Courses

The Autistic Collaboration Trust in collaboration with S23M Healthcare Solutions is offering in-depth education in the neurodiversity paradigm, the neurodiversity movement, and Autistic culture based on our unique database of lived experiences.

The AutCollab Education Team

  • Jorn Bettin, Aotearoa New Zealand
  • Dr Juanita Fernando, Australia
  • Christyanne Gaspar, United States

Available courses

All our education courses are based on Autistic lived experiences and on our intersectional participatory research, very different from education about neurodiversity in the language of the pathology paradigm, which mainly frames neurodivergent people from an external perspective, in terms of deficits relative to the current neuronormative culture, perhaps with a few special splinter skills thrown in for Feel Good Effect.

The objectives of the Autistic and neurodiversity civil rights movements overlap significantly with the interests of those who advocate for greater levels of cultural and psychological safety in the workplace and in society in general.

Our courses combine multiple ways of learning:

✓ Self-paced learning

✓ Online Q&A with neurodivergent educators

✓ Collective learning in Open Space on neurodiversity friendly terms

✓ Scenario-based communication exercises with neurodivergent people

Discovering intersectionality and the neurodiversity movement

Education about the neurodiversity paradigm, intersectionality, and the neurodiversity movement is not the same as education about neurodiversity. This course introduces and provides basic answers to four important questions:

  • Why is there an urgent need for a paradigm shift?
  • How does the mindset and language of the new paradigm differ from the language in the old paradigm?
  • Who is involved in the shift?
  • Who must learn from the neurodiversity movement?

Available course:

  1. Discovering intersectionality and the ND movement – online bookings (2 hours)

The neurodiversity paradigm & intersectionality

Education about the neurodiversity paradigm and intersectionality is not the same as education about neurodiversity. It answers an important question:

How does the mindset and language of the new paradigm differ from the language in the old paradigm?

Available courses:

  1. Introduction to the ND paradigm & intersectionality – online bookings (3 hours)
  2. Exploring the ND paradigm – inquire above (8 hours)
  3. Deep dive into the ND paradigm – inquire above (15 hours)

The neurodiversity movement

Education about the neurodiversity movement builds on the neurodiversity paradigm. It answers three important questions:

  • Why is there an urgent need for a paradigm shift?
  • Who is involved in the shift?
  • Who must learn from the neurodiversity movement?

Available courses:

  1. Introduction to the ND movement – online bookings (3 hours)
  2. Exploring the ND movement – inquire above (8 hours)
  3. Deep dive into the ND movement – inquire above (15 hours)

Autistic culture and lived experience

Education about Autistic culture builds on the results of the neurodiversity movement. It answers three important questions:

  • What is Autistic culture?
  • How does it relate to other cultures?
  • How does it relate to the neurodiversity movement?

Available courses:

  1. Introduction to Autistic culture – online bookings (3 hours)
  2. Exploring Autistic culture – inquire above (8 hours)
  3. Exploring Autistic culture, for paediatricians – inquire above (8 hours)
  4. Deep dive into Autistic culture – inquire above (15 hours)

Autistic trauma

Education about the many ways in which Autistic people are traumatised throughout their life by the social norms and “normal” living conditions in modern industrialised societies. It answers three important questions:

  • Why are Autistic people severely affected by traumatising conditions and events?
  • How to distinguish between Autistic traits and trauma coping mechanisms?
  • How to best support highly traumatised Autistic people?

Available courses:

  1. Introduction to Autistic trauma – inquire above (3 hours), under development
  2. Exploring Autistic trauma – inquire above (8 hours), under development
  3. Deep dive into Autistic trauma – inquire above (15 hours), under development

Inquiry

For bulk registrations for larger organisations or teams (more than 25 participants), and for our in-depth 8 and 15 hour courses, please use the online form below to outline your needs, and our team will contact you to confirm the most appropriate delivery format, the cost, suitable dates and times, and as needed the location(s) for on-site delivery.

All our 8 and 15 hour courses contain interactive and collaborative learning experiences, as well as access to active members of the neurodiversity movement. Please note that for these courses to be viable, the minimum number of participants required is 10.