I hope you enjoy this post by Nils Skudra, historian, librarian, freelance writer, and autistic self advocate as he talks about his search for an autistic support group that suits his needs.
Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, with the transition to online learning and being forced to stay homebound, I was anxious to find a virtual network in which I could connect with other autistic adults and in the broader neurodiverse community.
Consequently, I conducted an active search on social media for different autism support groups that held virtual social activities, which I could attend from the comfort of home.
During this search, I came across the Austin Adult Neurodiversity Group, based in Austin, Texas, on Meetup.com. This group holds virtual meetings on Zoom every Tuesday night at 8:00 pm Eastern time.
This time was highly convenient for me, so I decided to join the group and attend one of their meetings to find out what my first impression was. Since then, I have become a regular attendee at their weekly meetings, which I feel has provided me with an online community of neurodiverse individuals who share valuable insights about different aspects of autism and neurodiversity in general.
While the Austin Adult Neurodiversity Group encompasses people across the neurodiversity community, some of its members are autistic, and they have raised a variety of compelling topics. These topics have included the issue of masking, deciding if and when to disclose one’s neurodiversity in a relationship or during a job application process, representations of autism and neurodiversity in film and media, and strategies for dealing with sensory overload and feelings of being overwhelmed.
I have often struggled with deciding whether to disclose my disability on a job application or during a job interview because of my concerns about possible discrimination, as well as determining at what point to disclose my autism in a potential relationship with a neurotypical partner. While my personal preference would be to see how a relationship progresses before disclosing my diagnosis, the other group members have shared intriguing perspectives that emphasize the benefits of being upfront from the very beginning.
For example, they have said that this will help the neurotypical partner understand the quirks
and tendencies that a neurodivergent individual might have, and the neurodiverse partner will knowimmediately whether their neurotypical partner accepts their identity as part of their relationship.
Another benefit of being involved in an adult neurodiversity group is having a community in which members are open about their neurodivergence. Many of my autistic friends have been resistant to joining autism support groups due to a fear of disclosing their diagnosis, preferring to keep it private. I have often shown an aversion to having my autism referenced in published content, as I care strongly about my privacy and would prefer not to share that information with the broader public.
However, as a member of this Adult Neurodiversity Group, I feel that I can discuss this topic freely with other people who share my autism since they share their opinions and insights in an open and nonjudgmental manner, drawing upon their own experiences and connecting them to the broader topic of discussion.
For example, when discussing the issue of masking, some members have elaborated upon the scenarios in which they have practiced masking and the circumstances in which they feel it is appropriate, such as work or spending time with neurotypical friends. However, they have also pointed out the negative effects that masking can have on neurodivergent individuals’ self-esteem and sense of identity, since some might develop a mode of being in denial about their neurodiversity to assimilate within a neurotypical world. Considering this, having a neurodiverse support group provides a comfort zone in which autistic adults and other neurodivergent conditions can discuss these issues at ease with their peers.
In summation, being part of the Austin Adult Neurodiversity Group has been an enlightening experience for me, providing the opportunity to make connections with other neurodivergent adults and
listen to their perspectives on various aspects of neurodiversity. In the continued caution of the COVID-19 atmosphere, this group offers a comfortable setting for virtual communication across state lines with
neurodiverse individuals in other parts of the United States. Furthermore, since many neurodivergent individuals often struggle with issues of disclosure of their identity, involvement in a support group enables them to share their experiences freely with other people in the neurodivergent
community, with the benefit of learning valuable insights that can significantly benefit their approach to meeting the challenges of everyday life.
