Workshops for Autistic Adults
Who are the sessions aimed at?
Funded by Southampton City Council, these sessions are for autistic adults who wish to gain more insight into what makes them different and why.
What are the aims of the workshops?
The aim of these workshops is to support participants towards understanding and accepting who they really are rather than teaching them to ‘mask’ or ‘pass for normal’.
Workshop structure:
- The workshops are made up of six sessions which are each two hours long, but people can decide how long they wish to stay for each session.
- There will be a 15-minute break in the middle of the session. Should anyone need to take a break at any other time they are, of course, free to do so.
For the comfort of all, each group will be have up to 15 participants.
When and how often sessions take place:
- Participants can choose to join one of two small groups depending on whether they prefer a morning or evening session.
- Sessions will take place once a week, and the dates are given below.
Schedule
Session 1 - Introduction
Set the context for the other workshops and explore:
- Competing definitions of what it is to be autistic.
- The diversity of the autistic population, their relative merits.
Session 2 - Thinking
- Differences in the way we think and process the world.
- Suggested adjustments that can help accommodate differences.
Session 3 - Communication
- How autistic people might acquire language and move on to develop distinctive styles of communication.
- Ways of enabling better communication between us and non-autistic people.
Session 4 - Social Interaction
- Distinctly autistic ways of forming relationships.
- Strategies for avoiding social burnout.
Session 5 - Sensory Perception
- How reactions to everyday stimuli may give clues as to our unique sensory profiles.
- Ways to stimulate or calm our senses.
Session 6 - Reasonable Adjustments
- Legislation and guidance concerning equality and discrimination.
- How such legislation and guidance applies to us.
Funded by Southampton City Council, these sessions are for autistic adult residents within Southampton City Council boundaries who wish to gain more insight into what makes them different and why.
Course Dates – 2025
| Southampton Adult Group 1 |
| In person at the Neurodiversity Connections Hub in Bitterne |
| 434 Bitterne Road, Bitterne Village, Southampton, SO18 5RT |
| 10am - 12pm |
| Monday 23rd June |
| Monday 30th June |
| Monday 7th July |
| Monday 14th July |
| Monday 21st July |
| Monday 28th July |
| Book here: https://buytickets.at/autismhampshire1/1553533 |
| Southampton Adult Group 2 |
| Online via Microsoft Teams |
| 6pm - 8pm |
| Monday 3rd November |
| Monday 10th November |
| Monday 17th November |
| Monday 24th November |
| Monday 1st December |
| Monday 8th December |
| Book here: https://buytickets.at/autismhampshire1/1596212 |
If you are unable to make the above dates and would like to be updated when future training dates become available, please email the team at trainingadmin@autismhampshire.org.uk . Or look at our bespoke training courses for individuals or organisations.
Whilst it is not compulsory to actively contribute (or be on camera for online courses), these sessions are an opportunity to safely share experiences and insights with other autistic people.
A certificate of attendance can be supplied, if required.
In the event that you are unable to attend a session, please let us know in advance so that we can start on time, via trainingadmin@autismhampshire.org.uk.
Sessions which are online are delivered via Microsoft Teams, which you can access via the internet or app. You will need to have access to the appropriate technology, including camera and microphone.
If you require any reasonable adjustments in order to attend, please contact us in advance.