Autistic in NYC: Queens groups

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

This Meetup group is shared by seven overlapping autistic peer-led groups of autistic adults (18+). Each group is led or facilitated by members of the Autistic Peer Leadership Group (ApLEG).

Each month (except December and the summer months) we will usually hold one in-person gathering (usually at a relatively quiet diner). Each month we also hold eight online text-based chat meetings.

Our online chat meetings include two chats per month for the Queens Discussion Group (our main support group) and one chat per month for each of six other groups, including the Autistic Peer Leadership Group itself. Each of our groups meets primarily via text-based chat. Our in-person events are usually held by the Queens discussion group. Other in-person events are held jointly by all our groups unless otherwise specified.

Our oldest group, the Queens Discussion Group, is a peer-led support/self-help group for adults (18+) who are either officially diagnosed or self-diagnosed with an autism spectrum condition, or who have difficulties similar to those of autistic people (e.g. difficulties with social communication, sensory processing, and/or executive function).

This Meetup group is also being used to help launch various other groups led by members of ApLEG, until these groups get big enough to justify having their own Meetup sites. These groups will include hobby-oriented social groups and career-oriented groups, among others.

The first of the hobby-oriented social groups is an amateur meteorology club. We hope there will eventually be many more (including -- we hope -- a sewing hobbyists club, at least some of whose members could be of great help to the autistic community as a whole, by making relatively inexpensive custom-made clothes to accommodate a variety of sensory issues).

The first of the career-oriented groups is Autistic Techies of the NYC Area. We hope there will eventually be many more such groups devoted to other categories of professions / occupations / jobs.