3 long days at the NZ conference Setp.2008

Post Reply New Topic

My feedback, thought some of you may enjoy
Autism NZ Conference 2008 from an Aspie (ASD persons) point of view: the Autism NZ conference started and I felt so hopeful as the Hillmorton High School Kapahaka Group started the official opening and truly were amazing, I really felt and sensed the whole moment. The day started on a high note, despite the crowds and noise and feeling alittle like on a busy motorway going in the wrong direction. I would like to say Dr Stephen Shore, USA a great individual and very genuine speaker, Professor Tony Attwood his usual entertaining polished self... and Matt Frost gave a brilliant opening address, even The Honourable Ruth Dyson was impressed.

At the end of the first long day of Autism NZ conference and ASK Trust group evening meeting on Friday...My mind was saturated with words and thoughts so off to get some much needed sleep. Woke up feeling quite despondence, even sad the conference seemed to be more about us from an NT prospective and could not help but wonder if that gap will ever be bridged, where we do not have to continually play the part to fit into a world that often is unforgiving, returned feeling a little apprehensive – still another 2 days at the Autism NZ conference, maybe it’s just me and the situation, change ..... would like to add we are not all train crazed!

After 3 days of conference I would be quite happy to sit and stare at a blank wall, I do not feel I have learned anything I did not already know, except confirmation that the gap between us aspies and NTs (neurotypicial person not on the autism spectrum) is huge..... the aspies all stuck together as always, safety in numbers.... and not wanting to seem more odd, the one that always disagrees, points out the obvious mistakes, mainly kept quite most of the time, the NTs sat in rows taking in every word, but to me they were just hearing the very basics of who I am.

I am glad I attended if it was just to meet one of the key speakers Dr Stephen Shore a fellow aspie, who reminded me our aspie connection, is worldwide and can only but admire his endless efforts to speak, write and help others into our world. I also felt Russell Browns speech was more on the lines of what further conferences should be like, but could feel the silent shock at some points and some totally missed the point, even feeling the need to judge him so wrongly as a parent, to me like a breath of fresh air. I also have to mention Tim Powell and the sibling panel who gave a wonderful insight and great response to questions.

Of course there is only so much we could see as many concurrent sessions and as found the smaller sessions more interesting and in insightful... maybe should have more of and less of the key speakers like Professor Patricia Howlin UK, to be honest would of preferred to read her book than listen to her.... I think she is so into her work partly disconnected from the real world, real aspies's. She gave examples of very extreme cases, more for impact I felt like "we sit on the circle line train and go around and around, one way some of us socialize!! ! or walk along train tracks and of course dangerous as can get killed!! ! really there are also some strange NTs in the world, I feel they should be giving good examples, or more realistic ones, by the end of her speech most NTs would want to avoid us....

There was a few times I could of burst into disagreement, but not wanting to be spoken to like a misunderstood child, just wondered when the ignorance would ever end.... I guess I know we will never be able to educate everyone and to help instigate change I have to seem normal on NT terms....

The AS child who nearly all continue to be bullied, I do not feel many NTs really do not, or cannot comprehend how bad it is and the extent of damage it causes... it amuses me they blame the problem on the schools and child, I think the whole point is missed.... the parents need to start to teach children about diversity and difference and what’s not ok, and be good examples themselves....

After some of the things said throughout the last few days, as an aspie it made me want to hid away, thank god for the retreat room, when I found it, hidden away, the afterthought. I guess that says a lot in itself, in fact there was an excessive amount of paper handed out and could find no mention of the retreat room, it did mention the notice broad, even name tags and how to dress! – in fact I think our room was off the floor plan map. This culture talk about us without us, really has to change. But at least there us aspies could talk freely and recharge, not be judged. No wonder so many of us find it easier to alienate ourselves when we are made to feel like aliens…,

At times I honestly felt it all a little too nice, basic and belittling to the people it’s meant to help... I guess it is to educate NTs, but if I wanted to know about NTs more would speak and hear from them. So as an aspie the main ingredients was missing “aspie” which I guess I feel is rather strange, maybe we need NT training. As some NTs were explaining I felt spoken about, I only really felt included or that what was being said was right, when the aspie people spoke... or people living with aspies... Any suggestion how we bridge this gap, apart from another planet!

My thoughts day after conference - is it really 2008, I feel like I have been punched and kicked, no wonder others look at me and just smile. 3 long days of mostly having others talk about, rather than feel included... I smiled politely my fixed mask grin while underneath felt I was back in the dark ages... in cyberspace I truly thought others were beginning to get and understand our differences... I still feel the majority feel an obligation to change us, look after us, even fix us! what I ask... what I need is understanding, others allowing for my differences without judging me for being me.

Of course there were some inspirational people there and for those of you who like myself really want to involve AS people in a world that is often unforgiving for our differences or just not willing to listen except on their terms. I thank you and Autism NZ for all their hard work and for bringing people together, but let’s hope next time the aspie/autie community can play a much bigger part, not feel like the afterthought.

The strange thing is I feel many of us on the autism spectrum, do not agree with alot of the information others are being feed about us, only instigating others to feel sorry for us, but I feel do not quite get who we are, among a group of aspies I am as normal as you are among a group of NTs. Maybe there should be an Aspie conference where they explain NTs to us, but really shouldn't the Autism conference be a lot more inclusive of those of us on the autism spectrum... spend just 1 day reading, talking to people who like myself are differently able, if you really want to understand.

I also found it amusing that the conference brochure saying across the front "making the Connection" no mention of the ASK Trust the national group run for and by people on the autism spectrum, or my web site/forum where you can read about and speak with people on the autism spectrum themselves, I guess I dare speak out and challenge...

Just a part of some of the many comments I have started to receive from the ASD community, since the Autism NZ 2008 conference:
"IT IS PRECISELY THE REASON I DIDN'T ATTEND ITS A LOT OF MONEY TO FEEL INSULTED AND PISSED OFF. Seems like nothing has changed since i last went to the conference when it was in chch which is i think 2002 so no progress. and i noted that they handed out s**t like chocolate bars with the autism Nz logo on them and a cup for god sake with the same logo.............so the thats proof that the 3million govt grant to aut nz was well spent!......."

"It is with some sadness that I write to let you know how ASD unfriendly I found some aspects......"

I am off for now to immerse myself in aspieness and gain some respect back for myself.... would love to hear your views if any of you attended or similar experiences at other conferences....

Sorry seem to of doubled post.... after 3 days at that conference need a year to recover!

Last edited by asplanet on 14 Sep 2008, 10:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Yeah, I agree with you on this. It is hard because the neurotypical folk really dont understand us, which I find difficult to understand because how is it hard to understand the literalness of us? I think they just look too hard for a pattern in our strangeness and they miss what is right in front of them- that what they see is what they get.

I went to one when i was first dx'ed in Sydney. It featured Attwood and Temple Grandin.

The good bit is meeting other apsies.

The bad bit is the patronising ignorance, the parent focus - I found Attwood rather patronising, I think he singled out aspies in the audience like performing seals (some people think he's very slightly autistic). I don't relate to Grandin that strongly as she is LFA (or whatever), but she was ok. It's just that public speaker aspies often end up being 'self narrating zoo exhibits' and that she was.

It's a bit of an industry, the cost is outrageous. I only went to one other and it was cheap and included lunch, just a one day thing. A grandmother of an AS kid sat at a table with me for lunch and it was quite nice to have a chat with her, but you often get badgered aggressively by parents at those things too.

......Why did you quote your first post?

error, have amended... its not easy to think straight after 3 days of put down!

I totally agree, but because of cost only about half a dozen aspies at the NZ conference and please do not get me started on Attwood I am still recovering from being made to feel like a helpless alien but apart from mentioned autism and s**t for impact, near the end when no one could reply he mention the Cassandra Affective Disorder, do not have the energy to explain right now, but a great existing thread already: http://www.wrongplanet.net/postx24081-0-0.html not the best end to any conference. To be honest he is a good speaker and when he talks about family members real experiences he is really good, but then he has to start talking about crap and other stuff...

But it should not be about presentation and in fact feel we can learn so much more by having aspie speakers presenting in there own way.....

I personally find the idea of Cassandra Affective disorder hilarious. Having dated both NT men and AS men I cannot really see the difference between them in terms of emotionality- men are men.

Yes, aspie men spend hours reading about their interests, ignoring their girlfriends, but NT men also spend hours in front of sports games, Xboxes and at the pub, ignoring their girlfriends! And I might note, aspie men can make fantastic boyfriends from what I have experienced.

I totally agree with you, honest, reliable and often go out of there way to please, they show emotion in there own way. I am getting so feed up with the fact that we we are not like stereo type NT norn their is something wrong with us, when will others see our differences and accept us as we are. We do not have the problem, many NTs just do not want, allow or understand any difference.

Sounds like a politically charged meeting to make money. Don't take it personally. They understand more than what is let on. Maybe this'll cheer you up a bit http://www.rdos.net/copies/as-intelligence.htm

Exactly, all trying to hard sell, protect there own projects effective or not.
Thanks for the link, interesting way of viewing things....... "performance into disease categories rather than genetic differences", "Among the wrongs here, to the sad use of misdiagnosis to cover for institutional incompetence, we have to add distortion of the scientific method for social purposes and refusal to tolerate superior traits in individuals...."

Anyone who mentions Edward O. Wilson gets my vote. as-intelligence.htm

I think this period in science is a war between the naturals, and those who by some means got degrees.

No amount of school, diplomas hanging on the wall, can confer what some are born with.

There is not an Inventors Degree, it has been tried, MIT wasted a lot trying to make their students creative visionaries.

The Patent Office does not care who came up with it, just if it is new or not.

One of the sought talents of a CEO is having a vision of what will work in five or ten years.

What is valued most highly in business, in technology, is called a disease by those who call an electrician to change a fuze.

Our only path is to self define, offer a rebutal to everything said at such conferences, and to poke holes in what they call research.

The NT plan is we will have a study to prove X, and they do. Then they publish a conclusion.

The Scientific Method is we will have a study, and see what we find, and make it available to all future researchers.

Psychobabble fears the Scientific Method.

Interesting read, thanks for sharing asplanet.

I have to agree, with the realization that the conference I attended was more worried about being politically correct and wanting to contain the very few aspies who could barely afford to be there, an embarrassment best kept quite if possible, the silent when one spoke not in the usual NT language, I am so glad I went or would never of believed how bad it was myself.

As for research they seem to want to label every part of me, I have so many that overlap and inter act its a joke, all this to figure whats right in front of them and a refusal to tolerate superior traits in individuals. My view is I can only be myself - as everyone else is taken!