Date: 6th May, 2026
Time: 18:45 – 21:00 (in person)/19:00 – 20:30 (online)
Location: Palmer Building, G10 lecture theatre, Whiteknights Campus, or online
(Registering for this event via the Eventbrite website means that your personal data will be processed by Eventbrite, Inc. in accordance with their privacy policy.)
Who is this event for?
This event is free to attend and open to everyone – autistic children and young people, their parents and carers, teachers and school staff, healthcare professionals, and researchers. No prior knowledge is needed; all are welcome.
As part of the University’s centenary celebrations, we are hosting a free public hybrid (in person and online) event on the evening of the 6th May on the theme of Autistic Thriving at School and Beyond. Please join us for an event that aims to bring together autistic children and young people, their families, students, professionals and researchers to explore what supports autistic children to flourish in education and everyday life.
Autism-friendly event
For those attending in person, there will be a separate low-stimulus quiet room and a live-feed room. We will also supply badges to indicate communication preferences. Upon booking, attendees will receive:
- A visual guide to the campus and lecture theatre for those attending in person
- Information on how to find us including parking arrangements
We are also happy to provide any additional information necessary to ensuring everyone’s comfort. Please contact us at cfaevents@reading.ac.uk to discuss.
Agenda
| 18:45 – 19:00 | Registration |
| 19:00 – 19:10 | Professor Elizabeth McCrum, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education and Student Experience) at the University of Reading, will open the event by welcoming guests to the Whiteknights Campus and reflecting on the importance of wellbeing as the foundation for learning, development, and flourishing in education. |
| 19:10 – 19.30 | Dr Fiona Knott, Dr Jo Billington, and Dr Emma Harris (Wellbeing Hub project leads) will then provide a review of their work with autistic children and their families, sharing insights from their research and community partnerships, and highlighting the vital role that thriving at school plays in the overall wellbeing of autistic children.
At this point in the evening, attendees will be invited to participate in the first interactive aspect of the evening by answering the question ‘What one change would help most autistic children and young people thrive at school and beyond?’ |
| 19:30 – 20:05 | Andy Smith, founder of Spectrum Gaming, and driving force behind the recently published Barriers to Education guidance, will deliver a keynote talk entitled “Exploring Barriers to Education through the lens of autistic thriving”. Drawing on the idea of autistic young people as the “canaries in the coal mine” of our education system, Andy’s talk will look at how distress, burnout and disengagement are often early warning signs of environments that are not working, and not of individual failures to cope. Rather than focusing on attendance or compliance, the Barriers to Education approach invites us to notice what sits underneath attendance difficulties, and to respond with curiosity, compassion and practical support. The talk will reflect on how affirming, wellbeing-led approaches can remove barriers not just for autistic learners, but for everyone. |
| 20:05 – 20:20 | Q&A |
| 20:20 – 20:30 | Dr Fiona Knott and Dr Jo Billington will mark the end of the talks by inviting attendees to respond to the second question of the evening: what should the Centre for Autism Wellbeing Hub focus on next to best support autistic children, young people and their families? |
| 20:30 – 21:00 | For those attending in person, after the talks there will also be refreshments and the chance to review the latest autism-related research from staff and students in the School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences. |
(Registering for this event via the Eventbrite website means that your personal data will be processed by Eventbrite, Inc. in accordance with their privacy policy.)
Please email us if we can offer any further assistance: cfaevents@reading.ac.uk