1. WELCOMES YOU TO THE CHOICES AND SOLUTIONS SEMINAR Registered Charity No 1162560

2. United Response – UR Consultants Living with Autism

3. Todays speakers are; United Response | www.unitedresponse.org.uk

4. UR Consultants UR Consultants is a unique training and translation provider, employing trainers and consultants with Autism and Learning disabilities We specialise in providing training and translation work to organisations in order to raise awareness of autism and learning disabilities within lots of different places, for example schools, councils and local businesses.

5. United Response | www.unitedresponse.org.uk UR Consultants  The UR Consultants have been working with the Autism diagnosis team in Bolton to provide Autism Awareness training  Part of that training has included some of our Consultants talking about their experiences of Living with Autism

6. UR Consultants Within the training we have gathered quotes from all of our Consultants There are 14 Consultants altogether They talk about themselves and their direct experiences, some positive and some not so positive They also talk about how they describe themselves and what autism means to them United Response | www.unitedresponse.org.uk

7. “I feel normal on the outside and disabled on the inside” “I am positive, outgoing and hard working.” “I am very quiet and shy in new situations.” “When I was young I was loud and loved to run wild. People misunderstood me and thought I was badly behaved.” “I am normally quite quiet and friendly. When I’m enjoying my sports games at the clubs I become noisy.” How we describe ourselves

8. United Response | www.unitedresponse.org.uk This is what autism means to us; “My college tutors have told me Autism is no excuse” “None of us would say we were disabled but our brains function differently” So what is Autism? United Response | www.unitedresponse.org.uk

9. “Autism means I am specially gifted. It gives me the opportunity to say it as it is, without getting embarrassed.” “I can do things in my own unique way” “Some of us hate change. I find it hard when people leave, for example teachers that leave. I also get anxious of new situations.” “I didn’t fit in at school. I was misunderstood.” United Response | www.unitedresponse.org.uk

10. We are now going to tell you a little bit more about ourselves.

11. United Response | www.unitedresponse.org.uk Aishah

12. United Response | www.unitedresponse.org.uk Colin

13. United Response | www.unitedresponse.org.uk Anthony

14. United Response | www.unitedresponse.org.uk Thank you for listening Do you have any questions for us?