Getting Started: Info and FAQ

What is Autistic Adults NYC?

We are an Autistic-run community spanning the NYC Tristate area!

Our social group is grassroots and volunteer run, and our general events consist of in-person plant walks, halloween parties, arts and craft workshops, online discussions, and much more! Check out our calendar and photo gallery to see what we’ve been up to!

PAUSE is our social club for non/minimally speaking and ID Autistic adults. Check out our PAUSE page to learn more.

We’ll occasionally host large public events, like our annual Autistic Pride Day or Alternative Expression art exhibition.

We also host a discord, where our members can -

  • Talk through text chat, separating conversations by topic into different threads (#casual, #discussion, #memes, #gamers, and more!)

  • Talk over voice and/or video chat

  • Play video games together, body double and do work together

  • Organize member led in-person hangouts or interest groups

Lastly, we compile resources for our community on independent living, transit, housing, diagnosis, and more.

FAQ

  • Any post high-school Autistic adult (18+) who lives in the NYC tri-state area can join us and attend our events. We are a very open, diverse set of folks, young and old, and ranging from all ethnic backgrounds. LGBTQ+ friendly! 

  • Our events are hosted on Circle, and are open to all Autistic adults, diagnosed or self-diagnosed. To attend our events, apply for membership on our site. Once your application has been manually reviewed, you will receive an invite to Circle. Simply create an account via that invite and RSVP!

    Sign up here!

    Already a member? Login here!

  • Yes! Many of our members self-identify as Autistic. We understand the struggles of getting a diagnosis as an adult. If you would like to learn more and find some resources on the diagnosis process as an adult in NYC, go to our diagnosis page.

  • We have a capacity limit for our events, as too many attendees can become overwhelming and over-stimulating. If someone changes their RSVP to “not going” a spot will open up. We recommend checking again a day or two before the event to see if any spots have opened up. If you’re unable to RSVP, unfortunately you cannot attend, but please join us at a future event!

  • No, our programs are restricted to Autistic adults. If you’re neurodivergent (ADHD, Dyslexic, etc) but not Autistic, check out meetup.com or similar sites for other groups, as new ones are often popping up!

  • Our PAUSE events are open to Autistic people as well as their family member/support workers, and are more catered towards ID and non-speaking adults. Read more about PAUSE here!

    For our general events, we try to keep them a safe space for Autistic adults, as many prefer to be in an Autistic-only environment. However, a family member or support worker is welcome at our general events if the Autistic person has specific needs and needs them to accompany them.

  • Our events are posted on the last Tuesday of each month at 12:00PM, announcing activities for the upcoming month.

  • Nope! Some of the events might have a suggested donation or fee to cover expenses (like renting a space, getting food, etc). But there are no regular costs or membership fees to attend our events.

  • Yes, all group members must follow our rules to be a member!

  • Learn more about supporting us here!

  • We are a social group, and do not offer any day programs or psychological services. Please check our community resources to find different providers in NYC.

What to Expect

Autistic people are not a monolith! Some of our members are very social and outgoing, some are more on the quiet side. Our members cover a large range of interests and backgrounds. Please don’t worry about needing to “fit in”! Most people are nervous attending their first event. All of our regular members are very kind and excited to meet new people!

Different people are going to enjoy different types of events. If you prefer smaller group sizes, choose an event with a lower event cap. If you’re hesitant about jumping straight into an in-person event, join us for one of our online events first. If you dislike chit-chat, join an event where everyone is focused on an activity, like one of our art workshops. If you or your family member/client is ID or nonspeaking, check out our PAUSE events. We try to host a variety of events to cater to everyone’s needs and interests!

If you can no longer attend an event, please change your RSVP! We have a capacity limit for our events, as too many attendees can become overwhelming and over-stimulating. We often have a waitlist for each event, and if you change your RSVP to “not going” it will allow the next person to get off the waitlist. Please be sure to respect the waitlist and only come to the event if you’re registered!

If you have any specific questions before attending your first event, please reach out!