Name: Kate Foster
Pronouns: She/Her
Neurodivergence: Autistic. OCD.
Professional Role: Children's Author
Bio: Kate Foster is a children's author writing about friends, family, and dogs. Originally from a small town in the southeast of England, she now lives on the stunning Gold Coast in Australia with her family and second-hand dogs. She is passionate about encouraging and teaching a wider understanding of autism and mental illness via a positive approach and representation in both her books as well as her presentations and talks. Her books are published in Australia, the UK and US, and include a WAYBRA shortlisted title and CBCA Notable.
"As a speaker, I am authentic, passionate, and friendly in my approach. I talk sensitively but always positively and sincerely with children, with the help of an interactive PowerPoint, about autism and mental health, encouraging them to understand the internal, invisible struggles others may be having, to recognise behaviours, and how they can be a better friend to those around them, just like our canine buddies. I share my own diagnoses with the children with the aim of smashing harmful stereotypes and misinformation, ending stigmas, and passing on my confidence and belief that every child I meet has an important story to tell and deserves to be heard.
I enjoy speaking and presenting to children in schools and book clubs, both in-person and virtually, but also to adults, be that parents and carers, teachers and librarians, or other authors. I believe we can all do better in accepting and helping autistic people be their best selves in environments that allow them to comfortably participate. I provide some insight into the day-to-day life of one autistic person as well as how to identify depression as early as possible in children. Based on my own experiences, I talk openly about what we can do to support the young people in our lives in an attempt to prevent more serious problems in their futures."
"As a speaker, I am authentic, passionate, and friendly in my approach. I talk sensitively but always positively and sincerely with children, with the help of an interactive PowerPoint, about autism and mental health, encouraging them to understand the internal, invisible struggles others may be having, to recognise behaviours, and how they can be a better friend to those around them, just like our canine buddies. I share my own diagnoses with the children with the aim of smashing harmful stereotypes and misinformation, ending stigmas, and passing on my confidence and belief that every child I meet has an important story to tell and deserves to be heard.
I enjoy speaking and presenting to children in schools and book clubs, both in-person and virtually, but also to adults, be that parents and carers, teachers and librarians, or other authors. I believe we can all do better in accepting and helping autistic people be their best selves in environments that allow them to comfortably participate. I provide some insight into the day-to-day life of one autistic person as well as how to identify depression as early as possible in children. Based on my own experiences, I talk openly about what we can do to support the young people in our lives in an attempt to prevent more serious problems in their futures."
Recent Publications: Kate Foster, Walker Books
Website: www.kfosterbooks.com
Twitter: @kfosterauthor
Instagram: @kfosterauthor
Location: QLD, Australia
Available for Virtual Sessions: YES
Available for In-Person Sessions: YES
Available to Travel: YES. Travel costs if beyond 25km of Kate's home will be at the expense of the organiser.
Specific Support Required: A clear outline of event and audience details, timings and expectations must be provided by the organiser as early as possible.
Speaking Topics Include: Autism; OCD; Anxiety; Mental Health; Children's Literature; Inclusive Learning; Workplace Adjustments
Suitable Audiences Include: Primary and Secondary Students; Educators; Business Managers.
Book This Speaker: By emailing Kate at [email protected]; via Lamont Authors; via Speaker's Ink; via Walker Books Australia.
Testimonials:
"We were delighted to host author Kate Foster as presenter of our November 2022 Webinar. Her title was "Why choosing diverse books isn’t enough: it’s all about the representation" and in the presentation, Kate gave so much more information about what makes someone neurodivergent, and how to accommodate their needs in school libraries.
Kate was such a warm, relaxed and engaging speaker. Our attendees connected strongly with her compassionate and empathetic style. Her professionalism came through strongly in her slideshow, the detail in the information she gave, and the depth of her knowledge and understanding.
Kate was extremely generous in sharing her resources for our audience and took extra time after the event to provide follow-up answers to questions, as well as a book list.
We would happily welcome Kate back to ASLA to present for us again!" - Australian School Library Association
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Kate was such a warm, relaxed and engaging speaker. Our attendees connected strongly with her compassionate and empathetic style. Her professionalism came through strongly in her slideshow, the detail in the information she gave, and the depth of her knowledge and understanding.
Kate was extremely generous in sharing her resources for our audience and took extra time after the event to provide follow-up answers to questions, as well as a book list.
We would happily welcome Kate back to ASLA to present for us again!" - Australian School Library Association
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"We thoroughly enjoyed Kate’s visit and presentation. She interacted so well with our Year 5 students by responding with empathy and care, and by igniting a wonderful sense of curiosity and awe within the group. Kate was a pleasure to work with, fabulous communication, and her presentation was well-suited to the Year 5 cohort. We’d happily host Kate again." - St Rita’s College
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"Kate was such a gracious and generous guest. She had an authentic, warm, and honest style gently exploring themes of friendship and autism when she visited to speak to our Year 4 students about her book PAWS. The students were thoroughly engaged. We needed extra copies of PAWS for the library! Kate encouraged our students to empathise and respect others. Thank you, Kate." - Trinity Lutheran College
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"Kate’s visit to our school was a highlight of the year! Her presentation to our Year 6 kids kept them enthralled, as she interwove engaging and empowering stories about her journey as an author, her inspiration for writing books, and the writing process itself. Kate gave invaluable lessons about treating others with respect, and her message that, ‘We all have a story to tell!’ was particularly powerful for our students. Teachers and students haven’t stopped raving about the ‘author who loves dogs!’
Kate also ran a Writers Workshop for our Grade 5 and 6 kids, where she gave fantastic tips and tricks on generating ideas, creating engaging characters, writing riveting plot lines and the mechanics of writing itself. Students loved getting the opportunity to work with Kate as she inspired them to become the authors they didn’t know they could be. I highly recommend booking Kate – we certainly will be!" - Varsity College
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Kate also ran a Writers Workshop for our Grade 5 and 6 kids, where she gave fantastic tips and tricks on generating ideas, creating engaging characters, writing riveting plot lines and the mechanics of writing itself. Students loved getting the opportunity to work with Kate as she inspired them to become the authors they didn’t know they could be. I highly recommend booking Kate – we certainly will be!" - Varsity College
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"Kate spoke to our year 4, 5 and 6 boys about PAWS in a way which was highly engaging, and appealed to every boy’s love of dogs. She used visual stimulus and personal stories to connect well with our students. The topic of the autism spectrum was dealt with openly, sensitively and in a highly relatable way. Her presentation really helped to foster understanding and break down barriers, and I would highly recommend Kate to schools looking for a rich and valuable experience." - Anglican Church Grammar School
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