SYSTEMIC PRACTICE CONFERENCE Unveiling Minds : A Revolution in Mental Health & Neurodivergent Wellness KEYNOTE: AUTISM, OUGHTISM AND OUGHTISTIC NARRATIVES IN THE LIVES OF AUTISTIC PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES
Our lives and the lives of those around us are informed by an ever changing patchwork of stories. Some are helpful stories which enable us to live our lives in rich and rewarding ways, other stories can create barriers and obstacles, or enslave us in unhelpful ways. Autism, ADHD, and neurodiversity have many stories attached to them. These stories are informed by science, by medicine, by drug companies, by people with lived experience, by assessors and the assessed. There is much debate about the benefit of these stories, who owns them and if they should be there at all. With a particular focus on autism, in her presentation Mairi will examine the power of the stories told about autism and its diagnosis, or not diagnosis. She will explore the impact of ‘oughtisms’ on the lives of autistic people and their families and she will invite you to challenge the myth of the autism specialist and the barriers that this can create for autistic people and their families.
Dr. Mairi Evans is a Systemic Psychotherapist, Social Worker, Clinical Director and Neurodiversity Lead, currently working within the National Health Service in the United Kingdom. Mairi has worked across a number of contexts in the UK including Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Adult Mental Health, Social Care, Systemic Teaching and Training, and Specialist Neurodevelopmental Services. She also has a Professional Doctorate in Systemic Practice in which the focus of her studies was the experience of autism diagnosis for the mothers of autistic girls. Mairi is an organising member of the System Autism Conference Group in the UK and is an advocate for neuro- inclusive practice and the improved access to all aspects of healthcare for neurodivergent people. Mairi is a member of a neurodiverse family and is informed by both her lived, and her professional experiences.
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