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Speaking opportunities

“When I came to the conference this morning, I was thinking ‘what am I doing here?’ – then I heard you speak, and thought ‘THAT’s what I’m doing here.'” -Corporate conference delegate

Shortlisted for the Speaker Awards

(Sustainability and Positive Impact Speaker of the Year 2023)

 

I am an autistic advocate, neurodiversity speaker and a professional member of the Professional Speaking Association. I am also a former teacher, an author and the writer behind autisticnotweird.com. Since 2015 I have been providing speaking services, from keynote conference speeches to autism masterclasses to teacher training.

My approach to autism goes beyond the concept of merely ‘accepting’ those of us who think differently, and deeper into what I believe ‘diversity and inclusion’ truly means. I discuss the invaluable importance of neurodiversity and neurodivergence, and how human progress relies on diversity of thought. I share these insights when speaking for companies who want to get the best out of their employees, schools who want to support and build up their students, or other professionals who want to provide best practice for the neurodivergent people they work with.

 

“Chris quickly built credibility in the room, and clearly knows how to get the audience in the palm of his hand and made the room a safe space. He was the highest ranked speaker of the day (9.5 out of 10), and his talk has had a real ripple effect among our managers.” -Conference organiser, Liaise

 

Audiences served so far include (but are not limited to):

 

Plus a wide range of schools, colleges, universities and education conferences.

 

 

Some examples of talks I offer include (but are not limited to):

  • Neurodiversity, and making the workplace work – Are you wondering why neurodivergent employees struggle so much in the workplace? I can assure you, it’s not because they have less potential than neurotypical employees. In this talk, I discuss the background surrounding neurodivergent struggles – in recruitment, retention and performance – and how to meaningfully and effectively address them. (Suitable for companies of all sizes, who have a genuine wish to get the best from their neurodivergent employees.)
  • The art of accommodation: improving autistic employees’ experiences – Life is made harder for autistic workers whose employers baulk at the mention of ‘accommodations’. After all, how do you actually do it? What will the impact be on your workplace, or even your finances? In this talk, I make incisive points about what “accommodations” actually are, why they’re usually less trouble than you’ve been led to believe, and what the consequences are of getting it right. (Again, suitable for companies of all sizes who have a genuine wish to get the best from their neurodivergent employees.)
  • Meeting the needs of your autistic clients and service users – After a century of malpractice, often acclaimed by non-autistic ‘experts’ and delivered by workers with honest good intentions, society is now demanding the highest quality provision for autistic service users under their care, including those with complex disabilities. But what does that actually look like? I use my experiences as an autistic special education teacher to talk about how to truly and meaningfully personalise care provision, and offer guidance on how to prioritise a client’s rights and dignity alongside their safety and wellbeing. (Suitable for those who work professionally with autistic people, especially those who feel conscientious about getting it right for those they care for.)
  • An autistic teacher’s Top 16 Tips for building up autistic students [more information on my school-based work can be found here] – Having worked as a mainstream primary teacher, an autism-specific special education teacher, and with teenagers outside of the education system altogether, I have a few things to say about how to build (and I use that verb very deliberately) your autistic students, and give them the best guidance to help them navigate through an education system that seems to have been built with ‘everyone else’ in mind. (Suitable for academic staff in all forms of education.)
  • Lessons I wish I’d learned growing up autistic – Being a former teacher, I try to focus on learning points that the audience can apply to their own lives. So rather than being too autobiographical (or perhaps auti-biographical?), this talk is loaded with insights I have gained from my experience of growing up autistic blended with hilariously awkward stories from my childhood, but all with applicable lessons attached to them. (Suitable for family groups, charities, or schools offering after-school events for parents.)

 

 

“You may very well have saved my daughter’s life, and I say that with no exaggeration.” –Parent

 

Are you interested in having me to speak for you, or having a discussion about what I may be able to offer you and your staff? Feel free to get in touch in whichever way best suits you: