What does an Academic without Portfolio do?

Continuing the theme from my last blog, what does an academic without portfolio do? Well it is like gardening I suppose, you can't really stand still or the weeds start to grow, and if you leave it too long you despair at the task ahead and lose the energy, so it gets worse.

So what are to be my continuing links with the world of academia, whilst I seek a post and funding?

Well I suppose there is the Autonomy journal, and that nearly did succumb to the aforementioned gardeners problem, as I left it to seed for too long, but I do have another edition in the pipeline and I need to keep on top of that.

I also need to keep my name in the headlines, not so much through writing articles for small circulation, subscription only journals, as that will never do, they will never see the light of day.

No I think I can continue to do the rounds of conferences and seminars, presenting at them wherever I get the chance. I actually think that is likely to have more influence. It will be expensive and I don't know where the money will come from, so perhaps I might even consider crowd funding for this.

I certainly do not want to miss the next CEDR conference in 2018, as there will be a neurodiversity stream next year, and that could be the next biggest gathering of the clans since Autscape, which I really also cannot afford to miss.

There is definately work to be done as the weeds are getting strong already, by which I mean, that so called school of critical autism studies, that has colonised us and threatens our roots and out legitimacy.

I have been speaking with fellow autistic academics and academic autistics this week at Autscape and there is very strong feeling that something needs to be done, to ensure that we are not forever just the performing dogs on the circuit, or food for other peoples research. Autism is a discourse, and that discourse needs to be owned by those who have the most personal interest in its outcome, and that is us.

It is not the only work to be done, again as evidenced at Autscape through the work of Dr Yo Dunn who gave a powerful presentation concerning the disenfranchised Autistic people who do not have the links and community support of our growing band of merry Academics. Those who are deemed to lack capacity and who increasingly find themselves in long institutional stays.

However for the moment, I must take a holiday, and let the weeds on my allotment flourish for a little longer.