Totally OT - My workshop tonight

[luvnit]

My workshop for parents with children with Autism (and other like disorders) went really great. I had a similar workshop with this school district last year. After the recent article in the paper we had 3 times as many parents attending. It was wonderful.

I get a little stage fright before I start to speak, once I relax and get into it things go better. Does anyone have a trick for that 'stagefright' thing? I am much better one-on-one.

All my materials went like hotcakes. Of course the district was footing the bill for most of it.

Glad it's over though and life is back to 'normal'.

The workshop was about implementing a visual schedule for kids with autism. Which we have found so successful in our home.

[Old Bay]

Someone told me once, and I never forgot, I even preached from my Methodist lecturn (not the pulpit), I'm not that pious, don't worry. Look on your audience and imagine them all there are naked--they have lost their luggage--they are not at all comfortable or judgemental. You will feel much more confidence.

[luvnit]

Naked.... Hmmmm.... That may change the tone of my workshop (hehehe ) Just kidding. I have never tried that.

I was trying to imagine they were just 1 person. I am better in a small group or one-on-one.

But, nude... let's hope I don't have any Freudian slips!

[firechef]

I never make "direct eye contact" with anyone when I am doing demos, teaching or lecturing. I try to look just over the tops of their heads and if it is a small group that is up close and personal I can tell you who has dandruff and needs a new stylist as I look at their foreheads up only unless answering a direct question. Then it is one on one again...

[labradors]

Quote:

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But, nude... let's hope I don't have any Freudian slips!

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If they have slips, they're not nude. LOL!

Although not the most sanguine person (rather phlegmatic, actually), I've never had much problem with stage fright. I've heard of the "nude" or "underwear" trick, but have never tried it, since I tend to think of public speaking as just a variation of private speaking, so I just forget the audience is there. In fact, when a poetry group to which I belonged performed on an actual stage (each of us out there alone, with the exception of a harpist who played an accompaniment), the people in the audience could hardly even be seen, since the house lights were off, and the stage lights were on us. Thus, we couldn't see past about three rows of the audience.

All this rambling has given me an idea, though: If you are good one-on-one, maybe all you need to do is to pick out one member of the audience (or one at a time, but occasionally changing so THEY don't become self conscious) and talk (except for volume and projection) as though you were sitting right across a table from that person, one on one.

One thing that's useful when writing is to read what you have written out loud, as though you were presenting it to a group, even if it is something only intended for the printed page. Very often, you will catch awkward constructs, redundancies, and areas where it just doesn't flow very well. I'll even do that with lengthier forum messages to make sure they remain coherent.

[luvnit]

Seriously Labs you are right. If I could to the 'one-on-one' imagination that would be perfect.

I tried to write stuff. Then thought I would just read it many, many times to ingrain it in my brain. But when I write it I sound like a 'text-book'. Not that you would ever know that I sound 'smart' here. But seriously, I had the whole enchilada... "Hello, my name is Laura Behrendt. I have a daughter with autism. She was diagnosed at 19-20 months. She began her Early Intervention program..."

I just feel that there had to be a better way for me. I am a casual person and most of these families have children who have been 'diagnosed' or are 'in denial of being diagnosed'. I have to be sensitive to that too. Denial.

I want them to help their kids even if they don't believe they have the dreaded 'autism'. I kinda talk around it. Explain symptoms that we experince and such. We had 3 families that were recently diagnosed (last year) that came again this year because they were 'ready' to accept the material I was presenting.

Overall, I think a lot of families were helped. Makes me feel really great.

[firechef]

You have a great topic that is near and dear to your heart so it should not matter if you have one person or two thousand people with you as you are presenting something so important to you and yours.

I do seem to remember an episode of the Brady Bunch where one of the kids gave a speech and imagined everyone in their underwear and started to laugh at it all...may not be a good idea after all.

[luvnit]

*choke* Two Thousand! I think I would have a stroke. But I did my best and love to talk so it went fine. I just want to feel more comfey, like one-on-one.

I did give myself an 'interal pep talk' before to help. Really, at least in our District, we are the only family to embrace the 'visual schedules' for kids with autism. And with so much success. Maggie is the 'Poster Child' for this type of communication here.

[esgunn]

Laura, what you have done and that you are taking it out to others is just amazing. Congratulations on a job well done tonight. I think probably some of the most successful people still get a little stage fright sometimes. Just use it to your advantage. It just keeps you real.

[firechef]

I never used to even talk to friends and family if there was a chance someone other than the person I was talking to would hear me...now I have lectured over a thousand people a couple of times and cooked and talked to hundreds at demos.

If you are passionate about the topic it doesn't matter how many people are around you as it just rolls on out...I am so glad all went well for you as it is so important to share the information you have to give! Thanks for sharing with them and with us.