Workshops for Autistic Adults

Southampton Workshops for Autistic Adults

Who are the sessions aimed at?

Autistic adults residents within Southampton City Council boundaries 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:

• There are 2 hours allocated for each session, but each person can decide how long they wish to stay.
• There will be a 15-minute break in the middle of the session. Should anyone one 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 limited to 10 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 weekly, 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.

Session 2 - Thinking

• Differences in the way we think and process the world.
• Accommodating such differences

Session 3 - Communication

• How autistic children 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 being social.
• 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 - Behaviour

• Legislation and guidance concerning equality and discrimination.
• How such legislation and guidance applies to us.

Course Dates – Autumn 2023

Group 1  Face-to-face at MAST Mayflower Studios, Southampton 10am-12pm Booking Link		Group 2 Face-to-face at Edmund Kell, Unitarian Church, Southampton 6pm-8pm Booking Link
Wednesday 13th September 2023		Wednesday 20th September 2023
Wednesday 11th October 2023		Wednesday 18th October 2023
Wednesday 8th November 2023		Wednesday 15th November 2023
Wednesday 13th December 2023		Wednesday 20th December 2023
Wednesday 10th January 2024		Wednesday 17th January 2024
Wednesday 14th February 2024		Wednesday 21st February 2024

Please be aware that we expect participants to attend and actively engage with all sessions. A certificate will be issued on successful completion of the full course. In the event that you are unable to attend a session, please let us know in advance, where possible, at trainingadmin@autismhampshire.org.uk

Southampton Workshops for Autistic Adults