Hello everyone,

#OnlineAutscape2026 “Evolving Autistic Space Online” starts at 6pm GMT today (Friday 6th February), and if you don't already have a ticket, you can still join us!

There is no set registration deadline; we'll keep registration open until the event starts, and even beyond (so don't worry if you're late). Upon registering you'll automatically be emailed all the information you need.

The event runs from 6th to 8th February. We will be using Zoom webinars for the presentations and a dedicated Discord server for our social space. The main page for the event is at:

https://www.autscape.org/2026/online/

Booking your ticket is quick and easy. Please visit:

https://www.autscape.org/2026/online/registration

We're very proud of our incredible international line-up of presenters! The programme schedule is here (and you can switch it to your local time zone):

https://www.autscape.org/2026/online/schedule

But, as always, presentations and workshops aren't all there is to #Autscape. There will be also al sorts of more informal discussions and socialising going on, in text, in the social space on Discord.

Autscape is a genuine #AutisticCommunity event, organised by and for #ActuallyAutistic people. As is Autscape's way, everything is optional: there is never an expectation to participate, you're very welcome to just come and read/observe. And it's #AutisticSpace: being and acting autistic is accepted, welcomed, and even celebrated. But non-autistic people are also very welcome, provided they respect this.

As many of us #autistic people tend to get stuck and struggle with “doing stuff”, we hope that this reminder gives some of you the prompt you needed to join us. See you at Autscape!

On behalf of the Online Autscape organising team and the Autscape board,

Martijn Dekker
Acting chair, The Autscape Organisation

#autism #neurodivergence #neurodivergent #neurodiverse #neurodiversity #conference

Saturday 7th February is going to be a celebration of autistic creativity in many forms. The last workshop of the day will be led by Anna Blair, an autistic PhD student, artist, and activist. Receiving her late-diagnosis led her to autistic online spaces and her current PhD project on autistic women’s digital and spatial experiences. Her artistic practice has focused on autistic spaces, online forums and questions of public space, and digital avatars.

Anna will present on autistic and allistic use of tone indicators, emoticons, ASCII art, and digital affordances such as reaction buttons, the ability to delete a message, and edit a message before sending it. Then, as a group, the participants will explore whether our text-based communication differs to our other forms of communication - and how they might inform each other. What does it look like to stim via text? Do you mask when writing? How do you use images to communicate?

Read more and register on our website: www.autscape.org/2026/online

Registration open until the beginning of the event!

#autism #neurodiversity #creativity #autisticspace #onlineautscape2026

On Saturday 7th February, Seonaid Weightman and Jorik Mol will tell us about QNDN, a unique network that has been a little source of creative safety on the internet since 2023.

There are few places where queer neurodivergent creatives can connect with one another in a framework that's neither cishet nor neurotypically coded. QNDN has welcomed neurodivergent creatives from around the world, delivering a mentoring programme, linked up guest facilitators, and created a network and connections across multiple platforms.

Seonaid is a Scottish poet, educator, producer and multi-hyphenate, who lives in Portugal with a variety of cats and astonishing fashion sense. Jorik Mol is an author, educator and performer living in the South-west of England with Luke Chaston, a writer and educator. Together they have run QNDN since 2023, meeting every other week to write together, be together and try to take over the world.

#onlineautscape2026 #autisticspace #autism #neurodiversity #creativity #LGBTQ+ #writing #poetry #networking

Lack of digital skills can be an obstacle to joining shared autistic online spaces. Kosjenka Petek is a member of an all-autistic team in the European project Digital For All, which has developed peer training of digital skills over the past two years. She is Croatian, a qualified teacher and teacher trainer, and the Programme Director of the association ASK - Self-Advocacy Society Croatia. Her presentation introduces the Digital for All curriculum and the accompanying teaching materials developed to support accessible digital education for disabled and neurodivergent learners.

The presentation will give an overview of the project materials, highlighting areas such as inclusive group formation, curriculum adaptation, formative assessment focused on real-life digital tasks, and standardisation of the recruitment process. It will also address the role of trainers, personal assistants, and assistive technology in creating supportive, safe and accessible learning environments.

#OnlineAutscape2026 #AutisticCommunity #Neurodiversity #Autism

On Saturday, we will have two short talks about nomadic networks and collective development of resources..

Betsy Selvam, a neurodivergent artist from Vellore, south India, will explore neuroqueer community-building in online spaces as a nomadic form of belonging. Drawing on Rosi Braidotti’s concept of nomadic subjectivity, Betsy argues that digital platforms used by neurodivergent and queer individuals function as nomadic networks rather than fixed sites. The talk invites audiences to consider how neuroqueer digital networks redefine what community can mean in contemporary culture.

Aut2Aut Founder & CEO, Dr. Gal Schkolnik, an autistic and nonbinary community organizer and activist, will talk about prepped.to, a free website where autistic folks can find sensory information and service instructions before visiting a new place. This is a collective system where the information comes from the autistic users.

More information on our website at www.autscape.org/2026/online

#autism #neurodiversity #actuallyautistic #autisticcommunity #onlineautscape2026 See less

Just five days to Online Autscape 2026!

The first day, evening of February 6th, will be all about autistic people and organisations learning and developing in changing online spaces.

👉Event opened by Martijn Dekker, Acting Chair of the Autscape Organisation.

👉Daniel Grahn, Chair of the Swedish association Organiserade Autister (Organised Autistics), who grew up in the emerging online environment and watched it change from what it was to what it is today, talks about his experiences and observations of how the changes have influenced autistic people's engagement in online spaces.

👉Raquel Lebre from Portugal will reflect on what it means to work inside an intentionally autistic-first online space, from the perspective of an autistic employee, exploring how everyday organisational choices shape whether online work supports autistic participation or quietly reproduces neurotypical norms.

👉Luis, an autistic advocate and community organiser, will lead a discussion on how building autism communities can positively support autistic individuals by creating inclusive, peer-led spaces grounded in lived experience. Join in to share your thoughts!

🎆At the end of day, you can join Sparklies in the Dark - bring out your glowsticks, sparklers, LED toys or any other favourite items for a stimmy lightshow. Chat freely with other participants or just de-stress in silence while enjoying the visual spectacle.

More information on our website at www.autscape.org/2026/online

#onlineautscape2026 #autisticspace #autisticcommunity #Employment #accessibility #socialmedia #communitybuilding #autism #neurodiversity See less

We are proud to introduce the featured Online Autscape workshop, Radical Self-Acceptance Through Creative Writing & Reading, delivered by the brilliant Kate Fox.

Kate is a stand-up poet, spoken word artist and broadcaster. She is a regular contributor to Radio 4's spoken word cabaret “The Verb”, and she has a PhD in stand-up comedy. She is also a neurodivergent advocate whose latest show “Bigger on the Inside" explores neurodiversity through the lens of Doctor Who.

At the online workshop, Kate will use poems by neurodivergent poets such as Joanne Limburg & Audre Lorde as prompts to encourage you to explore themes of self-acceptance through creative writing.

Participants are welcome to have their cameras on and to engage by speaking, or to reply by messaging, but it’s also fine to have the camera off for some or all of the time.

❓Not familiar with Autscape events yet?

Autscape events are created and organised by autistic volunteers. All profit from attendance fees goes to organising more events.

Autscape events offer autistic space, where the rules of interaction are determined by autistic people, but they are not meant only for us - non-autistic people are welcome to join in.

Online Autscape 2026 spans three days, from 6th Feb evening to 8th Feb afternoon, with a variety of presentations and workshops and a Discord server for discussions. You can select the parts that interest you most and drop in whenever you like.

Find out more about Kate's workshop and other fascinating sessions on our website:
www.autscape.org/2026/online

Attendance fees:
£40 standard adult
£20 low income adult
£75 professional
£10 youth (13-17 y)
Attendance fees in Euros:
48 € standard adult fee
24 € low income adult
90 € professional
12 € youth (13-17 y)

#autism #neurodiversity #creativity #writing #poetry #autisticspace #onlineautscape2026

Autistic online spaces have developed to be more than channels for lectures and discussions. Fun and creativity, arts and crafts are essential parts of this scene.

Online Autscape 2026 is not just about words, but also about having fun and letting your creativity flourish. Part of this are the workshops provide as part of the programme.

SATURDAY 7th Feb ARTS&CRAFTS
At 13:00 GMT, you can join Laura Buckland Mason for a Mini Folded Art Books Workshop. You will learn how to decorate, fold, glue and finish two different types of simple folded book, each made from a single sheet of paper.

Laura has really valued spending time in autistic spaces ever since she first attended an in-person Autscape in 2016. The supportive, non-judgemental environments have helped her to discover the things that are important to her - and one of those things is art! She loves exploring new art materials and techniques, filling sketchbooks, taking part in communal art, craft and writing projects that bring people together, facilitating and attending various art groups and workshops, and exchanging art with people around the world.

At 19:30 GMT, you can join Chiara for AutArt - a Collage creating Workshop. Chiara will guide you to create your own collage. You can work digitally (on Canva/PowerPoint/FreeForm…) or traditionally (using paper, photos, magazines, newspaper, scrapbook paper, washi tape, stickers…). You can use what you have at home and be creative.

Chiara is a 24-year-old autistic teacher livening in Vienna, Austria. Some audience members may know her from Autscape 2023, 2024, and 2025.

#onlineautscape2026 #autisticspace #autism #neurodiversity #creativity #artsandcrafts

On Sunday, 8th February, we will hear two presentations on topics on ways that artificial intelligence can affect autistic people's lives, from very different perspectives.

Malika Bouazzaoui, will talk about how generative AI is increasingly used for mental health purposes, and reflect on the possible benefits and risks. Malika is a consultant in AI and digital health, with more than a decade of experience in artificial intelligence and digital mental health. She supports the UK government in deciding which mental health solutions to finance to resolve the current mental health crisis at scale,

Imke Heuer will talk about recent findings and solutions from the Artificial Intelligence and the Rights of Autistic People (AIRA) project, which has reached its final months. AIRA has explored current and potential future effects of AI on autistic individuals and the autistic community. Conducted by autistic researchers from different European countries and academic backgrounds, it has combined research with activism to build up capacities for autistic self-advocacy.

To those who are interested in AI topics specifically, we recommend also attending the free webinar on AI, autism and working life, offered by the AIRA project on Friday 6th Feb, 13-14:30 GMT/ 14-15:30 CET, only a few hours before Online Autscape starts. This is great opportunity to hear cutting-edge experts on these themes, and then join the autistic community for a weekend of discussions on the Autscape Discord!

Autscape registration: https://www.autscape.org/2026/online/registration

AIRA webinar information and registration: https://eucap.eu/2026/01/04/aira-project-webinar-ai-autism-and-working-life/

#onlineautscape2026 #autisticspace #artificialintelligence #mentalhealth

On 7th February, Jules from AutisticRadio, a platform created by a small group of colleagues, will join Autscape to discuss a model of peer support, called "Backstage". Backstage was formed as an autistic space during Autistic Radio's annual "Radio Days" loneliness prevention project. The session will be interactive, with Jules seeking the audience's feedback on the concept and directions to develop it further.

Jules realised his Autistic Neurodivergence in middle age and embraces that identity. He has previously formed small businesses successfully. At 60 years young he transfers those skills into the entirely Autistic Charity; Autistic Association.

#autism #radio #loneliness #onlineautscape2026 #autisticspace