|
AUTISM
NETWORK INTERNATIONAL
PresentsAutreat 2008Living Life the
Autly Way
What is Autreat?Autreat is a retreat-style conference run by autistic people, for autistic people and our friends. Autreat focuses on positive living with autism, NOT on causes, cures, or ways to make us more normal. How Autreat is different from typical autism conferencesTypical autism conferences are about autistic people, but are primarily for the benefit of researchers, service providers, or families. Autreat is an opportunity for autistic people and those with related developmental differences, our friends, and supporters to come together, discover and explore autistic connections, and develop advocacy skills, all in an autistic-friendly environment. Family members and professionals are welcome to attend, but the structure and content of this event will be determined by the interests and sensibilities of autistic people. Things you will not find at Autreat:
Things you will find at Autreat:
The FacilityAutreat is moving to a new home! Our new venue is at the
Bradford campus of University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,
approximately 80 miles from Buffalo. The nearest major airport is in
Buffalo, New York. There is a small regional airport in Bradford that
receives incoming flights from Washington DC. Like previous venues,
this campus has plenty of open space for walking, recreation, and
enjoying the outdoors. It has A limited number of apartments have a single queen-size bed
instead of
two twin-size ones. Private rooms are available at an extra cost and as
space allows. Wheelchair-accessible facilities are available. Fee
adjustments are available if you live nearby or wish to stay in a motel
off-site and commute to Autreat during the days, or if you wish to
provide your own meals instead of having meals in the Autreat dining
hall. We can provide a list of nearby motels and restaurants. More detailed information is available at autreatinfo, an Ongoing Autreat updates and discussion online group. If you are new to AutreatAutreat is designed to be 'autistic space'. This is sometimes confusing or uncomfortable for non-autistic people attending. If you're new to ANI and unfamiliar with Autreat protocol, please carefully review the information in this page, and contact ANI if you have questions. Descriptions of past Autreats can be found here. A personal account is found here and here. If you aren't sure you're ready for four days of total immersion, you might consider registering for days only and commuting from a local motel. PROGRAMWORKSHOPSWe have an exciting lineup of presentations on a variety of subjects of interest to the Autistic community, including services for autistic adults, assistive technology, research, self-advocacy, social networking, autistic people in Israel, and more. For information on workshops and presenters, click here.OPTIONAL CERTIFICATE TRACKSYou may earn a certificate by attending a group of seven workshops chosen to reflect a certain theme. Certificates that will be offered this year: Advocacy, Autistic living, Autism and Family Issues, Professional Education.You do not need to be in a certificate track--this is purely optional. You are free to attend any workshops you want, as many or as few as you want, or not to attend any workshops at all. Continuing Education UnitsIn past years Autreat has been approved to offer Continuing Education Units through Syracuse University. We have applied again for Autreat 2008. This page will be updated to reflect if we receive approval.A special note about social interactionsFor some ANI members, meeting other autistic people and having a chance to socialize with others like ourselves is an exciting and wonderful experience. Others are not interested in social contacts and may come to this event just for the workshops. Some of us are interested in socializing some, but need to be able to take time out from interacting. Autreat is meant to provide opportunity, but not pressure, for social interactions. If you are coming to meet other autistic people, please understand that some people will also want to meet you, but some will not be into meeting people, and their own choice must also be respected. If you want to come but do not want to meet or talk to people, you are still welcome to attend. You will be given a color-coded badge which you can use to indicate if you want to be approached only by people you already know, or don't want to be approached at all by anyone. If you are a parent, a teacher, or other service provider, and
are bringing an autistic child or student or client because you hope
the person will make social connections with others, please adopt the
same position of providing opportunity, but not pressure.
If you need personal assistanceANI is not able to provide personal assistance for people who need help caring for themselves or participating in this program. If you need help with self-care, communication, orientation, or behavior management, please make your own arrangements to have someone with you to assist you. Child care and activities for kidsThe rate for children and teens includes a daytime activity
program for children under 18. Staff:child ratio is approximately 1:6.
If your child needs more support than this, please bring an aide for
your child, or contact ANI about hiring extra staff for an additional
fee. FundingIn the past, people have successfully applied for funding from sources such as local autism societies, family support agencies, state commissions on developmental disabilities, Arc chapters, and public schools. Read A Short Course on Autreat Funding
by Jim Sinclair, for more information. Transportation to the campusThis year's Autreat takes place at the Bradford campus of the
University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Please note that the campus is
in Bradford, Pennsylvania, approximately 80 miles from Buffalo, and not
in Pittsburgh.) The nearest major airport is in Buffalo, New York.
There is a small regional airport in Bradford that receives incoming
flights from Washington DC. Driving from New York City or Washington DC
takes about 6 hours, from Celveland about 3.5 hours, and from Buffalo
about 1.5 hours. There are Trailways bus connections from Buffalo and
Pittsburgh.
|
|
|
