Community & Connections
Welcome to Our Community
The most transformative experience for many autistic people is
connecting with other autistic people. Shared understanding
removes the constant need to explain yourself, mask, or
apologise for being who you are. Use **Community forum** in the
toolbar above (or open **Autism Forum** from the desktop) — it uses
the same discussion engine as the main-site forum, with autistic-led
boards and optional anonymity.
When you finally meet your people, you realise you were never the problem. — Autistic community wisdom
Our Community Spaces
💬 Community Forum
Our dedicated **Autism & Asperger's Forum** has 14 discussion boards
covering every aspect of autistic life — from diagnosis and sensory
experiences to employment, relationships, special interests, and
advocacy. Click the **Community Forum** button in the toolbar to visit.
- **Welcome & Introductions** — introduce yourself, we are glad you are here
- **General Discussion** — anything about autism, Asperger's, and neurodiversity
- **Diagnosis & Identity** — formal/self-diagnosis, late discovery, identity
- **Sensory Experiences** — strategies, toolkits, environments
- **Social Skills & Relationships** — friendships, romance, family
- **Employment & Education** — accommodations, job searching, career advice
- **Mental Health & Wellbeing** — anxiety, depression, burnout, therapy
- **Special Interests** — share your passions with people who understand
- **Executive Function & Daily Living** — routines, organisation, cooking
- **Women, AFAB & Gender Diverse** — late diagnosis, hormones, identity
- **Parents & Families** — autistic parents, family dynamics
- **Resources & Recommendations** — books, apps, websites, podcasts
- **Advocacy & Rights** — disability rights, fighting stigma
- **Off Topic & Fun** — anything goes, no pressure
🗨 IRC Chat
Join our real-time chat on the **#asperger** channel on StarLink-IRC.
Text-based, asynchronous, low-pressure socialising. Click the
**IRC Chat** button in the toolbar to connect. No account needed.
Finding Your People Online
- **This portal** — explore the tabs, use the forum, join the chat
- **Reddit** — r/autism, r/AutisticAdults, r/aspergirls, r/aspergers
- **Discord** — search for "autistic adults" servers
- **Mastodon** — follow #ActuallyAutistic for autistic voices
- **Wrong Planet** — https://wrongplanet.net (longstanding forum)
- **Autism Forums** — https://www.autismforums.com
Local & In-Person Groups
If you feel comfortable with in-person socialising, local groups
can provide wonderful support and connection.
- Check your national autism society for local group listings
- Libraries often host autism-friendly events and groups
- Community centres may have neurodivergent-specific programmes
- **Meetup.com** — search for autism or neurodivergent groups
- University disability services often run social groups
- Some areas have autism-specific social clubs and activity groups
Getting Involved
Ways to Contribute
This community thrives because people share their knowledge,
experiences, and support with each other.
- **Share your story** — post in the forum, help others feel less alone
- **Answer questions** — share what you have learned
- **Suggest resources** — books, apps, websites, services
- **Report issues** — help keep the community safe
- **Support newcomers** — remember how it felt to first discover you might be autistic
Community Guidelines
This is a safe, moderated space. We maintain these standards:
- **Respect all identities** — autism, Asperger's, self/formally diagnosed, all welcome
- **No cure talk** — this is an acceptance-based space
- **No ABA promotion** — we oppose compliance-based approaches
- **Identity-first language preferred** but individual choice respected
- **No gatekeeping** — you do not need to prove you are "autistic enough"
- **Be kind** — disagreement is fine, cruelty is not
- **Content warnings** — use `[cw]…[/cw]` BBCode and clear labels for heavy topics
- **Literal communication** — many members are direct; ask if tone is unclear
- **Confidentiality** — do not share others' personal information
- **April** — Autism Acceptance Month
- **April 2** — World Autism Awareness Day (UN)
- **June 18** — Autistic Pride Day
- **November** — Neurodiversity Celebration Week (varies)
Symbol
The autistic community has largely **rejected the puzzle piece**
as it implies we are "puzzles to be solved." The **gold or rainbow
infinity symbol** ∞ represents the infinite diversity of
autistic experiences and is our community-preferred symbol.