AMASE Newsletter, December 2025
Dec 09, 2025 6:28 pm
Dear AMASE members,
We are definitely feeling like it is winter now, with barely 7 hours of daylight for those of us near Edinburgh and the weather being all over the place.
This is our last newsletter of the year and you will see that we have a few AMASE events coming up, such as bouldering at Alien Rock and a body-doubling session. There will also be a social working group meeting this evening at 7pm which anyone interested in supporting future events can attend. We have also shared a few other resources you may find of interest, including a Community Guide to a Happy Neurodivergent Christmas.
We will send out our next newsletter in early January so we would like to send everyone best wishes for the season and going into 2026!
Best wishes,
Fiona, Leo, Gideon, Fergus, Elly, Pete and Luis.
- Regular AMASE Bouldering Trips – Alien Bloc
- AMASE social events working group call, 2025-12-09, 7-8pm
- AMASE body doubling session, 2025-12-10, 7-8pm
- Number 6 Autism One Stop Shop December Calendar
- Tizard Insights event on “Neurodiversity-affirming practice”, 2025-12-16, 1-2pm
- Jade Farrington’s Neurodiversity Newsletter monthly editions
- The brain motorway - how monotropism is a foundation of autistic experience, 2025-12-19, 12-1pm
- Recording of Connective Tissues and Neurodivergence discussion with Jane Green of SEDS Connective
- Article on autism diagnosis and double empathy published in the British Journal of Psychiatry
- Scottish Government’s Access to Elected Office Fund now open
AMASE events:
1. Regular AMASE Bouldering Trips – Alien Bloc
A few of us have been enjoying informal fortnightly bouldering sessions at Alien Bloc, in Canonmills, with the next one on Saturday 13th December at 11:30am. All levels are welcome - no experience required. Entry is £13 (plus £3.50 shoe hire if needed). If you're thinking of coming do let us know by signing up on Luma, link here: https://luma.com/brb45zzc
2. AMASE social events working group call, 2025-12-09, 7-8pm
Following our poll asking members what kinds of social gathering they would like to see from AMASE, we recently held a Zoom call for anyone interested to get together and discuss how we could run a programme of AMASE social events. We have another call coming up today, Tuesday 9th December, 7-8pm. Apologies for the short notice, for anyone not on the Discord!
If you’d like to get involved, please email [email protected], tag Elly in the #amase-events Discord channel or just jump in here at 7: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84894005610
3. AMASE body doubling session, 2025-12-10, 7-8pm
On Wednesday 10th December we are running a body doubling session from 7-8pm online on Zoom for AMASE members. If you are not familiar with the concept, body doubling is where a person works in the physical or virtual presence of another or others, to help with task initiation and focus. People can work on different tasks, for example to write an email, tidy a room or cook a meal.
You can see information on how we are proposing the session will run, and sign up if you would like to attend here: https://luma.com/l6i86uf3?tk=kZ2Lpe
Other events:
4. Number 6 Autism One Stop Shop December Calendar
The Number 6 December calendar listing groups and activities they will be running this month can be seen here:
https://autisminitiatives.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/December-Calendar-2025.pdf
5. Tizard Insights event on “Neurodiversity-affirming practice”, 2025-12-16, 1-2pm
Tizard Insights, with autistic scholar Dr Damian Milton as speaker, are holding an online event to discuss Key Concepts in the Development of a Neurodiversity-Affirming Practice. You can sign up for this event here: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/e80ea66c-1d11-426b-abf4-8ff1ca49643e@51a9fa56-3f32-449a-a721-3e3f49aa5e9a. It will also be uploaded on the Tizard Centre University of Kent YouTube Channel.
6. The brain motorway - how monotropism is a foundation of autistic experience, 2025-12-19, 12-1pm
This free event with Pete Wharmby is part of the new Autism Central peer education programme commissioned by NHS England:
Other:
7. Jade Farrington’s Neurodiversity Newsletter monthly editions
We have found this newsletter to be a great source of information. This newsletter lists different types of groups and events run by respected advocates and organisations and shares articles and other resources produced by them. In the Neurodiversity Newsletter December edition there is a new free resource “Delving into the Complexity of Unmasking Safely” written by Jade and The Autistic Advocate Kieran Rose, as well as the 2nd edition of a “Community Guide to a Happy Neurodivergent Christmas” that you can download. This helpful community guide has been written with contributions from many autistic and other neurodivergent people.
8. Recording of Connective Tissues and Neurodivergence discussion with Jane Green of SEDS Connective
Last week our friends at Scottish Ethnic Minority Autistics (SEMA) and ARGH Scotland met with founder and Chair of SEDS Connective Jane Green. Their discussions included the vast number of ways people can be impacted by connective tissue disorders with wide-reaching implications. There is still relatively little understanding about this area, although research suggests that the prevalence in neurodivergent people is higher. The recording can be seen on SEMA’s Youtube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/live/bO_uV-AXvrc?si=PyEu2CAxyVrDuTAi
9. Letter on autism diagnosis and double empathy published in the British Journal of Psychiatry
Non-autistic ally and friend of AMASE, Catherine Crompton, a psychologist and researcher based in Edinburgh, wrote an excellent article that was published in the November Journal of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. The article looked at the profound challenge that the double empathy problem poses to how autism is diagnosed, described and researched. It can be read here:
10. Scottish Government’s Access to Elected Office Fund now open
The Access to Elected Office Fund which supports disabled people standing in the 2026 Scottish Parliament election and the 2027 council elections is now open. This covers the costs of reasonable adjustments and practical support so candidates can compete on an equal footing. It is Scottish Government funded and run by Inclusion Scotland. In 2022, 46 disabled candidates received support from the Fund and 22 were elected. More information can be found here:
https://inclusionscotland.org/disabled-people-become-a-leader/civic-participation/aeo-fund
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AMASE is a volunteer run organisation. If you feel financially able to do so, you can donate to AMASE via PayPal Donate.
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