background

Autism Oxford is the new name for Autism Speakers and Professionals, which was founded in 2007 by Kathy Erangey in response to the need for high quality, affordable training on Autistic Spectrum Conditions for professionals and family members.

The name Autism Oxford was first used by the Oxfordshire charity, Children in Touch, when they held their International Conference: ‘The Search for Coherence from the Fragments of Autism’ at Christchurch College, Oxford, in 1999.  We are indebted to the trustees of Children in Touch and the conference organisers for agreeing to our use of the name ‘Autism Oxford’.

our principal objectives

• to help and inform anyone who might come into contact, professionally or personally, with children, adolescents and/or adults on the autistic spectrum
• to enable professionals and families to gain the necessary understanding and knowledge to support and aid the development of the autistic children, adolescents and adults with whom they live and work
• to encourage and support the development of autism-specific services including opportunities for socialising, employment and realising personal potential

new and young speakers

Our new and young speakers – who usually live in or near Oxfordshire - are offered personalised, specialised training and support in public speaking, free of charge. They are invited to give a short first speech, for which they are paid a speaker fee, in front of a mixed audience of professionals, families and people with ASC.  If they enjoy the experience and want to develop their public speaking skills and speeches further, then they are encouraged and helped to do so.  We aim to ensure that there is as little stress as possible for our new speakers – they are supported to speak if they want to but they are free to drop out at anytime.  Often what is needed is warm, supportive encouragement to help them overcome anxiety and low self-esteem.  They are hugely rewarded by the applause of audiences and positive comments on evaluation forms.  That they have taken on the challenge of public speaking, and in doing so have helped others, gives them great pleasure and a wonderful sense of personal achievement. And they enjoy receiving a well-earned speaker fee too!

The personalised, specialised training and support in public speaking has been the result of a new and innovative collaboration between volunteers from Autism Oxford, the Thame Speakers Club and the Oxfordshire Service for Autism.  We warmly thank everyone involved for the generous commitment of their time and expertise to the process, which is ongoing, developing according to the needs of the speakers.