Spotlight on Setting Up and Running Autistic-Led Organisations with Emma Dalmayne, CEO of Autistic Inclusive Meets

The importance of community for autistic people

Emma Dalmayne is a Black autistic mother to autistic children, the youngest two of whom she home educates. She campaigns strongly for autistic rights and fights to stop autistic mistreatment, having worked with the police, the BBC and other prominent media.

Emma has a strong belief in acceptance and inclusion and has written two books about autism, It’s An Autism Thing... I’ll Help You Understand It and Susie Spins. She also blogs and runs the AIM playgroups.

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Emma explains…

When did you set up Autistic Inclusive Meets and what was the idea behind it?

We started AIM 9 years ago. I had recently deregistered my son from school due to bullying and not being properly accommodated for. I took him to several home ed meet ups but we still had the same problems, the kids were judgmental and they excluded him.

We desperately needed a group he could attend that had other autistic kids coming along, where the parents who felt unwelcome elsewhere could come too, and know that their children would be treated fairly, kindly and feel included. Somewhere that didn’t exclude children without a diagnosis, and where siblings are welcome.