let's resurrect some threads cal buried with his blabber.
i'll start:
today, i attended an AS awareness meeting at uni. the lecturer was mainly a knob (he subscribes to the "social model" of AS, and missed half the points completely). his co-presenter - a student with AS - was as cool as fuck, though - really engaging, and got several messages over bloody well. a real person, too. in fact, i've invited him here, so watch this space. 
several people came up afterwards to ask me stuff, and ask if they could contact me about AS, and the disability officer is going to email everyone, to say they can contact me, or even that i'll give a presentation where they can "hotseat" me. one more blow for AS advocacy, i reckon - stop getting "experts" to talk at people, and start getting people with AS to say what it's like. 
I am glad to know this is happening elsewhere - I have spoken with my psychologist about this and she wants to arrange for me to give a talk at a university(!) to students of psychology. It is not until October. I have been thinking about this for quite some time because I think that some professionals get autism wrong and then pass that to others.
I am crap at talking, so hopefully I can plan it well and it won't be so bad. I am fine talking in front of people - it is the talking itself that gets me sometimes.
Thanks Lucifer - I am happy to know that this is going on in other places. 
that's brilliant, renaeden - you go, girl!
let me know if i can help in any way, although i'm sure you can do it fabulously without my dronings.
i know it's an overused phrase, but "be yourself" really works, in these cases, cos that's what people really want to know.
