Acceptance Matters Acceptance Matters is a virtual conference hosted by the North East Autism Society. Featuring a panel of autistic speakers, the conference will cover the topics of autistic wellbeing, autism and employment, communication as autistic parents, and understanding autistic experience. The event takes place on Thursday, 16th May from 9.30am. Places are limited, so please sign up to secure your place by clicking the button below or choosing "Book tickets" from the navigation menu above. Choose "Conference details" from the navigation menu to see the schedule and the speakers. Sign up to the conference Home Conference Details Speakers Dr Chloe Farahar Quinn Dexter Ruth Jenks Pete Wharmby Conference Schedule Help & FAQs Book Tickets Contact Us Back to main website Accepting difference: Understanding autistic experience Presenter: Pete Wharmby The presentation focuses on autistic experience. Pete's own autism diagnosis was a moment which had a hugely profound impact on his life, and helped him accept himself for who he was. Shocked by the statistics around depression, anxiety and life expectancy for autistic people, he has dedicated himself to explaining what it means to be autistic in the world and how things could be improved. About the presenter After being diagnosed as autistic at the age of 34 in 2017, I have immersed myself in working to improve autistic awareness, acceptance and making the world a more suitable place for the neurodivergent community. I have spoken at a wide range of events and conferences since 2020 in the UK and in Europe and North America, both in person and remotely, sharing my insight and experience of being autistic and ADHD with businesses, governments, educational establishments and more. I am active on LinkedIn, Instagram and on YouTube, where my channel is at over 3000 subscribers. I am a bestselling author: my first book, What I Want to Talk About, was published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers in September 2022, and my second book, Untypical, was published by HarperCollins in March 2023, with the paperback released in March 2024. I have also written a number of articles, interviews and book chapters, and appeared on BBC Radio 2. I am a former secondary English teacher and a father-of-one. Pronouns: he/him Instagram: @PeteWharmby LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/pete-wharmby YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/PeterWharmby Visit Pete's website Manage Cookie Preferences