Autscape or camps, holidays, events etc for autistic adults

I am wondering whether there are any annual events for autistic adults in the UK that anyone else here goes to? I know about Autscape but no other events. I wondered if anyone here has found or been to any others?

When I was little I was home educated and there were annual camps for home educated children to meet each other with their families. I am really wondering if there is anything similar for autistic people and if anyone here has been to them if so.

Also, has anyone here been to Autscape? I'd be really interested to know how you found it, what it's like, if you have. I have no real conception of it despite having read up about it, I wonder if I would struggle with all the noise/business, I do not do especially well in very busy or noisy environments, or brightly lit ones for that matter.

Thanks a lot,

E

  • I attended Autscape in 2019 and also last year which was online due to Covid. At the conference they had badges with communication preferences, the pronouns people wanted to use and you can put a circle if you are happy to hug. It was a superb environment for autistic people and a lot of thought had gone into it. I will attend this year and aim to attend every year as it is a real highlight of the summer. Like a lot of people once I had been to Autscape once I decided to go every year.

    When I first went it was a leap into the unknown and I was quite apprehensive, but I needn’t have been as it was such an easy place to be with provisions made for everyone’s needs. It really helped me when I was newly diagnosed. I met some great people and learned so much about autism and people’s experiences. The food and the outdoor spaces at the venue were great and you could decompress and spend some time in nature between events. They also had a vintage games room with computer’s and consoles right through from the BBC micro through to the present day. I met people from all over the world.

    I would definitely recommend people attend as Autscape is such a great place and such a precious thing for the autistic community. 

  • ...Whehey! More like this is nice to read upon this Forum!

    What I can see from my own window is mostly just pigeons, but earlier on rustling in the branches of the sycamore tree was a blue tit.

  • No, it aims for somewhere quieter than London! Last year it was on the outskirts of Northampton, but it's unlikely to return there. I think next year is most likely to be in Kent (Tonbridge) again, or Gigglewick (N Yorks).

    Thanks for getting back Cassandro...Northampton might have been OK but Kent and North Yorks are both too far, oh well.

  • I will keep an eye out for next year's then, Cassandro Smiley fingers crossed! 

  • I think it's normally a bit earlier in August for that reason. It's a family-friendly place and quite a few autistic people there work in education and/or have brought their kids (autistic or not) - or their parents. It's for and by autistic people. I think you'd like it, Emma.

    It would be great if any of the other conferences and retreats 'for' autistic people could be more autistic-led or coproduced at least. I suspect activities provided may be rewarding, but suppose I am coming to really dislike being patronised by people (typically-developing professionals) who think wrongly that they know more about the subject than we do, and that their worldview is somehow better.

    Autistic Pride is the only other thing I know like Autscape in being fully autistic-run, and it's just one day or one afternoon. The basic principle of Autscape is simply 'autistic people have a right to exist.'

    I might be interested in the future if its held somewhere reasonably close to the MIdlands, is it always held in a London venue?

    No, it aims for somewhere quieter than London! Last year it was on the outskirts of Northampton, but it's unlikely to return there. I think next year is most likely to be in Kent (Tonbridge) again, or Gigglewick (N Yorks).

    There was a £20 afternoon taster available this year to let people see how the even is run and catch at least one talk. I expect they will do something similar next year, since there was a lot of discussion about 'inclusion' in general and for the event this year. There's also a bursary fund, funded by donations from other attendees, for people who really need their place subsidised; and I met a couple of people who had the full £200 3-day fee paid by a local charity or services.

    A couple of other thoughts. Firstly, there was a worry expressed that 'autistic subculture' might actually put some autistic people off. I think this would be particularly true if they are negative about autism. (Possibly the event can accommodate a few with fundamentally opposed views, but not too many.)

    Secondly, despite the aforementioned adaptations, there are some people who find it very difficult to be heard, for example by contributing a question. The moderation of sessions can forget that, and allow verbose people (yes, there are both extremes present) to dominate the time. If I were moderating I might enforce more hand signals and reserve some time for people who hadn't yet said anything in a larger group. I expect the organisers are considering such things now.

    For those interested in the content of the talk, a lot of the slides from this year have now been uploaded at:

    http://www.autscape.org/2018/programme/presentations

    (There may also be some podcasts to come. Generally no one's been available to video talks. Live streaming is unlikely to ever happen because of confidentiality of participants.)

    ...Whehey! More like this is nice to read upon this Forum!

    It was a nice sight. Does anyone know why most foxes have a white tip on their brush, but this one was generally darker with a dark brown tip? I didn't notice a lot of wildlife there even by the river, except a fair number of magpies.

  • (And there's a fox with an unusual dark spot on the tail just running across the housemaster's lawn as I right this at 7am.)

    ...Whehey! More like this is nice to read upon this Forum!

    ...That aside, I think that - five months ago! - this was an aside. As this Thread is revived, can anyone supply information about the rest, please? 

    I am wondering whether there are any annual events for autistic adults in the UK that anyone else here goes to? I know about Autscape but no other events. I wondered if anyone here has found or been to any others?

    ...This part, Thanks. I once Telephoned NAS themselves about a certain offered service, but they offer "day trips to the Coast" only if you happen to live beside the Coast anyway... so that was of no use at all to myself. (If it were useful, I would post the Link, here.)

  • Thanks for the info Cassandro. I might be interested in the future if its held somewhere reasonably close to the MIdlands, is it always held in a London venue? If so that completely rules it out for me both on distance but also I can't handle the intense vibe of our capital, the place freaks me out and also brings back bad memories of when I was a college there.

  • I was excited to hear about this Autscape thing, but it makes me sad that it seems to be on weekdays and outside my holiday period (I work education, so I'm only free in school hols). Disappointed

  • There seems to be a lot of camps in North America!

    https://www.veryspecialcamps.com/summer/asperger-camps/

    https://www.veryspecialcamps.com/summer/autism-camps/

    https://www.needymeds.org/camps.taf?_function=list_disease&disease_id=147&disease=Autism

    http://find.acacamps.org/program_profile.php?back=search&program_id=331

    http://www.easterseals.com/nj/our-programs/camping-recreation/

    http://www.campcourageous.org/

    http://www.clubkodiak.com/

    there are actually quite a few for adults if you search

    just some more possibilities if you want to go to an autism camp.

    (they seem super fun - I wouldn't be too worried about it being in a different country, since you'll be spending like a week on the campsite anyway, so you don't need to worry about things such as housing, food, or day-to-day travel. It'll be essentially the same as travelling to a different part of the UK and spending a week there. They seem to have great staff to camper ratio, and the activities well structured, some even focus on life skills. I haven't been to any but I think it would be fun to go some day if I have the money to afford it. Some offer scholarships, but seem hard to apply for, and I think some offer is completely free if you are a resident in that state, so probably can't either.)

  • Also, has anyone here been to Autscape? I'd be really interested to know how you found it, what it's like, if you have. I have no real conception of it despite having read up about it, I wonder if I would struggle with all the noise/business, I do not do especially well in very busy or noisy environments, or brightly lit ones for that matter.

    I thought I'd report back from the final day of this year's Autscape. It's my second year here. For all I know you're here too.

    The closest comparison I can make is with an academic conference or maybe a science-fiction convention, but it also has elements of a retreat and an autistic environment between a toybox and a library. The main adaptations are to deal with precisely those concerns of noise and busy-ness. We flap rather than clap, all try to be aware of others' sensory sensitivities and need for clarity, there's a quiet dining area available for those who need it, and a sensory room and quieter events going on alongside the main programme streams. (There's also the occasional excursion and trampolining, which is good for some sensory issues.) Having said that, no venue is perfect for autistic needs, and some have been complaining about the sound of lawnmowers nearby this year. One hall had good acoustics for performance, but terrible for lectures.

    Everything is optional, and you can control your social interaction by the famous colours, this year on cards: most people are on white or neutral meaning 'I can regulate my own social interaction', red and yellow are to stop anyone unwanted from approaching you, while green actively means 'please initiate conversation'. There's now even a badge you can choose to wear to say you can be asked for a hug; that may seem an un-autistic thing to do, but I've had some nice hugs from people I've only just met because the rules here are clearer. There are also small, self-supporting 'home groups' meeting twice a day or so. I can't personally think of how it could meet autistic needs better in those respects, although Autscape itself can't provide any specific support (I suppose that's potentially a bottomless pit; you can of course bring a carer or support worker). It's all put together into the Autscape handbook: http://www.autscape.org/2018/autscape-handbook-2018

    As DC mentioned, the only real drawback is the cost, which affects who can come, but is necessary for a self-sustaining, independent and autistic-run event hiring a big venue (this year Tonbridge School). There are definitely working class people and people on benefits who come, but it's less diverse in ethnicity than it is in disability, gender and sexuality, if you see what I mean. (And there's a fox with an unusual dark spot on the tail just running across the housemaster's lawn as I write this at 7am.) Anyway, if you want to come next year, you can sign up to the announcement list by sending a blank email to announce-subscribe@lists.autscape.org, or just keep checking www.autscape.org. I can see why people would just want to try it by coming for the day, but of course you'd need to check the programme when it's available to see which day is of most interest to you. Wednesday and Thursday have been the days with equal amount of significant lectures and activities, and both times I've come people have put on an entertainment evening (mostly musicians of a wide range of skills) on the Thursday, running past 9pm. There are a lot of things on the programme I've kicked myself for missing, but at least I managed last night.

    I've coped OK so far, although of course I've brought my mood and sleep issues with me, which have prevented me participating or socialising as much as I'd like. Maybe being yourself takes energy as well as masking. Somehow I've managed to avoid any really deep conversations, and there are people I'd probably like to be friends with after the event but am not sure how; I'd rather not wait another year to see them again. People have found others with similar special interests. There are some very clever and talented people here, which is a bit daunting for me, but at least I don't have to dumb down my conversation for a (neuro)typical majority. It hasn't really helped me with my ambivalence towards my diagnosis, but if you're someone wanting to change society for the better for autistic people and want some validation, Autscape should be a good place. There are positive moves being made by autistic people in society towards both inclusion and statutory services providing some 'accessible and appropriate' adult support, but it's a slow process. In some ways Autscape itself is a prototype for or microcosm of a better society.

    I'm grateful to all the organisers and volunteers and the people I've met who've shown me kindness. I hope there's another Autscape next year as expected, and it would be fantastic if people are inspired by Autscape or autistic pride to set up their own, smaller, autistic-run events. I'm not sure I'll come again though. Maybe I'm upset by the disruption to my home routine without having friends around, or maybe it's the examination of self and society, or my 'non-autistic needs' and mostly-typical senses, but I'm ambivalent about whether I belong here more than someone else who could come in my place. I haven't found it cliquey at all, but obviously some people are better at enjoying interaction than others (many would pass as NT without any need to). Writing this has helped me think a bit more about what I need.

    (edit: correct phonetic misspelling and clarifications.)

  • Greetings, you two Rebels (!) (LoneWarrior and Endymion)... I might not Post here again, and this is back upon the main Topic...

    I am wondering whether there are any annual events for autistic adults in the UK that anyone else here goes to?

    ...So far, no other answers? To NAS 36895, it is likely that NAS themselves may Post a link to their Main Website, and say that you search under "Events" and within your own local area. (Just the City or Borough). Apart from that, I cannot really say much else...

    I went to a "Wandsworth Autism Event" in my local area, and hated it, not least because "Wandsworth Autism" themselves did not actually turn up. (Go figure.) However, If you can travel to Autscape, then I would highly recommend doing so, despite never having been to it myself; and so that is why I say what I said. Good Fortune to you.

  • Hi Endymion,,,,just wanted to say “ snap” or “Ditto”, I focus on one main thing, have huge piles of stickit notes, rarely find time to research the many things I make notes on, my memory is not good, I often finish here and suddenly remember I meant to look for information about something completely different.

    thank you DC for the link, I had no idea such an event exhisted, so thanks also to NAS36895 for asking about it.

    x()x

  • Slight smile  Not at all , your post isn't strange at all. You're quite right, I did take a note of the name 'Autscape' to Google it at a later date and find out a bit more about it - but as usual with these lists I have of things to Google it gets added to my little pile and has only a 50 / 50 chance of being found again and acted upon.

    When I'm online, which I've only done regularly since I joined this forum, I'm generally ONLY on this forum. I don't like having 'New Tabs' because I lose track of what I'm doing and I don't like jumping from one thing to another - there's no excuse for it really though, it's not exactly difficult to have more than one tab open a time. I suppose I see my time on here as Relaxation Time whereas my time on Google is Work / Research Time.   

  • Glad Tidings to Miss Endymion! 

    However...People who know how to use the Internet yet do not know how to use the Internet simply confuse me. This is yourself:

    I've only vaguely heard of Autscape but I too would like to know more about it, anyone? 

    This is Myself:

    See the word AUTSCAPE, and enter it into a Browser/Search Engine.

    Click upon a result, and check if it is genuine.

    Copy and paste the address which is then found:

    http://www.autscape.org/about/

    End of.

    ...Sorry, but I myself have never been to Autscape, because as far as I know, it costs at least Thirty Pounds for a Ticket. I often pick up the pretty multi-coloured leaflets advertising it, when I visit NAS in London.

    (I am glad of you being here, and I apologise if this Post seems a bit strange.)

  • I've only vaguely heard of Autscape but I too would like to know more about it, anyone?