with a BA in Political Science.

John’s presentation will describe and analyse the challenges he faced at school, when he had no diagnosis, and how the process of learning about his condition, and understanding himself as an adult, meant that he had a totally different experience when he returned to education as a mature student. Self-awareness was particularly important in helping him to understand and explain what support and adjustments he needed to welfare and academic staff at university. He will use this successful Higher Education experience as a basis to explain to staff how to create autism friendly environments for the students they’re teaching, and also to help children develop self-awareness and advocate for their own needs.