PROJECT ASPIE 2 APRIL 2020 / WORLD AUTISM AWARENESS DAY
SO SO massively THRILLED to have been invited by the founder of Project Aspie, the incredible Graeme Croton to be a guest speaker at this special event to celebrate World Autism Awareness Day. This prestigious event will bring together people of all ages, backgrounds, professions and regions to speak and share.
The event will take place at Somerset House, 37 Temple Street, Birmingham, B2 5DP on Thursday 2 April 2020 from 6pm until 8pm BST and your FREE tickets can be booked here.
The evening will be focusing on “People’s stories celebrating Asperger’s and Autism Awareness as well as autism lived experience and the positives of mental strength and Neurodiversity and Inclusion in the workplace.”
“This event will feature Special Guests and Special Guest Speakers who do amazing work within the community.”
Project Aspie is an award winning organisation who do such tireless, amazing and valuable work geared towards raising the profile of people with Asperger’s Syndrome and Autism within the community.
I will be one of three speakers ,including Graeme ,who will be talking autism lived experience and the positives of mental strength and neurodiversity and inclusion in the workplace. I have agreed to do this with the hugest of happiness because quite simply I would love to share what I am told is my inspirational journey with my son , how we fought through brick walls and endless heartbreak which actually descended into terrifying mental illness… how we turned the word “impossible” into “I’m possible”. How we both needed incredible tenacity and determination to break out of the invisible cage bars of ignorance and to prove everyone wrong. Against a very difficult background we both built lives and have ended up achieving beyond the impossible … beyond all our dreams. I would like, above all, to bring real,proven,achievable hope to this event.
Founded by Graeme Croton who had a late diagnosis of autism in July 2010 when he was 25 years old, Project Aspie was initially an award winning advocacy and support website which went from strength to strength in a very short period of time, with TV and radio interviews and events to name just a few.
Project Aspie was created to “improve and inspire people with Aspergers and Autism to live healthy and independent lives within the community.” Graeme and his team are “committed and dedicated to see an autism friendly environment in employment, education and independent living.” Their simple ethos is that Project Aspie is run by people with autism “to inspire others with autism.” Their motto is “Everything is possible but without willpower there is nothing” and I absolutely agree!
I am particularly delighted and excited because Graeme and his organisation view autism and other different/special abilities in the exact same way I do; not as a separate ‘population’ but as an integral and important part of our community, our world… this multi talented shared population where all voices should be heard and all different ways of thinking to be encouraged, included and celebrated. So many ideas and inventions, groundbreaking music, art and writing have come from those whose brains are “wired differently”. As I have said before in my many blogs and talks, this is not a “global autism crisis” but rather an extraordinary learning opportunity which we should embrace to move our world forwards: to make a difference to the future we shall one day leave behind.
Graeme and Project Aspie can be contacted on 0121 312 0587 or at graeme@projectaspie.org.uk
Their website can be found at https://projectaspie.org
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