ITAKOM

Breaking news: the brand-new website has launched!
To discover their amazing resources, advice and information, please visit https://buff.ly/3AFBpaZ today.

In this insightful interview, we speak with the self-titled “flamingly autistic” writer and educator, Dr Nick Walker about her work on the neurodiversity paradigm and neuroqueer theory, how being diagnosed with autism later in life affected her, and what exactly the term “neuroqueer” means!

https://buff.ly/3cAgOwZ

Tisdagstips! Konferensen ”It Takes All Kinds Of Minds” ITAKOM är öppen för alla med personlig, professionell eller akademisk erfarenhet av neurodiversitet. Var med på plats i Edinburgh eller digitalt så missar du inte när Sven Bölte talar om ”The neurodiverse individual in their unique world.”

Meet Charlotte Garnett, AKA the 'Anti- ' Jeweller. We speak to Garnett about , how being has affected her career and why she is just so excited to speak at It Takes All Kinds of Minds next year.

https://tinyurl.com/3hzs4pv5

Did you know that Epilepsy falls under the neurodiversity umbrella? And yes, you guessed it, we’ll be talking all things Epilepsy at ITAKOM, in the capable hands of Holly Wagner.

Holly is an actress, having attended Stagecoach Theatre Arts School and The Lyceum Youth Theatre as a child, which led to her performing in several productions, including ‘Seven Brides for Seven Brothers’ at The Playhouse Theatre and ‘Baggage’, a BBC Radio 4 comedy drama.

More recently, she studied various courses in Acting, Screenwriting and Filmmaking with organisations like The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and Knock & Nash Productions. She also writes and creates comedy sketches and short films, and co-created a digital show for the Edinburgh Horror Festival 2021.

If that wasn’t enough, she also heads up social media and comms at the Muir Maxwell Epilepsy Centre in Edinburgh.

We can’t wait to see what she has in store.

Learn more at https://buff.ly/3t0IGiJ

itakom It Takes All Kinds Of Minds (ITAKOM for short) is an international conference entirely focused on the far-reaching concept of neurodiversity.

Curious about how accessible our chosen venue, the EICC, is?

The EICC is a modern, purpose-built, and fully accessible events venue designed to be inclusive to people of all abilities, and their team has received full Equality and Diversity Training.

Whether you’re wondering about the visually impaired, signage, or wheelchair accessibility, all the info you might need can be found at the link below. And if you can’t find the answer to something, don’t be shy, we’d love to hear from you.

Email [email protected]

In today’s blog, we meet Dee Baker, Founder of ‘Elements of Empowerment’, who talks candidly about how caregivers, both professional and parental, can practice self-care, build emotional resilience and develop strong boundaries.

‘Elements of Empowerment’ help cultivate resilience in creative and supportive environments for young people and those in the caring industry.

https://buff.ly/3dzk7oc

We’ve had some amazing competition entries so far for our ITAKOM ticket giveaway.
If you haven’t entered yet, why not give it a go!

Tell us you’re neurodivergent without telling us you’re neurodivergent. Submit an image of what being in a neurominority means to you.

Here are some of our favourite submissions if you need a little inspiration!

Entries close in November and don’t forget to use the hashtag and tag us! Good luck.

For neurodivergent – and neurotypical – adults, the recruitment process can be a challenging time. Cover letters, CVs, shaking hands in a post Covid world, the list goes on!
We wanted to know how employers could make things a little smoother. So, we asked a neurodivergent female how she thinks employers could make the interview process a little more accessible because remember: nothing about me, without me!

- Pre-interview visit to the interview location
- Set expectations and prepare interviewee for what will happen at the interview
- Adapt the physical environment to their needs
- Minimise waiting times before the interview
- Change open-ended questions like, “tell me about yourself” to something with more structure

What do you think? Let us know in the comments how you think recruiters can make things more accessible.

And employers, are you aware of the challenges neurodivergent candidates face? Maybe you’ve changed your recruitment procedures, we want to hear from you!

Today, let’s give a big ITAKOM welcome to Dr Felicity Sedgewick.
Felicity is a lecturer in Psychology and Education at the University of Bristol. She is a developmental and social psychologist with particular interests in autism, gender, relationships, and mental health, and will be brining her talk “Autistic Relationships Across the Lifecycle” to the ITAKOM stage in March. She is committed to participatory research, co-producing work with community members, alongside valuing public engagement and outreach work to ensure that research has impact beyond academia.

Another welcome addition to the 'It Takes All Kinds of Minds' line-up! Learn more at: https://buff.ly/3si55bq

When we set out on a mission to create a diverse conference, we meant it.

ITAKOM Speaker, Jamie Marshall is a Researcher and Surf Therapist (yes, it’s a thing) and proud dyslexic, and by all accounts, is a jolly good free diver!

If you don’t believe us, check out this fabulous video from The Wave Project all about the great work he, and his team are doing providing surf therapy to young people with physical and intellectual disabilities.

https://buff.ly/3A0UcyJ

Grab your surfboard and meet us at the EICC, March 15th at 10:30.

10 years of the wave project This is "10 years of the wave project" by TheWaveProject on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

Life is full of transitions. Primary to high school; University to the workforce. The team at Salvesen Mindroom want to make transitions easier, and so, created the ‘Future Me Digital Workbook’.

This interactive resource supports young people as they approach the end of school, helping them reflect on skills and interests, and figure out those all-important next steps.

Download this fantastic FREE resource at https://buff.ly/3PW34Ld

Remember, Salvesen Mindroom is always on hand to answer any questions you have about ‘Future Me’. Email SMC at [email protected] or drop us a line on 0131 370 6730.

Future Me, My Digital Workbook - Salvesen Mindroom Centre Salvesen Mindroom Centre is a Scottish charity that supports, informs and empowers children and young people living with learning difficulties. Our vision is to become an internationally recognised centre of excellence in neurodiversity to help create a world in which no mind is left behind.

"Supporting the friendships of young people often means buddying-up with a peer. We’ve assumed what works for them, would work for everyone - not true! At the ITAKOM conference, we’re excited to be showcasing new ways of thinking about and facilitating rewarding, positive friendships for ND folk."

- Sue Fletcher Watson, ITAKOM Co-Chair

Are you a business or organisation looking to grow your reach and connect with those in the space?

We have a number of and exhibition opportunities available at next year’s ITAKOM conference. If you’re a retailer, why not book a market stall to share your wares, or maybe you’d like to sponsor one of our talks!

For a full list of on-and-offline sponsorship opportunities, please visit https://buff.ly/3ytJjVg

Today is .

is just 1 of the neurodevelopmental conditions we'll hear about at .

Check out this wonderful video from the team at Fragile X UK - an introduction to Fragile X from the perspective of 4 families.

Introduction to Fragile X Syndrome This is the first in a series of new educational videos about Fragile X Syndrome, the most common inherited cause of learning disability. The video covers an...

You asked and we listened!

We have decided to extended the date for Early Bird ticket registration until October 31st – giving you a lot more time to get yourself signed up for the conference next year.

So, for great speakers, networking, panel discussions on , , , and lots more, register now via https://buff.ly/3bFWcT9

Are you or a family member of a person with autism? and are asking for your views to appoint a commissioner to promote and protect the right of autistic people.

Have your say at

Creation of an Autism and Learning Disability Commissioner’s Office in Scotland: Survey Please take a few minutes to take our survey.

Each block of the ITAKOM conference is framed around a different level at which we can explore – Cells, Circuits, Cognition and Community.

In themed seminars, workshops and panel discussions we will combine expertise from research and practice – with presenters represented in every part of the programme.

Today, let’s give a big ITAKOM welcome to Dr Loretta Giorcelli, Professor of Child Development and Special Education and Author of Quality Schools, Inclusive Practices. Dr Giorcelli will appear at ITAKOM next year and we are so excited for you to meet her.

Today, we would like to introduce one of our wonderful sponsors, Fusion Medical Animation.

Founded in 2010, Fusion works with some of the biggest names in the pharma and medical industries creating award-winning VR, 3D CGI and interactive animation.

Welcome to the ITAKOM Family, Fusion!

If you would like to know more about becoming a sponsor, please visit,
https://buff.ly/3R1fYbI

Fusion Medical Animation Showreel 2016 This is a collection of some of our medical and scientific animation work produced over the last few years, for both factual broadcast as well as pharmaceuti...

Our friends at Salvesen Mindroom are creating a resource to help individuals (age 11+) and their parents/carers increase confidence around independent travel.

If you or a family member are , please give us your input by completing the short survey below.

Thank you!
Team ITAKOM

https://buff.ly/3ytMKuW

We just love this illustration from Glynn Masterman for perfectly capturing the difference between neurodivergent, neurodiverse groups and neurotypical.

Super helpful for anyone unsure about the terms associated with Neurodiversity. For more great resources, visit https://buff.ly/3IiINwJ

We are so grateful to be welcoming a series of world-class presenters to ITAKOM, who will expand your mind with new insights, practical suggestions and transformative discoveries.

In her plenary session, Professor Sue Gathercole will talk about cognitive diversity and how it shapes learning, as well as the potential of transdiagnostic methods to reveal new insights into neurodiversity.

Catch Sue at ITAKOM Day Two during her keynote lecture. For more info on our speakers, visit our speaker schedule. https://buff.ly/3Ag7Jmy

Here at ITAKOM, we just LOVE tracking down great stories of neurodiversity and sharing All Kinds of Perspectives.

This month, we are pleased to introduce Irish Journalist, Melissa Carton. Born and raised in Dublin City, Melissa shares how her ADHD diagnosis has affected her creative career and how her out-of-the-box thinking has helped her excel in the media.

https://itakom.org/melissa-carton-irish-journalist-reporter-and-scientist/

Fancy a free ticket to the ITAKOM Conference in March?

To enter, tell us you’re without TELLING us you’re neurodivergent.

To enter, just submit an image to show what being in a means to you.

Publish your entry to social media and use the hashtag to enter.

Get creative and get those thinking caps on! Winners will be selected later this year.

Have we failed the girls? That’s exactly the question Lotta Borg Skoglund hopes to answer when she brings her Big Talk to the ITAKOM global event next year.

We recently caught up with Lotta to learn exactly how she became interested in the field of psychiatry and what is in store for her highly-anticipated ITAKOM Big Talk, 'We have failed the girls: total chaos, ADHD, hormones and gender stereotypes.'

Read the full interview today: https://itakom.org/meet-the-speaker-lotta-borg-skoglund/

Stay ahead of the wave as we meet another of our more outside-the-box speakers: Postdoctorate Research Associate and Surf Therapy aficionado, Jamie Marshall.

Join Jamie next year as he explains how he has been using surfing as a therapy for a range of both physical and mental health issues via his organisation, Wave Project.

Catch Jamie’s lecture as part of our eclectic line up at ITAKOM, 13-14 March 2023 at Edinburgh’s EICC.

Want news, interviews and ticket giveaways?

Take two minutes and sign up to the ITAKOM Mailing List below.

http://eepurl.com/hNqNqv