10 February 2010

Sarah Parsons and Kerstin Wittemeyer will be attending the first meeting of the London Schools Network Advisory Group. This is initiative which is being led jointly by Sarah Parsons from ACER and Professor Tony Charman from the Institute of Education. The Advisory Group seeks to bridge research and practice in the area of autism education and involves  members of the London Schools Network, which is unique in bringing together head teachers from distinct educational settings to discuss current practice and issues concerning the education of children with an autism spectrum condition, as well as key UK researchers, who have a strong background of scientific and clinical research on autism, with a special interest in the education of children with autism. The overarching aim of the Group is to encourage discussion of how to integrate research findings into current educational practice and likewise, to pinpoint various issues of practical import that demand further research attention. 

11 February 2010

Dr Sarah Parsons will be giving an invited seminar at the Department of Psychology and Human Development, Institute of Education on 'Virtual Reality Technologies for social skills and learning for children and young people on the autism spectrum'. Staff and students at the IoE are welcome to attend.

4 March 2010

Dr Sarah Parsons will be presenting on ‘Involving young people on the autism spectrum in research on Virtual Reality technologies’ at the ESRC funded seminar series: Researching the use of assistive technologies by children and young people: interdisciplinary perspectives, at De Montfort University, Leicester (seminar series awarded to Dr. Chris Abbott, King’s College London and Prof Jannet Wright, De Montfort University; attendance by invitiation only - contact Chris for details: chris.abbott@kcl.ac.uk) .

March 2010

A special issue of the Journal of Assistive Technologies on applications of technologies for the autism spectrum will be published; guest edited by Dr Sarah Parsons.

Previous events

Specialist Advisory Group for ECHOES (SAGE): First Meeting

On 14th December 2009, SAGE will have its first meeting. SAGE acts as a think tank to the ECHOES II project. ECHOES II is a three-year project to develop a multimodal technology-enhanced learning environment in which both typically developing children and those with Asperger syndrome at key Stage 1 (5-7) can explore and improve social communication, interaction and collaboration. There is more information about ECHOES II on http://echoes2.org.

SAGE participants encompass a wide variety of professional backgrounds, including Special Needs education, service provision, outreach, ICT and assistive technology support, psychology, clinical practice, regional government and teaching.

The aims of the group are to provide context and awareness of issues regarding implementation and the individual child experience that we as researchers cannot accurately envision or predict. To meet this ideal, our first priority is to host a contextual design workshop, which will function as a think tank where we consider how ECHOES might be used in practice, informed by a variety of perspectives. Participants will engage in group-work and discussion focusing on central aspects of the development of ECHOES II in terms of design, learning activities, implementation in schools and researching children’s learning.

6-8 January 2010

Dr Mitzi Waltz will be presenting two papers at the Present Difference: The Cultural Construction of Disability conference in Manchester. The first, “Monster, kidnapper, tragedy, disorder… or difference?: Figures and narratives of autism in charity discourses," will look at how images and texts have been used over the decades to raise funds for organisations in the voluntary sector.

The second, with Dr Martin James of Southampton Solent University, is called "Disability as a marker of authenticity in pop music marketing: Issues of disclosure, deployment and damage." It will examine the impact of disability-based pop music marketing on audience and on performers with disabilities, including Asperger syndrome.

13 January 2010

Sarah Parsons will be giving a Research in Progress seminar in the School of Education about the COSPATIAL project. COSPATIAL is a 3-year (from February 2009) collaborative, technology-focused project exploring the use of innovative technologies for supporting social skills understanding for children on the autism spectrum as well as those who are typically developing. 

Staff and students from the University of Birmingham are welcome to attend; the seminar takes place from 12.30-1.30 in the School of Education building (room tbc).

26 January 2010

Dr Sarah Parsons has been invited to attend the Yardley ASD parents support group for parents and families of children on the autism spectrum. The group meeting is from 12.30-2.30 and parents / family members in the North Birmingham area are welcome to attend.

Please contact the group co-ordinator Deborah Green for further details: green43@blueyonder.co.uk 

29 January 2010

Launch of the Inclusion Development Programmes in Lewisham

Dr Karen Guldberg is giving a keynote speech at the Launch of the Inclusion Development Programmes in Lewisham, January 29th 2010.

1 February 2010

ACER Associates Meeting, University of Birmingham

Associate members and members of ACER from several Schools and Colleges of the University of Birmingham will meet as a group for the first time on this date to discuss approaches to autism research in our various fields, and explore possibilities around interdisciplinary research.