Autism Awareness Month 2022: Neurodiversity, Race & Culture
Welcome, one and all,
April means autism awareness (shouldn’t every month, I hear you cry), and to honour this fact I present to you a ‘watch along’ session of short films and TED talks for your viewing pleasure: OVERCOMING BARRIERS + FLOAT at 8 – 9pm on Thursday, 21 April!
Run time: Clocks in at around 1 hour (one animation short, a documentary short and two TED talk recordings) – allow for 1 hour, 15 minutes to allow for any delays.
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Watch2gether:
We will be using the Watch2Gether platform, and the feature film and documentary short will start at 20:00, finishing by around 21:00.
Link: The link will be updated on the main event page and emailed out to all Members who RSVPD 24 hours before the scheduled start date, so keep a beady eye on Meetup/your inbox!
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Theme: The general focus of this month’s online watch along of films is on autism among ethnic minority communities, specifically selected for their representation of individuals and their families from under-represented (in the media) backgrounds, such as the Somali community.
Short Films:
OVERCOMING BARRIERS (2019) – Synopsis: A short, explanatory documentary telling the stories of Bristol-based Somali families all touched by autism, as well as interviews with some of the professionals who support them. Runtime: 29mins.
There is no Somali word for autism, which represents just one of the main barriers these families and the wider community face to gaining widespread understanding and acceptance. In partnership with National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and Autism Independence, Bristol.
FLOAT (2019) – Synopsis: A Pixar animated short focusing on a son’s extraordinary ability to fly and the difficult decisions his father must make in the best interests of his young child. Runtime: 6mins.
TED Talks: The first is a talk given by a ‘late’ (in adulthood) diagnosed Black woman on the autism spectrum, Chanel Matil Lodik, who shares four pieces of advice to help people treat those with autism better. The second is by an educator and parent of a young adult on the spectrum titled ‘Young, Gifted and Black with Autism’.
Combined runtime: 25mins.
OVERCOMING BARRIERS – Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yk5KCVd68KI
Further Info: https://arc-w.nihr.ac.uk/news/watch-overcoming-barriers-autism-in-the-somali-community/
FLOAT – Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JG7Xgy1akzI
Further Info: https://thenerdsofcolor.org/2021/03/12/pixars-float-is-not-just-about-representation-but-an-authentic-experience/
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Grazie Mille once again, and looking forward to welcoming all your lovely virtual selves on Thurs, 21 – again, as always do remember to RSVP to the event page per favore, just so I can keep tabs on numbers.