MART – Rethinking Autism and Challenging Behaviour Workshop OR Teachers Forestry Tour

Event is FULL - Currently not accepting registrations

FULL - Rethinking Autism and Challenging Behaviour: Interactive Workshop with Patty Douglas and Raya Sheilds

Rethinking Autism and Challenging Behaviour, Part II of the workshop series A New View of Autism, kicks off from where we left off in our first session together in Fall 2021. In our introductory session, presenters Raya Shields and Patty Douglas invited MART on an artful journey to reimagine disability and autism through the social model of disability and neurodiversity paradigm—an affirming, strengths-based approach. Participants were also introduced to our 5 game-changing principles of inclusive practice grounded in our research with autistic students, families, and educators.

Part II, Rethinking Autism and Challenging Behaviour, puts into practice a neurodiversity paradigm as a starting point to rethink how we as educators understand what is often called challenging behaviour. We use a variety of multimedia and other interactive activities to work with the concept of double empathy, developed by autistic researcher Damian Milton to challenge the idea that autistic ‘deficits’ are the cause of communication breakdowns and challenging behaviour. Milton found that social and communication difficulties attributed to autistic ‘deficits’ are more often the result of misunderstanding on the part of non-autistic people. This workshop sheds light on what it would mean to make a mindset shift around challenging behaviour through double empathy and the neurodiversity paradigm. We use the 5 principles to organize our time together to re-make and challenge practice. Considering recent public consultation and research in Manitoba that described how autistic and disabled students are more often isolated, secluded and restrained in the face of challenging behaviour, this workshop is important and timely for all teachers, system leaders and school personnel.

Presenters: Patty Douglas and Raya Sheilds



Patty Douglas is an Associate Professor of Disability Studies in Education in the Faculty of Education at Brandon University, Canada. Her research and teaching challenge deficit approaches to disability in education and reimagine disability and systems in affirming ways through critical, arts-based and community-engaged approaches. She is a former special education teacher and (m)other of two sons, one of whom attracted the label of autism. Patty is a white settler academic on Treaty 2 territory working to hold space for Indigenous approaches to autism and disability. She identifies as neurodivergent and invisibly disabled. Patty leads the Re•Storying Autism story making project. Find out more here www.restoryingautism.com



Raya Shields holds an MA in Critical Disability Studies from York University and BA in Child and Youth Care. She works as an EA at a small private school for neurodivergent children in Toronto and mentors neurodivergent youth and young adults. Her MA thesis examined the manipulation of space and time in institutional settings. She is autistic, queer, and multiply neurodivergent. In her spare time, Raya enjoys visiting Toronto’s many laundromats, playing tabletop role-playing games, researching funicular railroads around the world, going on adventures with her pug Sir Gherkin, and re-watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Location: Virtual

Time: 9:00 am - 3:30 pm

Suitable for: All Educators, Administration, Student Teachers

FULL - Teachers' Forestry Tour

• Meet professionals in the field of forest research and management;
• Visit Manitoba's forest sites and forestry operations;
• Get valuable curriculum resources to take back to the classroom; and
• A fun-filled day of being outdoors!

This session has a $20 fee that is payable to the Canadian Institute of Forestry. Link to register: Forestry Tour

Presenter: Canadian Institute of Forestry, Manitoba Section

Location: Arnett Auditorium, 191 Harcourt Street, Winnipeg, MB

Time: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Suitable for: All Educators, Administration, Student Teachers