What a fun topic! Here's a question for you. Beyond the generic, 'I want to educate my audience about ___[any topic]__', what do
you want to get out of your research? Is there anything pressing that you would like answered? Since all learning is self-learning, I thought that by asking this question you might be able to refine your thesis statement and position a bit more.
Bringing an audience into the picture is bringing them into something you're already passionate about. And like
@Darkkin said, an opener that establishes common ground between your topic and their lives will help peak
their interest in what you have to say. It tells them
why it's important for them to listen.
What type of presentation will this be? Is it to be informative, persuasive, or instructive? That will guide the structure of your paper. The paper's structure helps you know where to hang the facts you find and allows you to order your thoughts convincingly.
Whatever the structure, be sure and define your terms and, as
@Owliet said, support your arguments with evidence.
Be concise and when you present it (and this is not going to go over very well here) do make eye contact, if you can. It connects you on a personal level with your audience. You can even ask questions, like: "How many people here have ever known someone who was autistic? [which, when worded this way, keeps you behind the scenes for now]. Let's see a show of hands. How many people have a relative with autism, or one of its related disorders, like Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?" Asking questions that require a response from your audience not only engages them with your content material, it helps the individual in the audience realize they are not alone in their experience of knowing someone with autism. In doing so, you are turning an outlier experience into a group experience. If you have made this an inclusive experience for your listeners, it will make for a safe Q&A at the end of your presentation.
Be prepared to answer questions, too. Hopefully, if your peers feel comfortable enough, they just might surprise you with what they ask. (And saying, "I'm not sure, but I can find the answer" is perfectly acceptable when you don't know the answer on the spot.)
I love
@Ronald Zeeman's suggestion, to incorporate examples of people who are very successful in what they do. It may even be because of their autism that they can do the work they do. If you go with real-life examples, please consider also incorporating examples of people your audience might not consider 'successful' but whose profound perspectives on life may surprise them. I have recently read some very powerful excerpts from nonverbal autists who have some tremendous things to say about being autistic and about life in general.
This is your opportunity to educate your peers; let them see how wide a spectrum this is. Let them see that while it can create difficulties and social disadvantages, they can help by not being judgemental in their own thinking but by being compassionate in how they listen, in not jumping to unfair conclusions or making unjust comments, and in trying to see things from the perspective of someone who has a disability. Either challenge them or give them a carrot to work toward. 'Greater inclusivity' is a buzzword that doesn't really mean anything; being a friend is something that matters.
Good luck with your presentation! Let us know how it goes--we'd love to hear from you about it!
Maybe it would help to talk about how a lot of behaviors can mean different things for us than for non-Autistic people. Like, many of us find eye contact painful to some degree, while most of them feel connected by it. If people are willing to listen, it might help dispel a few myths, like Outdated said.
