Systemic Practice and Autism Conference
3rd Systemic Practice and
Autism Conference
Autism and Intersectionality:
Implications for Systemic Practice and Research
Thursday 8th and Friday 9th July 2021 (online)
The third edition of the Autism and Systemic Practice conference will host presentations which share stories which offer learning for systemic practice on the subject of autism and intersectionality. Areas of intersectionality could be very broad. For example, but not limited to Autism-Gender-Sexuality-Transgender-Race-Ethnicity-Age-Opportunity-Economics-Employment-Language.
Systemic practice includes systemic therapy, workplace culture, consultation, organisational development, supervision, systemic social work and social care, policy development, systems consultations, teaching and practitioner research.
Rationale for this conference
Critically studying the way in which identity is constructed within health and social care shows us that people are described as either autistic or Black or trans - with implications for what services are offered or developed. How come some identities are foregrounded over others? Why is there a hierarchy of single identities? Who decides what services are useful and why?
Thinking intersectionally encourages an appreciation of autistic people as
- diverse people with varied and multiple, interacting, dynamic characteristics and life experiences.
- who should not be defined by pathologising or restrictive gendered, heteronormative and biomedical narratives which have the power to name and separate people into single hierarchical normalcies.
This event aims to encourage
- contextualised understandings of autistic people across their different contexts so people are more appreciated, feel safe and respected.
- more holistic views of the diversity between autistic people through hearing some of their stories so people's identities, lifestyle and relationship choices are described by them and not only filtered through professional narratives.
- new ways of seeing, talking and being in professional contexts that honour intersectionality in order to enhance the lives of autistic people, their families and their networks.
Conference Structure
Each element of the conference will have is own link. You can opt in or out of whichever events you want to attend. Some events will be pre-recorded with discussion time around them. There will be workshops, presentations and other forms of engagement. We will have some keynote presentations too.
Steering Group
This conference is organised by the Systemic Autism Steering Group made up of systemic professionals. More about the group at:
Call for Presentations
Proposals
Proposals are invited on autism and intersectionality which address the implications of two or more areas of lived experience such as (but not limited to) Autism-Gender-Sexuality-Transgender-Race-Ethnicity-Age-Opportunity-Economics-Employment-Language and more.
Please design your proposals and presentations i) with good autism practice in mind as this benefits everyone; and ii) to suit an online audience. All events needs to offer accessible learning opportunities for systemic professionals and other members of the public.
- Presentations (talks, films, papers etc) need to be 15 or 30 minutes long with 30 minutes or more discussion time. Presentations can be live or pre-recorded with discussion space during the conference.
- Workshops can be one or two hours.
You are encouraged to discuss an idea for a workshop or presentation in advance of preparing and submitting a proposal.
- Your name and title
- The title of the presentation
- Indicate workshop or paper, performance, reading, research report
- An 150 word abstract written in the first person and addressing the audience.
Please send your proposals to systemicautism@gmail.com by 31st March 2021 with the subject line: "Proposal for 3rd Autism and Systemic Practice Conference"
Booking
Book your place at this event: systemicautism.eventbrite.co.uk
Free places for presenters.