Autism Europe

Towards the adoption of the European Accessibility Act
2018-05-22 10:00 - 12:00 (Europe/Paris) | European Parliament, Rue Wiertz 60, Bruxelles, Bruxelles-Capitale, Région de;Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest, 1047, Belgium
This Disability Intergroup event will join the stakeholders involved in the negotiations of the European Accessibility Act.
The aim of the meeting is to gather all parties involved in the negotiation and the main stakeholders. The main negotiating points and what’s at stake will be discussed.
It will take place on the 22 may 2018 from 10:00 to 12:00, in the European Parliament, Brussels, PHS building, room P1A002.
Organiser the European Disability Forum expects to have the main representatives of the institutions negotiating the European Accessibility Act.
The event is kindly hosted by MEP Helga Stevens and MEP Olga Sehnalová.
Register here

Breakfast Event on the SDGs and European Pillar of Social Rights- Brussels
2018-05-15 08:00 - 10:00 | European Parliament, Rue Wiertz 60, Bruxelles, Bruxelles-Capitale, Région de;Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest, 1047, Belgium
Eurodiaconia is organising a breakfast discussion in the European Parliament with the title Sustainable Development Goals vs European Pillar of Social Rights? – Making Two Frameworks Work Together. The event will be hosted by MEP Jean Lamberts.
The event aims to gather key EU policy-makers and stakeholders to discuss how those two frameworks could be brought closer to each other, with the ultimate aim of facilitating and encouraging their effective implementation across the EU. In view of a new post 2020 strategy, the Sustainable Development Goals and European Pillar of Social Rights should play key roles. Therefore, there is a need to discuss complementarities of both frameworks, as well as opportunities and potential challenges of a joint implementation.
Eurodiaconia will also launch a research paper, which takes a closer look at the EPSR and SDGs and opportunities of bringing them together in a strong overarching framework.
Event’s draft agenda
Register here by 4 May at the latest

Study visit, Autism-Europe Annual General Assembly and Council of Administration meetings. Rotterdam, Netherlands
2018-05-11 13:30 - 2018-05-13 12:00 | World Hotel Wings, Rotterdam Airportplein 55, Rotterdam, 3045 AP, Netherlands
In accordance with the statutes for our organisation, the 2018 Autism- Europe’s Annual General Assembly will take place in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, on May 12 2018.
An Autism-Europe Council of Administration meeting and side activities will also be organized. All the working documents related to these meetings will be emailed to registered participants at a later date.
Programme
Friday 11 May
Afternoon: Workshop at Erasmus MC – Sophia Children’s hospital, Rotterdam.
Saturday 12 May
Autism-Europe’s Annual General Assembly meeting 9:00-17:30
Saturday evening: Social dinner in the centre of Rotterdam
Sunday 13 May
Autism-Europe’s Council of Administration meeting 9:00-12:00

INSAR local community conference: Autism across Adulthood: The latest scientific findings. Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2018-05-09 10:00 - 15:30 | Koninklijk Instituut voor de Tropen (KIT), Mauritskade 63, Amsterdam, 1092 AD, Netherlands
INSAR stands for the “International Society for Autism Research”, an organization for and by scientists who are involved in autism research. Every year INSAR organizes a scientific congress for the afore-mentioned scientists, mostly in the United States. This year the conference is in Rotterdam.
The congress lectures are of a scientific nature, but will also be of interest to autistic people, their families and professionals in the field. That is why every year prior to this congress an extra ‘community conference’ is organized for those who are interested in autism and want to know what the latest scientific insights are, delivered in an accessible way by top international scientists.
This year this community conference will take place in the Royal Tropical Institute in Amsterdam, and will be organized by Hilde Geurts (chairman, UvA, Dr. Leo Kannerhuis, INSAR), Kirstin Greaves-Lord (Erasmus MC Yulius) and Sander Begeer (VU). , Els Blijd-Hoogewys (Inter-Psy), Dolien Buijs (NVA), Mariët van IJzendoorn (Dr. Leo Kannerhuis), Bram Sizoo (Dimence), Amélie Picard (zzp) & Carolien Torenvliet (UvA, INSAR).
We will apply for accreditation for NIP, NVvP, FGzPT and V & VN.
Accessibility
The community conference is geared as much as possible to autistic people themselves. This means, for example, that extra attention is paid to the possibility of taking some time out (quiet space), getting information or support (support desk) and indicating your contact preferences (a color system that allows someone to indicate “I do not the initiative to establish contact, but appreciate contact, so I want you to take the initiative “).
Some photographers will be present, but if you prefer not to be photographed, you can also indicate this with the color system. If you notify us in advance, assistance dogs on a leash are welcome. Our location is wheelchair friendly, we would also appreciate it if you could notify us about this in advance (see application form).
Practical information
Our location is located next to the Tropenmuseum in Amsterdam. Information about the route (car and public transport) to the conference location (KIT, Amsterdam) will be announced two weeks in advance.
Programme
Additional programme
For healthcare professionals and other interested professionals (partly in relation to accreditation) four workshops will be offered in Dutch from 15: 30-16: 30. These will be provided by scientists and / or healthcare professionals together with experienced experts. The subjects are: Women with autism; Work and autism; Elderly people with autism; Intimate relationships and autism; You can specify the order of your preference on the registration form and we will do our best to put you first or second preference. NB: Target group for the workshops are people who work in healthcare or in another sector for / with people with autism.
The reason for this is that the purpose of these workshops is to teach these professionals how they can work in an autism-friendly way with regard to the various themes, in other words; how this professional can best meet the needs of autistic people and their loved ones. To achieve this, the workshops are given by a professional in equal cooperation with an expert by experience, in order to ensure that the needs of people with autism and their loved ones are central.
In this way, the perspectives from experiential expertise, practice, policy and research come together in the workshops as well as possible. This integrated knowledge came about in the Academic Workshops Autisme Reach-Aut and Samen Doen! and will be shared through these workshops.
Register/ log in here

INSAR 2018 Annual Meeting (formerly IMFAR)- Rotterdam, The Netherlands
2018-05-09 - 2018-05-12 | De Doelen, Schouwburgplein 50, Rotterdam, 3012, Netherlands
The INSAR Annual Meeting (formerly IMFAR) is an annual scientific meeting, convened each spring, to exchange and disseminate new scientific progress among ASD scientists and their trainees from around the world.
The name of the meeting was changed from IMFAR to INSAR Annual Meeting beginning with the 2018 event.
The aims of the meeting are:

Promote exchange and dissemination of the latest scientific findings and to stimulate research progress in understanding the nature, causes, and treatments for ASD. Research on ASD involves sophisticated behavioral and biological approaches. ASD affects people’s functioning in virtually every domain, requiring interdisciplinary research collaboration to gain comprehensive knowledge of the disorder.
Foster dialogue among ASD scientists across disciplines and across methods.
Advance the training and development of new ASD scientists by supporting the inclusion of postdoctoral and predoctoral trainees as well as junior faculty who are already working in ASD research. The opportunity for trainees and junior faculty to interact with established ASD scientists will foster the creativity and productivity of those at all levels.
Cultivate diversity among ASD scientists by encouraging attendance and supporting access to the meeting for scientists and trainees from members of traditionally underrepresented groups, including those from ethnic minority groups, and those with disabilities.

Given the complex biological and behavioral nature of ASD, interdisciplinary training and ongoing mentoring of new scientists and promising graduate students is necessary to recruit talented young people in ASD research. INSAR seeks to provide them with the motivation and mentoring needed to focus a career on ASD and related developmental disorders. Having an annual interdisciplinary meeting focused on scientific progress in understanding and treating ASD provides an unparalleled opportunity for recognizing, supporting, and motivating talented graduate students and postdoctoral fellows into a career in ASD research.
Event registration will open in by March 1

Congrès ASSIPS : « La Pédiatrie Sociale et les Troubles du Spectre Autistique, de la maladie au handicap »- Luxembourg
2018-05-04 09:00 - 2018-05-05 15:30 | Institut de Formation Sectoriel du Bâtiment (IFSB), 5, z.a.e. Krakelshaff, Bettembourg, Luxembourg
Le congrès « La Pédiatrie Sociale et les Troubles du Spectre Autistique, de la maladie au handicap. », est organisé par l’ Association internationale de Pédiatrie Sociale (AssIPS) en partenariat avec l’ Association Internationale de Recherche scientifique en faveur des Personnes Handicapées Mentales (AIRHM), Autisme-Europe, l’ Association de Parents pour l’Epanouissement des Personnes avec Autisme (APEPA), la Fondation Autisme Luxembourg (FAL). Les deux journées de congrès s’adressent aussi bien aux professionnels de l’enfance, qu’aux parents d’enfants autistes.
L’AssIPS a choisi ce thème pour plusieurs raisons :

Evolution de la définition,
Nécessité d’organiser le diagnostic et la prise en charge,
Inquiétude devant une augmentation des cas,
Hétérogénéité des prises en charge.

Les exposés généraux porteront successivement sur :

Le travail et l’engagement des associations de parents (Foundation Autisme
Luxembourg et Autisme-Europe),
L’historique, avec l’évolution des concepts physiopathologiques et la présentation des formes cliniques,
La dimension psycho-sociale,
Le diagnostic initial : symptômes, tests diagnostiques,
L’apport des recherches actuelles portant sur les causes génétiques, les causes environnementales, les avancées de l’imagerie cérébrale, et l’analyse des troubles développementaux par la neuro-pédiatrie,
Les modalités de présentation du diagnostic aux parents,
La prise en charge thérapeutique des petits enfants : méthode de Denvers et autres,
La formation des parents (programme early bird),
L’organisation de la prise en charge, avec l’activité des CAMSP en France, le
Centre des Ressources de Namur.

Comme suite aux exposés généraux, des ateliers de travail seront articulés autour des thèmes :

Place des différents professionnels – pédiatres, généralistes, pédopsychiatres, mais aussi personnel de crèches, physiothérapeutes, enseignants – pour le diagnostic.
Bonnes pratiques pour la prise en charge thérapeutique.
Mise en place des pôles d’excellence.

Ces stands seront animés par différents groupes avec par exemple, présentation du site internet participate (Flandre et Wallonie) et stand de librairie.

ECCL Webinar 4 - The Next Generation, Co-operation and working together
2018-04-27 14:00 - 15:00
With input from Steve Eidelman from the USA and Jamie Bolling, ENIL and Sweden: talking about supporting the next generation of leaders and how co-operating across borders is really important. This webinar will also include more information about the European Coalition for Community Living going forward from Ines Bulic (ENIL and ECCL co-ordinator) and Nic Crosby (GatherBuildWork and ECCL Co-ordinator).
Here is the link to register
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3958999813154730498

Annual Convention for Inclusive Growth 2018. Brussels, Belgium
2018-04-27 08:00 - 17:00 | Crowne Plaza Brussels – Le Palace, Rue Gineste 3, Brussels, Bruxelles-Capitale, Région de;Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest, 1210, Belgium
Now in its third edition, the Annual Convention for Inclusive Growth (ACIG) is an action-oriented platform bringing together civil society organisations and policymakers to discuss how to achieve truly inclusive growth.
The EU is reflecting on its social dimension, on how to adapt our social models to current and future challenges and develop long-term solutions to fight poverty, increase employment and strengthen social cohesion and inclusion for all.
This year, the one-day event will focus on the implementation of the Social Pillar. The Social Pillar established a series of principles and rights to improve people’s lives, and all actors now have a joint responsibility to deliver. The plenary debate and the workshops will tackle specific issues and lead to conclusions and policy recommendations pointing to concrete ways forward.
The Convention will be closed by Valdis Dombrovskis, Vice-President for the Euro and Social Dialogue and will be opened by Marianne Thyssen, the Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility.
This event is by invitation only.
More information
Download the draft programme

Match for solidarity- Geneva, Switzerland
2018-04-21 16:00 - 18:00 | Stade de Genève, Route des Jeunes 16, Genève, 1211, Switzerland
The UN and UEFA have joined forces to organise a charity football match in the name of peace, human rights and well-being, with all proceeds going to humanitarian projects through the UEFA Foundation for Children.
Luís Figo and Ronaldinho will captain two teams of famed footballers, with renowned coaches Carlo Ancelotti and Didier Deschamps in the dugout, and referee legend Pierluigi Collina officiating.
Players already confirmed include: David James, Dida, Vítor Baía, Antonis Nikopolidis, Cafu, Míchel Salgado, Edmílson, Éric Abidal, Frank de Boer, Rio Ferdinand, Dejan Stanković, Michael Essien, Youri Djorkaeff, Robert Pirès, Jari Litmanen, Christian Karembeu, Andrea Pirlo, Raúl González, Robbie Keane, Gaizka Mendieta, Ronald de Boer, Deco, Henrik Larsson, Kelly Smith, Alexander Frei, Patrick Kluivert, Célia Šašić and Nuno Gomes.
Autisme Genève has been chosen as a local association, partly a beneficiary of this event.
More information and sale

17th international conference on offenders with an intellectual and/or developmental disability. Birmingham, UK
2018-04-11 - 2018-04-12 | Birmingham, United Kingdom
Call for papers
Papers and workshops are invited from any discipline or perspective relevant to the management or care of learning disabled offenders or those requiring similar services. Proposals by practitioners, service users, decision- and policy-makers, as well as by academics, students, researchers and advocates are welcomed.
Papers are allocated 40 minutes and workshops 60 minutes in a concurrent format.
The organisers will consider papers relating to the following topics:

models of care for effective interventions (clinical interventions)
research programmes and results
policy development
education and training
organisational issues
personality disorder
advocacy and user issues
minority issues
women’s issues
dual diagnosis
substance abuse
transcultural issues
autism spectrum disorders (including Asperger syndrome)
offending-focused interventions.

Submission guidelines
Abstracts should be limited to a maximum of 500 words.To submit your abstract, please complete the online abstract submission form. For full information on the format for submissions and the rules that apply, contact conference@nas.org.uk.
The deadline for the submission of papers is Friday 1 December 2017.
Please note: presenters will be expected to pay the conference registration fee in order to be permitted to present.

Vernissage of our photography exhibition “Break Barriers Together for Autism”- European Parliament, Brussels
2018-04-10 11:00 - 12:00 | European Parliament, Rue Wiertz 60, Bruxelles, Bruxelles-Capitale, Région de;Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest, 1047, Belgium
From April 9-11 2018, Autism-Europe organises a photography exhibition hosted by Member of the European Parliament, Rosa Estaràs Ferragut. The President of European Parliament Antonio Tajani and other EU policy makers will attend and give political momentum to this second phase of the campaign “Break barriers together for autism- Let’s build an accessible society“.
The topic of the exhibition is a barrier-free society for autistic people. Pictures have been taken by three photographers from the UK, Poland and Luxembourg, all aiming to help people understand what accessibility means for those on the autism spectrum and what kind of obstacles they face in their everyday lives.
To register, please send an email to assistant@autismeurope.org stating your name, your date of birth, your nationality, and your national ID number. We will then send you further practical details closer to the date of the event.

For security purposes, you will need to register and send us this information by Tuesday the 3 April at the latest.

2018 World Autism Awareness Day observance "Empowering Women and Girls with Autism"
2018-04-05 10:00 - 13:00 | United Nations Headquarters, ECOSOC Chamber, New York, NY, 10017, United States
The 2018 World Autism Awareness Day observance at United Nations Headquarters New York will focus on the importance of empowering women and girls with autism and involving them and their representative organizations in policy and decision making to address these challenges.
In November 2017, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution drawing attention to the particular challenges that women and girls with disabilities face in the context of the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). The resolution expresses concern that women and girls with disabilities, are subject to multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, which limit their enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Girls with disabilities are less likely to complete primary school and more likely to be marginalized or denied access to education. Women with disabilities have a lower rate of employment than men with disabilities and women without disabilities. Globally, women are more likely to experience physical, sexual, psychological and economic violence than men, and women and girls with disabilities experience gender-based violence at disproportionately higher rates and in unique forms owing to discrimination and stigma based on both gender and disability. As a result of inaccessibility and stereotyping, women and girls with disabilities are persistently confronted with barriers to sexual and reproductive health services and to information on comprehensive sex education, particularly women and girls with intellectual disabilities including autism.
Through dynamic moderated discussions with experts and advocates, the observance will examine the particular challenges that women and girls with autism face in this context.
Other key issues to be addressed include challenges and opportunities in fully exercising rights in matters relating to marriage, family and parenthood on an equal basis with others, as underscored in Article 23 of the CRPD and in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by world leaders at the United Nations in 2015 (SDG 5.6).
Register here

World Autism Awareness Day- Worldwide
2018-04-02
More information

Opération Chaussettes Bleues 2018 Sensibilisation à l'Autisme- Bruxelles, Belgique
2018-03-31 11:00 - 19:00 | Bois de la Cambre, Carrefour des Attelages, Bruxelles, 1000, Belgium
Cette année encore à l’occasion de la journée mondiale de sensibilisation à l’autisme des centaines de chaussettes bleues envahiront le bois de la Cambre à Bruxelles.
Cette journée festive, informative et participative s’adresse à tout public et a pour but de sensibiliser et de mieux faire connaitre l’autisme. Si vous souhaitez accroître vos connaissances sur l’autisme venez assister aux conférences et témoignages, vous pourrez également poser vos questions et échanger vos idées .
Si vous désirez passer un bon samedi en famille et entre amis, venez assister gratuitement aux différents concerts et spectacles qui auront lieu tout au long de la journée. Des ateliers créatifs et des espaces de jeux et de relaxation seront accessibles à tous, petits et grands.

Cet événement est organisé par l’ASBL Autisme En Action avec le soutien du Fonds de soutien Marguerite-Marie Delacroix de la plateforme Autisolidarité (20 associations) ainsi que le groupe de recherche universitaire ACTE « ULB ».
Pour un mieux vivre ensemble dans le respect des différences.

Conférence: Ensemble brisons les barrières pour l'autisme (Luxembourg)
2018-03-29 19:00 - 21:00 | Fondation Autisme Luxembourg, Route d'Arlon, Capellen, Mamer, 8310, Luxembourg
A l’occasion de la Journée mondiale de sensibilisation à l’autisme le 2 avril 2018, la Fondation Autisme Luxembourg et Autisme-Europe ont le plaisir de vous inviter à la conférence “Brisons les barrières pour l’autisme”.
Les intervenants sont:
– Nathalie Lehoucq, Directrice Générale de la Fondation Autisme Luxembourg:
discours de bienvenue
– Aurélie Baranger, Directrice d’Autisme Europe: recommandations pour
une stratégie européenne de l’autisme
– Dr Andreia Costa, Research Associate uni.lu: projet de collaboration
FAL – uni.lu – plan autisme
– Jessica Thill, enseignante au préscolaire à Rumelange: témoignage
et expérience positive d’un jeune autiste
Programme de la soirée :

Discours de bienvenue
(Nathalie Lehoucq, Directrice générale de la FAL)
Recommandations pour une stratégie européenne en matière d’autisme
(Aurélie Baranger, Directrice d’Autisme-Europe)
Projet de collaboration FAL/UNI.lu sur l’élaboration d’un Plan National Autisme
(Dr Andréia Pinto Costa, Research Associate Université du Luxembourg)
Témoignage et expérience positive sur l’inclusion scolaire d’un jeune autiste
(Jessica Thill, Enseignante au préscolaire à Rumelange)

Durant toute la soirée, une exposition de photos à l’initiative d’Autisme Europe et réalisée entre autres par André Weisgerber sera présentée à tous. Cette exposition sera prochainement exposée au Parlement Européen à Bruxelles.
La conférence sera suivie d’une verre de l’amitié offert par la Commune de Mamer.
Pour des raisons d’organisation, nous vous prions de nous confirmer votre
présence avant le 23 mars 2018 par téléphone au 26 91 11 1 ou par mail à autisme@fal.lu

L'autisme à l'âge adulte : pour une vision progressiste et une démarche d'accompagnement inclusive. Niort, France
2018-03-29 - 2018-03-30 | Parc des Expositions de Noron, 6 Rue Archimède, Niort, 79000, France
Le 4ème plan autisme a inscrit l’accompagnement des adultes comme une priorité, au travers d’une meilleure inclusion sociale notamment.
Pour adapter nos propres comportements, ajuster les dispositifs d’accompagnement et graduer les soutiens en réponse aux besoins singuliers, il est nécessaire de prendre en compte une connaissance scientifique actualisée. De même, il est absolument nécessaire de poursuivre le travail de repérage et de diagnostique clinique des adultes afin de mieux accéder aux éléments de compréhension des spécificités socio-communicatives et plus globalement des comportements particuliers liés à l’autisme.
Aussi, le regard porté envers les adultes doit être celui d’une approche sociétale positive capable de promouvoir sans cesse des parcours de vie inclusifs et ce quelque soit le degré de soutien dont a besoin la personne autiste , le lieu d’activités et de vie de la personne. Cela nécessite un engagement de la société et de chacun des acteurs au quotidien.
Les positions associatives, et plus largement toutes les actions qui contribuent aux soutiens des compétences communautaires et sociales, des apprentissages, à l’emploi accompagné et enfin à un habitat aux qualités attendues doivent exiger cet engagement.
Le défi est celui d’accompagner la personne vers davantage d’autodétermination et vers l’appropriation d’habiletés pour qu’elle soit actrice au quotidien.
Ainsi, l’édition de ce 8ème colloque consacré à l’âge adulte aura pour volonté de proposer un espace de réflexions constructives et progressistes pour partager les connaissances, les expériences menées en France par différentes équipes de terrain, échanger entre tous et bénéficier du regard des personnes présentant un Trouble du Spectre de l’Autisme.
Thematiques abordées

Les perspectives du 4ème plan Autisme et les Recommandations des Bonnes Pratiques Professionnelles de L’ANESM et de la HAS pour les adultes.
L’actualité scientifique de la recherche sur les TSA.
Le regard et les attentes de personnes autistes.
Les dispositifs de soutien pour le développement des habiletés sociales des personnes et leur participation sociale.

Comité scientifique

Séverine RECORDON-GABORIAUD : Docteur en Psychologie – Directrice du Pole Accueil Spécialisé de l’Adapei 79 dont la Maison Pour l’Autisme – Membre du CA de l’Arapi.
Pr. Catherine BARTHELEMY : Professeur Emérite à l’Université de Tours, Membre de l’Académie Nationale de Médecine, Vice-Présidente du CA et membre du CS de l’Arapi.
Sophie BIETTE : Présidente de l’Adapei de Loire-Atlantique – Membre du CA de l’Unapei (Référente Autisme) – Membre du CA et du CS de l’Arapi.

Téléchargez le programme
Téléchargez le bulletin d’inscription

3rd ESIPP Conference in Limassol, Cyprus
2018-03-21 | Panos Solomonides Center, Androutsou, Limassol, Cyprus
Around 100 parents, professionals, students, policy-makers,including the mayor of the city of Limassol, journalists and other stakeholders will participate on the third multiplier event held in the framework of the European project “Equity and Social Inclusion through Positive Parenting” (ESIPP).
Hosted by the Center of Development & Support for Children & Teenagers – AASP (Autism Assessment Support Practice), the conference will raise awareness about the importance of parent education in autism and shared the work and expertise of the project partners to a wider audience. The ESIPP Parent Education Programme, developed in collaboration with partners from across Europe including Autism-Europe, will be also introduced.

Maintain, Strengthen, Expand: How the EU can support the transition from institutional to family and community-based care in the next Multuiannual Financial Framework- Brussels, Belgium
2018-03-20 14:30 - 17:30 | European Commission, Rue Laeken 104, Brussels, Bruxelles-Capitale, Région de;Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest, 1000, Belgium
The event will bring together civil society working with and for children and families in 25 European countries and key EU level stakeholders to discuss:

The EU’s added value in supporting the transition from institutional to family and community-based care for children in Europe;
Challenges and opportunities regarding the use of EU funds for deinstitutionalisation;
How the EU can ensure better outcomes for children through the next MFF.

The initiated discussions will also reflect insights from the Opening Doors for Europe’s Children new publication “Maintain, Strengthen, Expand: How the EU can support the transition from institutional to family and community-based care in the next MFF” that will be launched during the event.

The meeting will be moderated by Jana Hainsworth, Secretary General of Eurochild and Aaron Greenberg, UNICEF Regional Adviser for Child Protection. The event will be followed by the networking reception. Invitation with agenda of the event and confirmed location will be shared shortly.

Register here by the 16th March

NAS Masterclass on autism and gender dysphoria- London, UK
2018-03-19 13:00 - 16:00 | The National Autistic Society, 393 City Road, London, EC1V 1NG, United Kingdom
During this Masterclass, Dr Wenn Lawson will explore autism and gender dysphoria, referencing both academic knowledge and understanding along with his own personal story and anecdotal accounts.
The session will discuss some of the research that is relating to autistic individuals living with conflicting gender and sexuality issues. Including questions such as recognising gender variance in autism, how can we tell if gender and sexuality are issues of a permanent nature or are aspects of a special interest, what if these are not issues for the individual at all or are the result of an obsessive compulsive disorder along with the best ways to educate, support and tap into resources for autistic individuals and their families.
Dr Wenn Lawson is autistic and has studied, researched and worked with autistic people for over 20 years. In this interview, Wenn discusses gender dysphoria and his own personal experiences of gender.
Watch Wenn’s interview

Que nous apprennent les personnes avec autisme?- Tournai, Belgique
2018-03-13 18:00 - 20:00
Le mardi 13 mars prochain dès 18h auront lieu à Tournai une conférence et un spectacle autour de l’autisme. La soirée after-works idéale pour profiter d’un bon moment entre collègues!
La conférence « Que nous apprennent les personnes avec autisme ? » sera assurée par le Dr Pierre Defresne, Médecin-directeur de la Fondation SUSA et Nathalie Lampole, pédagogue spécialisée dans l’accompagnement des autistes et formatrice au sein de l’Espace du Possible.
Ensuite la Cie What’s Up ?! vous présentera le spectacle Is-there life on Mars?
Télécharger l’affiche

Seminar "Powerful Ladies. Empowering Woman with Disabilities". Brussels, Belgium
2018-03-08 10:00 - 12:00 | European Parliament, Rue Weirz 60, Brussels, 1047, Belgium

Autism professionals annual conference 2018- Harrogate, UK
2018-03-07 - 2018-03-08 | Harrogate, United Kingdom
The National Autistic Society’s two day conference in Harrogate is held on 7-8 March and is focused on how to empower autistic voice and choice. Hear the latest information from experts in the field and learn from case studies illustrating best practice. With four different seminar streams to choose from, you can select the seminars which are most relevant to your work.
“Always a great environment and networking opportunity. So many inspirational individuals in one place” – 2017 delegate
Key topics
Some of the key topics this conference will cover include:

recognising and treating anxiety
helping parents to improve their child’s sleep patterns
employment for autistic adults
using speech and language tools to aid communication
developing a new adult diagnostic tool
eating disorders in autistic women
autism and epilepsy
techniques for coping with bullying

Meeting of the European Parliament Informal Carers Interest Group "Young carers – challenges and solutions"- Brussels, Belgium
2018-03-06 11:00 - 13:00 | European Parliament, Rue Weirz 60, Brussels, 1047, Belgium
While the general issue of informal care seems to be (slowly but increasingly) recognised by policy makers, young carers do not yet feature on national or European policy agendas. Fortunately, in recent years, this forgotten group has been addressed by some national and European studies, highlighting their situation and needs.
The aim of this European Parliament Informal Carers Interest Group meeting is to:

Highlight the situation of young carers;
Underline their needs and challenges;
Come forward with recommendations on how to address these needs;
Explore possibilities for EU level action to ensure policy attention for young carers across the board.

Register
Download the programme

Sustainable Development Goals conference- Brussels, Belgium
2018-03-03 | Renaissance hotel, Rue du Parnasse 19, Bruxelles, 1050, Belgium
The European Disability Forum, in collaboration with the Belgian Disability Forum, organises a conference on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The purpose of the event is to better equip civil society representatives in advocating for disability-inclusive SDGs in Europe and within its Member States.
The objectives of the conference are the following:

To showcase how the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) should serve as a guiding framework for the implementation and the monitoring of the SDGs;
To increase understanding and knowledge about the SDGs, particularly the Voluntary National Reviews processes, using Belgium as an example;
To launch EDF human rights series 2 entitled: “2030 Agenda and SDGs report: A European perspective to respect, protect and fulfil the CRPD”.

Register
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European Conference: Investing in people – the way forward. Sofia, Bulgaria
2018-02-15 - 2018-02-16 | Sofia Tech Park JSC, Tsarigradsko Shose Blvd. 111B, Sofia, 1784, Bulgaria
The European Conference “Investing in people – the way forward” is part of the Bulgarian Presidency’s events program and will conclude the celebrations of the 60-year anniversary of the European Social Fund.
The two-day event will consist of plenary sessions dedicated to discussions on the strategic orientation of human development funding in Europe, and thematic workshops.
The conference will bring together all relevant actors such as representatives from EU institutions, national, regional, local public authorities, social partners, civil society organisations, academia as well as end-users and beneficiaries of the funds. Autism-Europe’s director Aurélie Baranger will also participate at this event.
It will provide a unique opportunity to express views on the perceived priorities and expectations for the period post 2020 and to help shape the Commission’s policy proposals.
The conference constitutes a key milestone in the consultation process on future EU investment in people and a unique opportunity to reflect on the development of the social dimension of Europe, in the spirit of the recent Gothenburg proclamation of the European Pillar of Social Rights.
The conference is by invitation only, and webstreaming will be available.
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19th session of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) Committee
2018-02-14 - 2018-03-09 | Palais des Nations- Room XVII, Geneva, 1211, Switzerland
The UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities held its 19th Session in Geneva. The Committee normally holds two sessions per year.
The initial reports of the following countries will be considered: Sudan, Oman, Slovenia, Nepal, Seychelles, Russian Federation and Haiti. The Committee will also adopt a list of issues under the simplified reporting procedure of Costa Rica, Paraguay, Republic of Korea and New Zealand in private meetings.
The meetings are open to the public, attendees from organizations of persons with disabilities and civil society organizations may observe the dialogues between the delegations of these States parties and the Committee, but they cannot make statements or raise questions from the floor.
The accreditation period begins on 14 December 2017 and ends on 13 February 2018.
How can you get accredited?
A new accreditation system has been rolled out very recently. Participants will be required to get accreditation online.
All observers, including non-governmental organizations, organization of persons with disabilities and national human rights institutions (NHRIs), wishing to attend any sessions of the Committee are required to be duly registered.
Participants wishing to register to attend sessions or pre-sessional working group of the Committee must do so through the online platform for accreditation, Indico. The information related to the accreditation system will be posted on the Committee’s webpage later on in mid-December 2017. The process of accreditation will be explained under the web session link of the online platform Indico. One your accreditation done, kindly allow two working days for your request to be processed.
For which meetings can I be accredited?
During session, the accreditation is available only for public meetings. Please check the programme of work to know which meetings are open to the public.
Organizations of persons with disabilities attending private meetings during the pre-sessional working meetings should also get accredited. Please check the website of the Committee for further instructions.

Live webcasting to the Committee’s meetings by UN WebTV

Women with disabilities (in the EU): situation and way forward. Brussels, Belgium
2018-02-09 09:00 - 13:00 | European Economic and Social Committee- JDE Building, 99 rue Belliard – 6th floor – Foyer, Brussels, 1040, Belgium
The EESC Permanent Study Group on Disability Rights is organising a public hearing on “Women with disabilities in the EU: situation and way forward”.
The aim of the event is to look into the situation of women with disabilities in the EU and propose some recommendations to improve it.
In the first part we will set the scene and background while in the second part we will listen to some inspiring testimonies and good practices.
#women with #disabilities #EESC
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Coproducing employment initiatives for young persons with disabilities and mental health problems. Brussels, Belgium
2018-01-30 09:00 - 11:30 | European Parliament, Room A5E-2, Place du Luxembourg 100, Brussels, Bruxelles-Capitale, Région de;Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest, 1047, Belgium
The event will aim to showcase how employment initiatives both at European, national, regional and local level can benefit from the coproduction methodology, where all relevant stakeholders participate in the development and implementation of the initiative.
It will focus on inclusive employment, in line with article 27 of the UNCRPD, linking EU employment initiatives and policies (such as the Youth Employment Initiative) to inclusive practices of employment support for young persons with disabilities from all stakeholders.
The intent is to create an opportunity for all stakeholders – persons with disabilities, services, employers, trade unions, as well as policy makers, MEPs and the European Commission – to network and find common grounds to develop collaboration based on the model of coproduction.
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ASDEU programme final conference. Madrid, Spain
2018-01-29 - 2018-01-30 | Madrid, Spain
This event will be a high-level conference taking place in Madrid on the 29-30 January 2018 for a future EU Public Health Plan for Autism.
The event will be the closing conference of the ASDEU programme funded by DG SANTE, and will also present research outcomes related to prevalence rates of autism across Europe, early detection and life-long support, as well as policy recommendations.
The event will be attended by representatives from the European Commission, European Parliament, and national ministries in the field of health, education and social policies. Participation in this event is by invitation only.

Autism-Europe Executive Committee meeting. Madrid, Spain
2018-01-27 - 2018-01-28 | Madrid, Spain
