Autreat 2008 Call for Proposals

[Guest guest]

Please circulate widely:

Autreat is a retreat-style conference run by Autism Network

International, for autistic people and our families, friends,

supporters, and interested professionals. We are accepting

presentation proposals for Autreat 2008, to be held Monday-Friday,

June 23-27, 2008, at a small campus near the New York-Pennsylvania

border, approximately 80 miles from Buffalo.

FOR HELP PREPARING A PROPOSAL:

If you want to submit a proposal but you have trouble reading these

instructions and putting your proposal in the requested format,

contact Jane Meyerding, jmeyerding@..., for help. Send only

plain text messages, with no attachments.

WHAT KINDS OF WORKSHOPS ARE WANTED AT AUTREAT?

Autreat is very different from typical autism conferences:

WHEN PREPARING A PROPOSAL FOR CONSIDERATION, BE AWARE THAT THE

*PRIMARY* AUDIENCE AT AUTREAT IS AUTISTIC PEOPLE.

Parents and professionals do attend, and most who attend find the

presentations to be of interest, but Autreat is basically autistic

space.

Be sure your information is being presented in a manner that is both

helpful to and respectful of autistic people.

We expect that you will be speaking *to* us, not speaking to non-

autistic people *about* us.

We are interested in presentations, by either autistic or non-

autistic people, about POSITIVE WAYS OF LIVING WITH AUTISM, about

functioning as autistic people in a neurotypical world, and about the

disability movement and its significance for autistic people.

We are *not* interested in presentations about how to cure, prevent,

or overcome autism.

We do *not* appreciate having non-autistic people come into our space

to talk to each other about how difficult we are to deal with, or how

heroic they are for putting up with us.

If your presentation is geared toward the interests of parents or

professionals, it should focus on positive ways of appreciating and

supporting autistic people, not on reinforcing negative attitudes

about autism and autistic people.

AUTREAT AIMS TO BE WELCOMING AND RELEVANT TO THE BROADEST POSSIBLE

CROSS-SECTION OF THE AUTISTIC POPULATION.

Autreat is attended by autistic people who speak and by autistic

people who do not speak;

by autistic people who communicate fluently and by autistic people

who have limited communication;

by autistic people who live independently and by autistic people who

need intensive support with daily living;

by autistic people who have jobs and by autistic people who live on

disability benefits;

by autistic people who are able to present as " socially acceptable "

and by autistic people who require support to help them manage their

behavior;

by autistic people who have been labeled " high-functioning " and by

autistic people who have been labeled " low-functioning " --including

some autistic people who have had *both* labels, at different times

or under different circumstances.

While it is not expected that any one presentation will be of

interest to each and every autistic person, we do look for

presentations that will appeal to the widest possible audience.

We are *not* interested in presentations that reinforce what we

consider to be artificial distinctions between members of our

community who are labeled " low- " vs. " high-functioning. "

A NOTE ABOUT " PERSONAL EXPERIENCE " PRESENTATIONS:

Be aware that everyone at Autreat either knows what it's like to be

autistic, or knows what it's like to care about someone who is autistic.

All of us have our own personal stories. Presentations about the

presenters' personal stories are not going to generate much interest,

unless you're able to use your story in a way that will help other

people to share and understand their own experiences in a new way.

Your proposal should describe what participants can expect to get out

of your presentation, not just what personal experiences you're going

to talk about.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT PRESENTATION TOPICS OF INTEREST

If you have never attended Autreat before, please review the ANI web

site (www.ani.ac) and the past Autreat brochures (http://www.ani.ac/

past-workshops.htm), and contact Jim Sinclair (jisincla@...) if

you have questions, to make sure you understand what Autreat is about

and whether your topic is relevant to ANI's philosophy.

WHAT IS EXPECTED OF PRESENTERS?

If you submit a proposal, we expect you to be available to attend

Autreat if we accept your proposal, and to give your presentation on

the day and time scheduled. We make every effort to accommodate

presenters' preferences in setting the Autreat schedule, but it is

not always possible to give every presenter his or her preferred time

slot.

Presenters are expected to send advance copies of any handouts or

slides they plan to use, so that we can prepare alternate format

copies for print-impaired attendees.

Presenters are expected to submit an article on their topic for

inclusion in the program book. These also need to be submitted in a

timely manner, so we can prepare copies in alternate formats.

Presenters are expected to consent for their presentations to be

recorded, and for the recordings to be sold by Autism Network

International.

Presenters are invited to attend all of Autreat. If presenters opt

not to attend the entire event, they are expected to arrive on-site

by 8:30 a.m. for afternoon presentations, and to arrive the night

before for morning presentations.

Please be prepared to meet these expectations if you decide to submit

a proposal.

WHAT'S IN IT FOR THE PRESENTERS?

Autreat presenters receive free registration, including on-site meals

and lodging in a shared (2-person) room.

ANI is a volunteer-run, member-supported grassroots organization with

minimal funding. We cannot reimburse for off-site expenses, nor can

we pay travel expenses or honoraria. If your proposal is accepted, we

will send you a formal letter of invitation if this would help you in

raising your own travel funds.

Presenters are entitled to receive one free copy of the recording of

their presentations.

PROPOSALS SHOULD INCLUDE:

* Your name and title (if any) exactly as you want them listed in

program materials should your proposal be accepted

* Contact information (address, phone, fax and/or email if you have

them)

* Title of your proposed presentation

* Detailed description for consideration by the Planning Committee

* Brief (5 sentences or less) abstract exactly as you want it listed

in program materials should your proposal be accepted

* Indicate ONE theme that BEST relates to your proposed presentation:

[ ] Advocacy skills

[ ] Life skills/adaptive strategies

[ ] Helpful support services

[ ] Communication

[ ] Social/interpersonal issues

[ ] Autistic community and culture

[ ] Education

[ ] Employment

[ ] Family issues

[ ] Residential issues

[ ] Disability rights and politics

[ ] Autism research and theory

[ ] Other (describe):

* Indicate which group(s) you believe would find your proposed

presentation of interest. Check as many as apply. Briefly describe

what your presentation would offer to each group:

[ ] Autistic adults

[ ] Autistic teenagers

[ ] Family members of autistic people

[ ] Educators

[ ] Clinicians

[ ] Service providers

[ ] Other (specify):

* Brief (5 sentences or less) presenter bio exactly as you want it

listed in program materials should your proposal be accepted

* Any audiovisual equipment you would need for your presentation

If you have never presented at Autreat before, please also include an

introduction for the Planning Committee summarizing your relevant

experience, including any presentations or other education/advocacy

activities elsewhere, and the nature of your interest in autism and/

or in general disability issues.

PROPOSAL DEADLINE: April 1, 2008

HOW TO SUBMIT A PROPOSAL

Proposals can be submitted via email to Jim Sinclair

(jisincla@...), or via postal mail to ANI at the address below,

or submitted online at www.ani.ac/aut08cfp.php.

WHAT IF I DON'T WANT TO PRESENT, BUT I HAVE AN IDEA FOR A

PRESENTATION I'D LIKE TO SEE?

If you want to make suggestions for Autreat presentations, or make

comments about previous presentations or presenters, please fill out

the questionnaire available at www.ani.ac/autplan2.php.

Autism Network International

P.O. Box 35448

Syracuse NY 13235

USA

[Guest guest]

Actually, this is something I hope to combine my higher ed background

with my interest in research. I served on a national commission for

commuter students and have a solid knowledge base of adult/non-

traditional students in colleges and universities. Would be open to

researching about things like ADHD and Asperger's and how colleges

and universities can best prepare them.

>

> Please circulate widely:

>

>

> Autreat is a retreat-style conference run by Autism Network

> International, for autistic people and our families, friends,

> supporters, and interested professionals. We are accepting

> presentation proposals for Autreat 2008, to be held Monday-Friday,

> June 23-27, 2008, at a small campus near the New York-Pennsylvania

> border, approximately 80 miles from Buffalo.

>

> FOR HELP PREPARING A PROPOSAL:

> If you want to submit a proposal but you have trouble reading

these

> instructions and putting your proposal in the requested format,

> contact Jane Meyerding, jmeyerding@..., for help. Send only

> plain text messages, with no attachments.

>

> WHAT KINDS OF WORKSHOPS ARE WANTED AT AUTREAT?

> Autreat is very different from typical autism conferences:

>

> WHEN PREPARING A PROPOSAL FOR CONSIDERATION, BE AWARE THAT THE

> *PRIMARY* AUDIENCE AT AUTREAT IS AUTISTIC PEOPLE.

> Parents and professionals do attend, and most who attend find the

> presentations to be of interest, but Autreat is basically autistic

> space.

>

> Be sure your information is being presented in a manner that is

both

> helpful to and respectful of autistic people.

>

> We expect that you will be speaking *to* us, not speaking to non-

> autistic people *about* us.

>

> We are interested in presentations, by either autistic or non-

> autistic people, about POSITIVE WAYS OF LIVING WITH AUTISM, about

> functioning as autistic people in a neurotypical world, and about

the

> disability movement and its significance for autistic people.

>

> We are *not* interested in presentations about how to cure,

prevent,

> or overcome autism.

>

> We do *not* appreciate having non-autistic people come into our

space

> to talk to each other about how difficult we are to deal with, or

how

> heroic they are for putting up with us.

>

> If your presentation is geared toward the interests of parents or

> professionals, it should focus on positive ways of appreciating

and

> supporting autistic people, not on reinforcing negative attitudes

> about autism and autistic people.

>

> AUTREAT AIMS TO BE WELCOMING AND RELEVANT TO THE BROADEST POSSIBLE

> CROSS-SECTION OF THE AUTISTIC POPULATION.

> Autreat is attended by autistic people who speak and by autistic

> people who do not speak;

> by autistic people who communicate fluently and by autistic people

> who have limited communication;

> by autistic people who live independently and by autistic people

who

> need intensive support with daily living;

> by autistic people who have jobs and by autistic people who live

on

> disability benefits;

> by autistic people who are able to present as " socially

acceptable "

> and by autistic people who require support to help them manage

their

> behavior;

> by autistic people who have been labeled " high-functioning " and by

> autistic people who have been labeled " low-functioning " --including

> some autistic people who have had *both* labels, at different

times

> or under different circumstances.

>

> While it is not expected that any one presentation will be of

> interest to each and every autistic person, we do look for

> presentations that will appeal to the widest possible audience.

>

> We are *not* interested in presentations that reinforce what we

> consider to be artificial distinctions between members of our

> community who are labeled " low- " vs. " high-functioning. "

>

> A NOTE ABOUT " PERSONAL EXPERIENCE " PRESENTATIONS:

> Be aware that everyone at Autreat either knows what it's like to

be

> autistic, or knows what it's like to care about someone who is

autistic.

>

> All of us have our own personal stories. Presentations about the

> presenters' personal stories are not going to generate much

interest,

> unless you're able to use your story in a way that will help other

> people to share and understand their own experiences in a new way.

>

> Your proposal should describe what participants can expect to get

out

> of your presentation, not just what personal experiences you're

going

> to talk about.

>

> TO LEARN MORE ABOUT PRESENTATION TOPICS OF INTEREST

> If you have never attended Autreat before, please review the ANI

web

> site (www.ani.ac) and the past Autreat brochures

(http://www.ani.ac/

> past-workshops.htm), and contact Jim Sinclair (jisincla@...) if

> you have questions, to make sure you understand what Autreat is

about

> and whether your topic is relevant to ANI's philosophy.

>

> WHAT IS EXPECTED OF PRESENTERS?

> If you submit a proposal, we expect you to be available to attend

> Autreat if we accept your proposal, and to give your presentation

on

> the day and time scheduled. We make every effort to accommodate

> presenters' preferences in setting the Autreat schedule, but it is

> not always possible to give every presenter his or her preferred

time

> slot.

>

> Presenters are expected to send advance copies of any handouts or

> slides they plan to use, so that we can prepare alternate format

> copies for print-impaired attendees.

>

> Presenters are expected to submit an article on their topic for

> inclusion in the program book. These also need to be submitted in

a

> timely manner, so we can prepare copies in alternate formats.

>

> Presenters are expected to consent for their presentations to be

> recorded, and for the recordings to be sold by Autism Network

> International.

>

> Presenters are invited to attend all of Autreat. If presenters opt

> not to attend the entire event, they are expected to arrive on-

site

> by 8:30 a.m. for afternoon presentations, and to arrive the night

> before for morning presentations.

>

> Please be prepared to meet these expectations if you decide to

submit

> a proposal.

>

> WHAT'S IN IT FOR THE PRESENTERS?

> Autreat presenters receive free registration, including on-site

meals

> and lodging in a shared (2-person) room.

>

> ANI is a volunteer-run, member-supported grassroots organization

with

> minimal funding. We cannot reimburse for off-site expenses, nor

can

> we pay travel expenses or honoraria. If your proposal is accepted,

we

> will send you a formal letter of invitation if this would help you

in

> raising your own travel funds.

>

> Presenters are entitled to receive one free copy of the recording

of

> their presentations.

>

> PROPOSALS SHOULD INCLUDE:

> * Your name and title (if any) exactly as you want them listed in

> program materials should your proposal be accepted

> * Contact information (address, phone, fax and/or email if you

have

> them)

> * Title of your proposed presentation

> * Detailed description for consideration by the Planning Committee

> * Brief (5 sentences or less) abstract exactly as you want it

listed

> in program materials should your proposal be accepted

> * Indicate ONE theme that BEST relates to your proposed

presentation:

> [ ] Advocacy skills

> [ ] Life skills/adaptive strategies

> [ ] Helpful support services

> [ ] Communication

> [ ] Social/interpersonal issues

> [ ] Autistic community and culture

> [ ] Education

> [ ] Employment

> [ ] Family issues

> [ ] Residential issues

> [ ] Disability rights and politics

> [ ] Autism research and theory

> [ ] Other (describe):

> * Indicate which group(s) you believe would find your proposed

> presentation of interest. Check as many as apply. Briefly describe

> what your presentation would offer to each group:

> [ ] Autistic adults

> [ ] Autistic teenagers

> [ ] Family members of autistic people

> [ ] Educators

> [ ] Clinicians

> [ ] Service providers

> [ ] Other (specify):

> * Brief (5 sentences or less) presenter bio exactly as you want it

> listed in program materials should your proposal be accepted

> * Any audiovisual equipment you would need for your presentation

>

> If you have never presented at Autreat before, please also include

an

> introduction for the Planning Committee summarizing your relevant

> experience, including any presentations or other

education/advocacy

> activities elsewhere, and the nature of your interest in autism

and/

> or in general disability issues.

>

> PROPOSAL DEADLINE: April 1, 2008

>

> HOW TO SUBMIT A PROPOSAL

> Proposals can be submitted via email to Jim Sinclair

> (jisincla@...), or via postal mail to ANI at the address below,

> or submitted online at www.ani.ac/aut08cfp.php.

>

> WHAT IF I DON'T WANT TO PRESENT, BUT I HAVE AN IDEA FOR A

> PRESENTATION I'D LIKE TO SEE?

> If you want to make suggestions for Autreat presentations, or make

> comments about previous presentations or presenters, please fill

out

> the questionnaire available at www.ani.ac/autplan2.php.

>

> Autism Network International

> P.O. Box 35448

> Syracuse NY 13235

> USA

>