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Autism Ideas Café Update January 2021
The first Autism Ideas Café event of 2021 welcomed new faces and led to some lively on-line discussions. Each event held so far has been unique, with a different mix of attendees made up of academics, professionals, students, members of the autistic community and their allies. What makes each event special is the views, knowledge and experience that each attendee brings, as well as the diversity of topics of discussion. The January session included musings on the need for researchers to communicate their research findings so that they are relevant, easily accessible, and relatable to real life situations, as well as discussions around a number of autism related issues. Employment: How can employers be more inclusive? How can their awareness of autism be raised? The importance of making workplace adjustments. Understanding what employers can gain from having a neuro-diverse workforce. How can research be used to support the increased employment of autistic individuals? Diagnosis: How can adults on the spectrum get a diagnosis? Should they pursue one? What difference does it make? Do the diagnosis rates in boys and girls actually reflect the incidence of autism? Are girls on the spectrum treated differently? Do they get diagnosed with other issues instead? The experience of girls and women on the spectrum: How do autistic women cope with the hormonal and physical changes of puberty and menopause? Are girls more likely to mask their autism? Does this manifest in mental health issues such as depression or eating disorders? Are girls as likely as boys to have a “special” interest? Are these seen as hobbies? Autism and parenting: Being an autistic parent. How does late diagnosis of parents affect children? If a parent gets an adult diagnosis does that affect the child? Do autistic parents parent differently? How can parents empower their autistic children? How can parents meet the sensory needs of their children? Many of these themes will be explored in the March Autism Ideas Cafe event, which will be in the format of a research symposium, including presentations of their current research by PhD and Master's students from BGU. Details TBC. -
Autism Ideas Cafe Update - December 2020
LORIC Autism Ideas Cafe goes online -
Ideas Café – Autism
On 5th April, we held an ideas cafe surrounding the topic of autism. Attendees came from a diverse range of health, social care and academic backgrounds. A range of ideas were highlighted for discussion, in relation to autism that the attendees felt would be valuable to discuss. Ideas that were put forward included: Managing parents’ expectations around obtaining a diagnosis for their childHow to keep autistic children in mainstream schoolSpecial needs training for all trainee teachersTransition for a child into adult servicesTraining for educational staff – increasing training and confidence levels of staff to better manage children with autismHow do we access school staff in order to train them?Can technology be used to link up all of these different areas?Mapping the services available for different age groups. The group consensus was that a mapping exercise would be useful to visualise what services are currently available and who they are aimed at. This led to an interactive session of plotting out services and gaps in service for different age ranges: Early YearsPrimary School AgeSecondary School AgePost 16/Teenagers/Young adultsAdultsThe Elderly Where gaps were identified, the group considered what was being done, or what could be done to address the shortcomings. Once plotted, services were categorised according to whether they could be accessed through universal services or self-referral, or whether they required a referral to be made via a professional. A follow-up event to further map out out the autism landscape of Lincolnshire, and to discuss and collaborate on other themes relevant to autism has been planned at LORIC on Friday 7th June 10am-12pm. This event is open to anyone with a personal or professional interest in autism and places can be booked via the LORIC Eventbrite page. -
Holocaust survivor and discrimination campaigner among those recognised with honorary awards at BGU in 2020 Graduation Ceremonies
Bishop Grosseteste University is delighted to recognise an incredible group of individuals with honorary doctorates as part of its 2020 graduation ceremonies. Those selected represent a wide range of backgrounds including Holocaust survivor and discrimination campaigner Simon Winston, Operations Manager for the England Men's World Cup winning Cricket team in 2019 Phil Neale and the former Director of INSET at the National Centre for Language and Literacy Prue Goodwin. You can read more about each of the exceptional recipients below: -
Autism Ideas Café Update July 2021
The July session of the Autism Ideas café welcomed attendees from the UK and beyond and was based around three discussion topics. International Perspectives on Autism and Autism Research – The discussion was informed by a description of the situation regrading diagnosis, support and public attitudes towards autism in Hong Kong led by an autism researcher living in Hong Kong. She explained that in Chinese, the word for autism means to “self-isolate or self-enclose”, and that much of the focus of support for autistic children tends to be around encouraging them to present as being “less autistic”, and advised that there is very little focus on adults with autism. Autistic children may be referred to as “children of the stars”, which can perpetuate the view that autism is something which is only experienced by children. The discussion was further supplemented by a group member from New Zealand who shared their experiences of receiving a diagnosis of autism as an adult. Employability Support for Neurodivergent Women – an innovative approach Darkside Rising , a community interest company based in Lincolnshire gave a presentation on their innovative programme of support for neurodivergent women which includes weights-based strength training and mindfulness. More information on their programme can be found here. Diagnosis or Self-Identification – Implications for Research The discussion focussed on the issue of formal diagnosis and self-identification of autism, and how these differ in relation to their implication on autism research. General consensus of the group was that for general autism research, self-identification is perfectly valid, but that depending on the research question being explored, then specifying diagnosis as an inclusion criterion is acceptable, particularly where research focusses on experiences relating to the diagnostic process. Save the Date – the next Bishop Grosseteste Participatory Autism Research Symposium has been scheduled for the 13th October, with further details of the agenda to be shared nearer to the date. Register Here. The next Autism Ideas Café event will be held online on Wednesday 8th September. Register Here. -
Remembering 9/11 Twenty Years On
On the morning of September 11, 2001, an American Airlines Boeing 767 crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. Worldwide, millions watched in shock as events were broadcast by live television coverage. Many remember the chilling footage of the second plane hitting the south tower and the later collapse of the twin towers. At 9.45 am (Eastern Standard Time - EST), a third plane hit the Pentagon in Washington D.C. At 10.10 am (EST), a fourth hijacked plane crashed in a field in western Pennsylvania. United Flight 93 had been delayed leaving Newark Liberty International Airport, leaving time for some of its passengers to learn of the attacks in New York and Washington from cell phone calls. A group of brave passengers and flight crew fought the highjackers preventing the terrorists from weaponising the plane and taking out their fourth intended target, either the White House or the U.S. Capitol. The coordinated attacks were carried out by the Islamic extremist group al Qaeda. Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives that day. Twenty years on, historians at Bishop Grosseteste University share their memories of a day that changed the world. Dr Claire Hubbard-Hall, Programme Leader for Military History. I was weeks away from submitting my Master's' dissertation when 9/11 happened. The day the planes hit the World Trade Center, I had broken away from editing a dissertation chapter. I made a sandwich and then switched on the weighty analogue box television that occupied the living room corner. Images of destruction and devastation greeted me. News of the attacks in New York dominated both BBC and ITV channels (two of just five channels then). For the rest of the day, I sat transfixed, unable to make sense of the news that followed. In an era before social media, the live broadcast made it feel as if I were there. I watched in horror as the Twin Towers plummeted to the ground. At the time, I felt sick. Looking back, I still do. During my doctorate, I spent some time in New York as a Fritz Halbers Fellow researching aspects of the Holocaust at the Leo Baeck Institute. In 2006, on a bitterly cold January morning, I visited the site of the 9/11 attack. Standing silently in Lower Manhattan, I felt overwhelmed with emotion, still unable to process the unthinkable. As we mark the 20th anniversary of one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in history, I wonder how much 9/11 is shifting from lived experience to a historical event connected to the years of history before and after the 9/11 attacks. Dr Hazel Kent, Lecturer in History. I was rushing from my classroom to the staffroom to grab a much-needed cuppa after a busy lesson (some things don't change). A colleague stopped me in the corridor: "Have you heard what's happening in New York?" I hadn't. There wasn't easy internet access in a Lincolnshire comprehensive at that time, and certainly not in my History classroom. I went over to the Science block, to the technician's long, thin preparation room; this was the only place in the school with a live television signal. Surrounded by the chemical bottles and equipment, I remember watching the coverage in disbelief and trying to make sense of what was happening as more and more staff crowded into the tiny space to do the same. I remember the confusion as TV reporters tried to explain, as the horrific trauma of a carefully coordinated terror attack began to unfold thousands of miles away. Watching the coverage of the event certainly had a profound effect on me. From a historian's point of view, it is interesting to reflect on the experience of watching such a significant event unfold in real-time before its narrative has been created. Dr Alan Malpass, Lecturer in Military History. I've lived my entire adult life in the post-9/11 world, but my memories of that day are hazy. I do remember, quite vividly, sitting on the sofa in my parents living room watching news reports of the attack. I had just returned from school, so it must have been around 4 pm (BST). My dad was still at work, but my mum was watching the TV. I remember walking in and seeing her stood in the middle of the room. I immediately felt that something serious had happened, and I sat down. I don't remember us speaking a lot, but just sitting and trying to comprehend the news coverage. I didn't understand what had happened – I don't think anyone did at that point. I'd never heard of the 'Twin Towers' or thought much about terrorism, but the chaotic images made an instant impression. The sense that something tragically earth-shattering had happened was clear. Twenty years later, I now find myself teaching the events of 9/11 and terrorism on some of the modules I deliver. They are requisite to understanding the world we live in today. Further information about the 9/11 Memorials can be found at The 9/11 Memorial & Museum, Flight 93 National Memorial and The National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial. -
BGU Participatory Autism Research Symposium - 13th October 2021
The second Participatory Autism Research Symposium presented by Bishop Grosseteste University and the Participatory Autism Research Collective will be held online on Wednesday 13th October from 10am-12pm. Participatory autism research is defined as research where members of the autistic community have control over the research agenda and the analysis of, and reflection on, the data that is generated. It embeds the values of the draft framework for inclusive autism research (Chown et al., 2017), including that autism research should be aimed at improving the lives of autistic people. Each participant in the symposium will introduce an element of their current research and this will then be discussed by the group. Each presentation will last for approximately 15 minutes. Comment by audience members will not be supported during the symposium, but there will be an opportunity for delegates to discuss the event in groups at the end. Presentations: Autistic women and university This participatory PhD research focuses on autistic women's experiences of university, with specific regard to wellbeing. Participants expressed barriers to university and wanted universities to be more inclusive. As part of this project participants created creative pieces such as poems or artwork. Sophie is particularly interested in the use of creative methods as a research tool. Sophie is a BGU alumnus. Using the short film ‘Broken’ to explore autism in the classroom The short film Broken (Rimmer, 2020) is an artistic impression that aims to articulate autistic pupil dysfluency from an autistic viewpoint. The film has been used a tool to support trainee teachers’ understanding of fluency issues in autistic pupils in the mainstream classroom. The film (6 minutes) will be shown as part of the presentation. John is a member of BGU academic staff. The film’s co-creator, ‘Fauxparl’, is a BGU alumnus. Representation of Black autistic characters in picture books In 1990, Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop published an essay outlining the importance of children’s books as both ‘windows’ and ‘mirrors’: books that are windows enable children to learn about the lives of others, and those that are mirrors support children to see themselves reflected. This project looks at the representation of Black autistic children in picture books – a hugely under-represented demographic. It critiques this representation both from a Black and from an autistic perspective and investigates how these books work both as windows and mirrors. Clare is undertaking a PhD in children’s literature at Cambridge University. She is supporting three members of BGU’s academic staff with this project. BGU’s ARCH project BGU has this year started an Autism Resources Community Hub (ARCH), which aspires to be a one-stop starting point for all members of the BGU autism community (autistic students and staff, family members, friends and allies) to access information about autism at BGU. This community-based, exploratory work aims to build a positive resource that emerges from our autistic community. Helen is BGU’s Student Engagement Facilitator. -
BGU Academics Present at the International Nurse Education Today (NET) Conference
Two academics from the Health and Social Care team at BGU presented at the international Nurse Education Today (NET) Conference which is an annual event run by the Advance UK (formally the Higher Education Academy). NET provides a unique opportunity for delegates to engage with the latest worldwide research evidence, developments and thinking with educators, practitioners, and students. Papers are arranged in themed sessions where delegates participate in in-depth discussion and debate on a topic, facilitated by skilled convenors. Nicki Walsh (Programme Leader and Senior Lecturer) and Leanne McHugh (Senior Lecturer) presented on different themes. Nicki presented under the theme of “Educational Enhancement” showcasing her work supporting UK, the general practice nursing workforce (previously published). Her paper reviewed current drivers within practice and higher education, to support and develop the current and future workforce. It examined several initiatives that Nicki was involved with, from the support of General Practice to provide placements for undergraduate nursing and health and social care students, to the development of educational programmes to support nurses working in practice, or who wish to have a career in General Practice, with their continued professional develop and career enhancement. Leanne presented under the theme “Student experience, engagement and achievement”. Leanne shared an overview of the carers project at BGU. The presentation took the participants through the project’s development and planning stages and considered the student and staff engagement opportunities which this project presented. Consideration was given to how to craft the narrative of the project which focused on the question “What would it feel like to be a carer at the university?” “How can we identify a shared language, so we all hear your story?”. Future strategies to enhance the Carers project were also shared with the participants seeing the future vision, which is to consider, “What an active Carers community will look like”. During the question and answer session, feedback from the participants was really positive, offering networking opportunities and possibilities of increasing the awareness of the BGU Carers Community. Related publications Book Chapter - Chapter One – Contemporary General Practice Nursing – Editors Welsh, M. and Brooks, S., Elsevier Walsh, N and Mason, R., (2018) “Hitting the Ground Running": An Evaluation of Management Placements for Student Nurses with UK General Practice. Primary Health Care. Vol. 28 No.7 pp34-41 . doi: 10.7748/phc. 2018.e1443 Walsh, N., (2017) Using community education provider networks to develop general practice nursing. Primary Health Care. Vol.27, No.4, pp26-29 -
BGU Officially Welcome New Students at Annual Matriculation Ceremony
Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) formally enrolled over 1000 students and welcomed nearly 600 of those students at the annual Matriculation Ceremony on Friday 8 October 2021. Now in its seventh year the welcoming ceremony has become an established and popular part of the academic calendar. All newly enrolled students are invited to the ceremony, held in the grand surroundings of Lincoln Cathedral, which gives both undergraduate and postgraduate students the chance to meet University staff and each other. This year’s ceremony began at 3pm with a procession of over 100 BGU members of staff before the new students were officially welcomed to the University by the University’s Chancellor, Dame Judith Mayhew-Jonas, the Vice-Chancellor, the Reverend Canon Professor Peter Neil, the President of the Students’ Union, Erin Bell and the The Vice-Chancellor of Lincoln Cathedral, The Reverend Canon Neil Burgess. As a symbol of their belonging in BGU, all students were given a specially designed gold badge. The Vice-Chancellor explained why the event has become such an important part of the student journey at BGU: “The Matriculation Ceremony marks our students’ formal entry into the University. In addition to offering a friendly welcome to all those who are starting their studies here this year, it marks their entry into BGU’s academic community, of which every student is an integral member. It is also emphasised that we are all there to guide and support the students throughout their time with us. This year feels particularly special, as it is the first time we have gathered together in the Cathedral for almost two years.” The ceremony closed with a performance from the BGU choir followed by speeches from Harry Mill, second year Education Studies and Mathematics student, and Bethany Mcallister, second year English Literature student. If you would like to become a part of the BGU community visit our website to find out about all the exciting courses available to you or contact our Enquiries Team today. You can watch this year’s ceremony and find a photo album on our Facebook page -
Perceptions of Death in Collective Memory: Numbers | Spaces | Texts (2021-22)
Research by Sibylle Erle Death is an abstract concept. I have always been interested in Death; not because I am morbid but because I want to live a better life. Having co-organized Academic and Creative Responses to Death and Dying (since 2017) with Peter Green at BGU, I realised that I needed to move on as well as back into my own discipline. I wanted to contemporize my interest in Death, which is rooted in the Romantic period where it connects to my research on Mary Wollstonecraft, Joanna Baillie and Mary Shelley. This is how it happened. In conversation with Dr Makrina Agaoglou, from the Institute of Mathematical Sciences (ICMAT) in Madrid, I realised how Mathematics could inform and teach non-mathematicians about how mathematical modelling can give some inside information on what is happening and if and how outcomes can be predicted. Sophie Ungerer a London-based architect and designer working at the University of Brighton, on the other hand, showed me how COVID-19 has affected the way we move in our minds and through our cities, including the spaces designated for preoccupation with death, such as graveyards, (makeshift) morgues or memorials. In my head I quickly moved from “What is the maths behind the current pandemic?” to “How should we inhabit public spaces – as well as the intimate space between us”. Our project seeks to explore the perceptions of death in the context of COVID-19 and how they were affected by the pandemic. COVID-19 has been represented by mathematical graphs describing a global phenomenum, that are abstract and not always easily processed by the public; the data, moreover, is counterpointed by a plethora of individual stories about loss, mental health and lockdowns. Yet, though the threat of death is omni-present and has shaped our societies and lives irreversibly, many still have not experienced death first-hand. Death is well-documented in the public eye, but all too often the dying had to die alone to ensure the safety of their loved ones and related communities. This disconnect - between the public and the private - has to do with how we process ‘the facts‘. Through our project we want to take stock of how the current situation is poised; it is not about knowing or not knowing, it is rather to do with accepting or rejecting ‘the facts‘. Using interdisciplinary collaboration, we aim to explore the perceptions of death: from the abstract, for the general public, the parameters that affect the spreading of the virus and thus define social distancing, to how empirical experience of death may be represented in text and space. Our project is funded by AlumNode (a collaboration between the Heidelberg Laureate Forum Foundation (HLFF) and the German Scholars Organization (GSO), funded by the Klaus Tschira Stiftung (KTS). Facts rarely produce empathy; and this is where the TEXT (Literature) comes in. For any information contact Sibylle Erle, FRSA, FHEA, who is Reader in English Literature and lead of RKEU Literature and Literacies. She teaches on the English programmes as well as on MA Children’s Literature and Literacies. Our first event on 2 November brings together Speakers from different disciplines who will explore ‘Death’ from different angles: we will have short presentations, a round table and a creative workshop; This will be lead by artist Marina White Raven, who I have been working with since the first Lockdown on a story titled, 'What did you do during lockdown?' - Find out more about that story here. What remains? Each point or number on those graphs holds its own story. Is it personal stories that will compete with the trends in the formation of the collective memory of the time we are now living through? How do we perceive, construct as well as represent Death in our daily lives? For details: https://www.icmat.es/congresos/2021/PDM-NST/index.php To register: https://predictiondeathmemory.eventbrite.co.uk
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