Exploring Your Autistic Identity: September Meet-Up for Autistic Adults

Join Our Thriving Autistic Community Monthly Meet-up

Come join our relaxed and inclusive monthly meet-up for recently self- or formally identified Autistic adults. Facilitated by Autistic professionals (psychologists, therapists, and coaches), this is a space where you can connect, share, and learn.

Every month, we shape our discussions based on community feedback, focusing on the topics that matter most to you. Breakout rooms provide smaller, focused spaces to explore different topics, and you’re free to move between rooms during the event. Previous discussions have included friendships, pet and animal appreciation, coping with holidays and change, disclosing your diagnosis, adapting your environment for sensory needs, managing burnout, sensory joys, intense passions, parenting and exploring Autistic communication styles. Share your ideas to help guide future meet-ups!

This meetup is open to Autistic adults over 18 who can communicate in English. You’re welcome to actively participate—using your voice, text chat, or AAC—or simply listen in. Bring your pets, stim toys, or other comfort items to make yourself at ease.

BREAKOUT ROOMS:

🧭 Family Room: Support For The New Term (Helen Edgar – she/her)

The start of a new term can bring excitement as well as challenges, especially when we are supporting Autistic children and young people, and even more so when we are Autistic parents and carers ourselves.

Join us in an open, supportive space to share ideas around:

• School accommodations and advocacy

• Alternatives to school systems

• Supporting each other and our children’s well-being

Come along to connect, listen, and share your stories and tips to help the new term flow more smoothly for you and your family.

✨A Neurodiversity Affirming Theory About Neurodivergence and Evolution (Teri Kansted – she/her)

Some evolutionary scholars say that neurodivergence wouldn’t exist, and especially not to the extent it still does today, if it didn’t serve an evolutionary purpose.

What might that purpose be?

Or, put on its head – what traits did evolution give neurotypicals that neurodivergent people might find odd?

A – hopefully joyous and fun – space for pondering, exploring and focusing on autistic and neurodivergent advantages, abilities, skills and strengths.

🫧 Deeper Conversations (Ayhan Alman – he/they)

If you find that you’d like to talk about something more personal or explore something that’s currently sitting with you, this is the space for that.

This room is held with support in mind, so that the other rooms can remain lighthearted and educational.

🎈 Moments of Joy (John Pendal – he/him)

Many things that bring autistic people joy are socially unacceptable (stimming, eating the same food, watching the same movie etc.)

Then we are dragged to events that make other people happy that we find overwhelming, and then we’re told off for not looking happy!

This is a room about how we rediscover what makes us smile as autistic adults.

What are the tools we can use so that we can find moments of joy?

🤝 Peer Connection Room (Unfacilitated)

Sometimes the best conversations happen when there’s no set topic—just a chance to be yourself and connect. This is a quiet, unfacilitated space where you can chat with others, share thoughts, or simply sit in companionable silence. There’s no agenda, just room for spontaneous connection and mutual understanding.

Important Notes for Attendees

This meetup is not suitable if you are in severe distress or at risk, as topics may be triggering. Please seek professional support before attending. For immediate help, text 50808 (Ireland), 85258 (UK), or 741741 (USA/Canada), or contact a trusted person or emergency services.

Donations

This event is offered on a donation basis, with contributions between €1 to €20 appreciated to help cover costs and support those who are financially disadvantaged. If you are unable to contribute, please select the free ticket option.

We warmly invite you to become a member of Thriving Autistic to access more resources, have a voice in our community, and stay informed about future events. You can also click “Follow” on our Eventbrite page to receive updates.

For additional details, please see the FAQ section.