SEND Society Talk: The Misconceptions and Stereotypes of Autism

Teachers and pupils from across the Senior School were crammed into the Robert Laurie Lecture Theatre this lunchtime to hear Abi talk about many of the stereotypes around autism.

Did you think that autistic people have no emotion or empathy? Or that they are normally white and male? If so you are wrong!

Abigail also talked about some of the characteristics people with autistic spectrum condition can have, like stimming (such as foot tapping or other repetitive behaviours) and Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (intense mood shifts triggered by a distinct episode, such as rejection, teasing or criticism) and how we can support our autistic friends or pupils when they are experiencing these.

There were a number of questions, including, “Is autism in fact a disability?” and comments after the talk included:

“Really informative and myth-busting!”

And “ASD comes in all shapes and sizes.”

The talk was organised by the SEND Society at Alleyn’s; look out for their lunchtime talk on ADHD in two weeks’ time.