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What we’re about

This is a welcoming group for anyone who is professionally or self diagnosed as being Neurodivergent or who suspects that they might be. A Neurodivergent refers to a person whose brain functioning differs from what is considered "normal" or Neurotypical. We behave, think and learn differently compared to NTs. The term Neurodiverse refers to a group of people with different types of brains. Hence our group name Neurodiverse Community!

Neurodivergent people could identify as having the following: -Autism -ADHD/ADD -Sensory Processing Sensitivity (HSP) -BPD (Borderline Personality Disorder) -Dyslexia -Tourettes -OCD -Intellectual Disabilities -Auditory Processing -Down Syndrome -Dyspraxia + many more!

I hope that by creating this group we can learn to "unmask" and be our authentic and unique selves around other NDs, who accept us, and who we can be ourselves around. In a majority neurotypical world where so many of us feel excluded or misunderstood, I hope that the Neurodiverse Community can be a place where we all feel accepted, appreciated, included and valued. Where we can make new friends and have some fun social times together.

We now have a corresponding Facebook group to make it easier for members to get to know each other outside of events, have a safe neurodivergent friendly space and also make it easier for organisers to keep in touch during events, now that we no longer have an event chat feature on Meetup. You can join here: www.facebook.com/groups/neurodivergentpeople/

Event suggestions / ideas are always welcome and encouraged!
If you would like to organise and host your own event, please contact Aidan or Liv to discuss this.

  • Aidan & Liv

Group Guidelines:
Members:

  • Meetup members must be at least 18 years old (as stated in the community guidelines) and we require all people attending our events to be 18+.

No shows and event fees:

  • Due to a large number of members not updating their RSVPs before events or being "no shows", there is a need for us to now charge an upfront fee for specific events.
  • This is to ensure people keep their RSVP current and don't take up places that other members on waitlists would have otherwise filled. This strategy will be used for events which can only host a limited number of people, or for instances where we have had to make a booking through a business.
  • To attend these events you will need to pay $5 through meetup to secure your place. We will hold this money until the day of the event. Your $5 will then be refunded straight back to you on the condition that you simply show up OR update your RSVP to not going within 60min of the start time of the event.
    Any non refunded money will be kept and go towards helping to fund our monthly Meetup subscription cost which is roughly $50-$75 (depending on exchange rates) per month.
  • We will also have certain events where we need to pre book tickets. For these events we will charge the cost of the ticket upfront so we don’t have to deal with figuring out payment on the day + a small fee to cover the monthly Meetup subscription cost. Depending on the event you may be eligible for a refund from us if you can no longer attend. Details for this will be given in the event description.
  • Thank you for your understanding.

Late comers:

  • We will only be active on our phone for the first 15 minutes of any event.
  • If you arrive to an event later than 15 minutes it will then be your responsibility to find the group based on information we have posted on the day, for example what we are wearing and the location the event is taking place, e.g state library of Victoria.
  • This is so that as hosts we can dedicate our attention to members who are present and can have conversations without the need to constantly be on our phone refreshing meetup. It also ensures we can relax and enjoy the Meetup ourselves and experience fully what we are engaged in whether it be an exhibit, hike or coffee etc.
  • Thank you for your understanding.

This group follows and enforces Meetup Policies and Community Guidelines.

Member Behaviour:

  • Being in a neurodivergent community means that you may engage with individuals who struggle in a social environment.
  • If the behaviour of another member makes you feel uncomfortable, either within the meetup app or at an in-person event, it’s important to engage in clear communication rather than relying on assumed social cues or expectations of others in the group. Where possible, please make an effort to assert your boundaries as a first method of addressing any uncomfortable behaviour with another member. This ensures that the member has an opportunity to be aware of the behaviour and learn from the experience.
  • Where the communication has occurred on the meetup app, and the member has continued to engage in uncomfortable behaviour. It is recommended that you utilise the block feature to stop unwanted contact. You can read more about the blocking feature here: https://help.meetup.com/hc/en-us/articles/360001673431-Block-someone-from-contacting-me

Reporting a Member:

  • When you block a member, you also have the option to report them. If you report a member, the Meetup Trust & Safety team will be alerted and will review the member's activity on the platform to ensure that they are acting by the Meetup Community Guidelines.
  • If the behaviour occurred at an in-person event and the user continues to engage in the uncomfortable behaviour, please report them to the group admins (Aidan & Liv). Where an incident is reported to the admins they may ask you to provide details of the incident and any resolution you are seeking from the report. This will allow the admins to investigate the issue and decide on the appropriate course of action.
  • Where a user has breached the meetup policies and community guidelines at an in-person event, this may lead to a warning or removal from the group depending on the severity of the behaviour.
  • Anything criminal in nature e.g physical abuse or sexual assault will constitute a member being immediately removed and banned from the group without warning and a report made to Meetup and/or the police by the victim/witness/admins.
  • Meetup policies and community guidelines also include rules around bullying and harassment, threats of violence, spamming, fake accounts, respecting people's time, attention, personal choices, and boundaries. Threatening or harassing behaviour on the Meetup site is a violation of our Terms of Service.
  • *If another Meetup member is engaging in threatening, harassing, dangerous, or illegal activity, you should notify local law enforcement authorities, the group organisers (Aidan & Liv) and report this activity to Meetup directly at abuse@meetup.com.*