JanineHere at East Side Story were thrilled to hear about Autisticon Leeds 2023, a conference celebrating the unique strengths and perspectives of individuals with autism. Building on the success of last year’s Leeds Autism Show, Autisticon Leeds 2023 promises to be an exciting event that brings together people with autism, their families and friends, and those who want to learn more about autism.
The best part? Autisticon Leeds 2023 is free, and you can attend some or all of the day. We hope you can get to this exciting event, where we can all learn from each other and celebrate the diversity of our community. For more information, please see the release below.
What is AustistiCon 2023?
AutistiCon 2023 is a FREE event in June which aims to educate, enlighten and share what it really means to be autistic.
We will have guest speakers, stalls to help inform people of the support that is available across the city, and artworks created by autistic people.
It is a mini-conference all about autism, which is why we chose the name!
When and where is AustistiCon 2023?
The event will take place on Tuesday 13th June
At: The Leeds Playhouse, Quarry Hill, Leeds LS2 7UP
Start time: 0930 (9:30am)
End time: 1600 (4:00pm)
Do I need a ticket to go to AutistiCon?
The event is free, and you don’t need a ticket to attend. You can just turn up on the day.
People can come along to the whole event or just pop in for part of it.
Who is the event for?
The event is for autistic people, families and carers, professionals, or anyone with an interest in finding out more about autism and what it means to be autistic.
The event aims to cover information for autistic people of all ages.
What can I expect to see at the event?
At the event, you can expect to see:
- Autistic guest speakers and professional speakers, will be confirmed closer to the event
- Information stalls from local services working with autistic adults and children
- Content from autistic people about their experiences
- Exhibits and performances from local autistic artists
Who is organising the event?
Autisticon 2023 is being organised by a collective group of organisations that are dedicated to helping improve opportunities for autistic people.
Will the event be accessible?
We aim to make the event as accessible as possible.
We will have a quiet room, and people can dip in and out of the event as much as they wish.
We will be creating a venue map and will have clear signage throughout the event. There will also be volunteers on hand to direct guests around the venue during the event and help answer any questions.
The venue is wheelchair accessible, and there are wheelchair spaces in the auditorium where the guest speakers will talk.
Our aim is to make sure that the event is as inclusive as possible for autistic and neurodivergent people. Many of the organisers and volunteers are autistic themselves, which will help to create a safe space where people can be themselves.
We will try to keep everyone updated on what to expect from the event and will send out at least one more Autisticon newsletter before the event.
People can also stay up to date by visiting the Autisticon website:
Newsflash: first guest speakers have been announced!
We’re pleased to announce our first set of confirmed guest speakers:
Kate Dean
Kate Dean spent over 10 years leading and managing student-facing disability support teams in universities before setting up Enable Disability & Inclusion Consultants in March 2020.
Kate has lots of experience in identifying appropriate adjustments and enabling strategies that allow people to work to their strengths, working across a wide range of disabilities and long-term conditions, but particularly specialising in neurodiversity, mental health, and hidden disabilities.
Kate now supports organisations with end-to-end solution-focused support to deliver specialist consultancy, audits, training, and individual workplace assessments to identify and remove barriers to high performance in the workplace.
Kate brings her own lived experience and the strengths of neurodiversity to her work.
Conor Davidson
Dr Conor Davidson is a consultant psychiatrist in general adult psychiatry and clinical lead of the Leeds Autism Diagnostic Service. He was appointed Autism Champion for the Royal College of Psychiatrists in May 2021. The focus of this work is on improving autism awareness and autism training for psychiatrists. He chairs the College cross-faculty autism group and sits on the NHS England national autism strategy steering group.
Before joining LADS full-time in 2020, Conor was the autism lead for Tees, Esk & Wear Valley NHS trust. The TEWV autism project launched a large-scale training program and the autism Clinical Link Pathway; its achievements were recognised with a National Autistic Society award in 2019.
Conor has published a number of journal articles, blogs and book chapters with a particular focus on autism and mental health. Conor is a lifelong Leeds United supporter, which – after many years of disappointment – is finally starting to pay off.
Mandy Craven
Mandy is the parent of a 23-year-old that was diagnosed as autistic aged 3 when she was just entering her final year at University as a mature student.
After struggling with mental health issues, she came to realise she was autistic herself, and after a 10-year battle, she eventually got her diagnosis.
Mandy became involved with Leeds ABC Group and ran their successful youth group and family days for 14 years.
Mandy has tried various roles and is now happily settled into People Matters. This Leeds-based organisation creates opportunities for people with learning disabilities and other hidden disabilities, helping them to enjoy life in the same ways as anybody else.
During her time with People Matters, Mandy has progressed from being a bank support worker to co-ordinating both the well-being project and one of the outreach services. She is also involved with their social groups.
Stall booking is now open.
If your organisation would like to book a stall at the event, please click here, and fill out the form.
Stall numbers are limited to around 30-35, and we expect demand to be high. If you do not manage to secure a stall but would like leaflets/information etc… to be available at the event, please let us know by emailing: autisticon@leedsautism.org.uk
What to expect in the next update…
We should be able to provide some information about more of our speakers and performers and we hope to have a schedule of events ready for the next update.
In the meantime, you can check our website: https://autisticon.wordpress.com/
And if you have any questions, please contact us at autisticon@leedsautism.org.uk
