Presentation Rough Draft

Presentation rough draft

Intro: Start with 1st minute and 33 seconds of Star Trek TNG “Darmok” part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wloM_s6qsKw&feature=related

Intended effect:

Aliens from another planet are a common word picture used to describe autistic people— but more to the point, what it shows us about human nature’s visceral reaction to unknown people groups is telling. “Peculiar, weird, are they dangerous?” These are the first feelings upon interaction. Regarding another from a distance, curiosity is not a bad place to start but a poor place to end. And that’s why I chose this clip: it matches the prevailing mood of the general public regarding autistic children, yet also possesses a handhold, a signpost, a point last seen, that I can use to extend what families know beyond their child’s point of development—and a hand!

(bit more to say here and dive into short PowerPoint)

Short PowerPoint portion Estimated time 3 minutes

Where we miss each other: the fabric of our lives

(I suspect this is why self-advocates haven’t typically been involved.)

Self advocates

*Sensory & social difficulties *If single and childless, proximity absent *some live independently undiagnosed

Parents/families/caregivers

*Busy, busy, busy * Focused (necessarily!) on task at hand: my child *History of autism diagnosis

What we can offer each other.

Things I’ve learned from parents/families/caregivers

*Perseverance in the face of fear *Quiet deliberation in action *Gentle insistence to speak the lasting word

Things I can/have taught families *Streamlining information *Select one part of sensory information *block others pieces

Among other things. In one way or another we've all found our peculiar methods of getting around.

Activity: The bulk of my presentation will be here. This is where they actually get to see/do/ one of the tools I use to cope, in action. Estimated time 9-10 minutes

Close: bit of profound wisdom (I hope!)

End w/1st 1 min 55 seconds of Pocahontas part 4 /sort of picture of what I hope our relationship can look like http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDfYvsdG8d0&feature=related

Note: said clip is in German— because two people groups are less threatening than creatures from another planet, while a different language lends a mutual peculiarity between parties. (Otherwise We the audience never consider possibility that we could the strange ones in their mind) The intended effect is one of strange familiarity.