Looking for non or minimally verbal conference speakers

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Hi wrongplanet.

I used to have another account, but I cant re-create it.

Im asking the hivemind for recommendations for a speaker for for large autism conference.
Im looking for an autistic person who is nonverbal or minimally verbal.

Do you know someone or have a preferred speaker with this background?

-Thanks

We are not a "hivemind".

I could also, perhaps more correctly, have used the term "Community" in stead.

Here is Oxfords defintion:

"Hivemind: A notional entity consisting of a large number of people who share their knowledge or opinions with one another, regarded as producing either uncritical conformity or collective intelligence."

That was the use I was going for - the collective minds of this forum-.

Do you have a favourite speaker to recommend?

I do not have anyone to recommend, but I am curious.

Why would you want someone who was non-verbal to "speak" at a conference?

That is a puzzling to me too.

What is the topic, how long of a speech, and do they get paid?
Who is the audience?
Is it in person or can it be on Zoom, etc?
If it's in person are travelling expenses paid?
We need more info.

The theme of the conference is "communication".

The presenter is welcome to choose a specific topic under that theme.

It will be in-person.

The duration will be about 45 minutes, presenting twice is possible, if the presenter is up for it.

Travel costs will be paid, some additional payment is possible.



While the specifics of course are important to you (if you are the presenter) I am simply looking for a referral so someone interested in presenting.


Someone asked why I would want someone non-verbal. And my instinctive response was, "Why wouldnt I?"
In this specific case, it is because people who are non-verbal are seldom given a platform and too often do care-staff, parents and other professionals make too many desicions on their behalf without including them.

What counter-move that to bring non and lesser-verbal autistic people to forefront and the mainstage?

Yeah. Seems like a contradiction in terms. A non-verbal public speaker.

The original poster should have ...elaborated on that ...right there in his original post.

If Steven Hawking would qualify as nonverbal, I guess I could imagine him as a speaker.

I am afraid I don’t know a suitable presenter for OP. Hopefully the conference organizers would be willing to come up with accommodations for the nonverbal or minimal-verbal speaker/presenter.

I suppose that a person (especially an autistic) could be "nonverbal" in most day to day contexts, but (maybe for that very reason) be eager to speak in public at a lectern.

Its impossible to recommend anyone without knowing where, when, or on what topic you want someone non-verbal to speak. You seem to have left out all of the pertinent information here.

● psychcentral.com - Autism - Nonverbal - Other Communication Types


“Autistic people can still communicate even without the use of spoken language. There’s a range of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) options available.

AAC includes any communication method that isn’t talking, such as:

● writing
● drawing
● facial expressions
● gestures
● pointing to letters to spell words
● pointing to photos, text, or drawings
● using an electronic device to generate speech or assist with communication in some way”

Last edited by Fenn on 18 Jun 2023, 11:28 am, edited 1 time in total.

____________

"One bright day in the middle of the night
Two dead men got up to fight"

"Looking for people who cannot speak to give speeches."  This makes no sense.  It must be a bogus request.

Not necessarily. Could be a request for someone who can't speak but can type and use speech-to-text.

To Rulefar:

I would suggest Ido Kedar, who has a blog and a YouTube channel including some videos of him typing and using a text-to-speech converter, with no human assistance (other than occasional encouraging remarks from his mother). Looks genuine to me.

He has also written a book.