What we’re about
An authentic gathering place for people of all genders who identify as on the neurodiverse (ND) end of "the spectrum," aspie, or autistic spectrum condition (ASC), and allies. (See ND definition and links below*).
This group strives to co-create: a welcoming sanctuary, vibrant intellectual salon, and platform for career networking/inventive think tank. Seek new field trips, outings, movies, nd adventures together, with a tribe that encourages respectful communication, unconditional acceptance, and reflective listening, so we make sure we are hearing each other correctly. As ND folks, we have been misunderstood long enough.
In this group, for those who attend multiple events, hopefully over time, you may develop more rich social connections adapted for your sensitivities and needs, and informal platonic friendship or more may organically deepen with others at an organic authentic pace, so all can be themselves and not feel pressured to be someone we are not. Many of us struggle with relationships, dating, and we can experience touch deprivation (non-sexual). Many of us are wonderfully sensitive and attuned, but never learn scripts for how to build deeper connections with others while still being true to ourselves.
In this group, we encourage participation at your own pace, practicing "consent-culture" values and finding opportunities together to learn what many of us never got, "sex positive" comprehensive sex education taught by professional educators we have access to via zoom group workshops. If there interest, I will arrange to offer this as a series.
Participate in candid, respectful, deeper dive conversations. You are welcome to be yourself here, regardless of your gender expression, sexual orientation, spirituality, race/ethnicity, SES/vocation, or other visible or invisible differences. We will meet in zoom groups and post-quarantine, get together regularly at an eatery and seek adventures from movie nights to kayaking to cuddle parties. Go at your pace, you are always at choice. Suggest ideas. Come out as you are: un-mask and be your unique self; you are lovable just the way you are.
* DEFINITION:
Neurodiversity is a concept where neurological differences are to be recognized and respected as any other human variation. These differences can include those labeled with Dyspraxia, Dyslexia, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Dyscalculia, Autistic Spectrum, Tourette Syndrome, and others. For many autistic people, neurodiversity is viewed is a concept and social movement that advocates for viewing autism as a variation of human wiring, rather than a disease. As such, neurodiversity activists reject the idea that autism should be cured, advocating instead for celebrating autistic forms of communication and self-expression, and for promoting support systems that allow autistic people to live as autistic people."
(Source: https://neurodiversitysymposium.wordpress.com/what-is-neurodiversity)
https://hbr.org/2017/05/neurodiversity-as-a-competitive-advantage. Here is a great discussion of this term, and from there you can google more information.
