Professional-led support groups and social activities
Below are adult autism support groups and social activities that are led or facilitated by professionals (e.g. psychotherapists and social workers). In some cases the professionals may be autistic themselves, but in most cases they are not (or at least not openly so).
Organizations with groups for specific demographics only
- Felicity House (Women only)
- Thriving Wellness Center (ASD Level 1 only)
Demographically specific subgroups of the more general groups
Organizations with groups for all verbal autistic adults
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Aspergers/Autism Network (AANE)
Main page | Contact | Schedule a free call
AANE is a general autism community organization, primarily for autism professionaals and parents of autistic children, but also has support groups, social events, and other services for autistic adults. Various support groups and social events, mostly via Zoom, are listed on the following page:
Some events and groups are free, others are paid. Some events are "open" (anyone can drop in) and others are "closed" (events in a series that can be attended only by pre-registered people).
Before COVID, these events took place in both the NYC area and various places in New England. As of February 2023, a few (not most) of the New England events have begun meeting in-person again, but all of the formerly NYC-area events are still online only.
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Asperger/Autism Spectrum Education Network (ASPEN)
ASPEN is another general autism community organization, primarily for autism professionaqls and parents of autistic children, but also has support groups, social events, and other services for autistic adults.
ASPEN has several chapters in different parts of New Jersey. Some but not all chapters have support groups for autistic adults, and some but not all chapters have social activities for autistic adults.
- Chapters with autistic adult support groups
- Chapters with social activities for adults (and/or for children/teens)
Some of the chapter listings on the above pages appear to be out-of-date. Information about individual chapters will be added here later.
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Quality Services for the Autism Community (QSAC)
QSAC is a service provider, primarily for the more severely disabled autistic people and their parents/families.
Their Adult Services include:
- Housing Advocacy (Brooklyn only)
- Job Club (Virtual)
- Vocational (Employment) Services (ACCES-VR)
- Self-Advocacy Group
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Spectrum Services
Spectrum Services is a team of specialists including psychotherapists, speech/language pathologists, and coaches. They have various support groups, therapy groups, and social skills training groups, mostly for young adults, but at least one that appears to include autistic adults generally, and a group for neurodiverse couples. They also plan, as soon as COVID has died down to their satisfaction, to resume holding retreats for families, couples, and young adults.
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Sachs Center
The Sachs Center is a multi-practitioner psychotherapy practice led by George Sachs PsyD. Their page on "Autism Testing and Treatment" mentions the following:
The Sachs Center also has online support groups for autistic adults. Call or email us for information on that group.
The website also has a page titled "Black Autism Spectrum," about a support group for African American autistic people, called BASE: Black Autism Spectrum Experience. There is a contact form at the bottom of that page for people interested in BASE.
However, judging by the FAQ, as of February 2023, both groups might not be currently meeting. A clarification will be posted here soon.
Organizations with groups for specific demographics only
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Felicity House
Felicity House is a "free social community space just for women with autism." Purely social, not therapeutic, but it's run by professional staff. (Some though not all staff members have a clinical background.) Open only to women with an autism diagnosis, and there is an intake process known as the "discovery phase." Located at 25 East 22nd Street (between Broadway and Park Ave. South).
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Thriving Wellness Center
Thriving Wellness Center is a psychotherapy practice specializing in adult autism and ADHD. They have Virtual Autism Support Groups, described as follows:
The support group is for individuals who have been diagnosed with or acknowledge they have traits of Autism Spectrum Disorder- Level One (People at this level may have symptoms that don't interfere too much with their work, school, or relationships- This is what most people are referring to when they use the terms "High-Functioning" Autism or Asperger's Syndrome).
(Most other autistic adult autism support groups include at least some ASD Level 2 people, many of whom are "high-functioning" in terms of IQ test scores at least. Anyhow, the terms "high-functioning" and "low-functioning" are generally frowned upon these days, for reasons explained here, here, here, and here.)
The Thriving Wellness Center appears to have multiple support groups, divided by age range, with each group meeting for a total of eight sessions.
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Demographically limited subgroups of the more general groups
- Black Autism Spectrum Experience (BASE), a support group for African American autistic people, at the Sachs Center. (Not currently meeting, but hopefully it will meet agains soon.)
- AANE's groups include groups for women, a group for men, a group for adults over 50, a group for BIPOC adults, groups for LGBTQ+ adults, and events for autistic adults with various hobbies/interests.
As other similar groups form, they will be listed here.
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