View as webpage

February 16, 2026

AOG Leader Statement

Hello, and thank you for being here with us.

Autism On the Go began as a small, scrappy community of Autistic leaders without a home. Today, it has grown into a powerful, visible voice advocating for something simple and radical: supports are for everyone.

That growth did not happen by accident, and it did not happen alone. It happened because people like you chose to show up, pay attention, participate, and believe that a better world is possible.

If you have ever felt like the world was not designed for you, you are not alone. In many ways, it was not designed for people at all. But together, we can change that.

At AOG, we do not tell you that your struggles are your fault. We do not tell you that you are broken, failing, or doing life wrong. Instead, we support you in finding ways to live the life you choose. We help you find spaces that work for you, and when those spaces do not exist, we work together to create them. We help you find your voice and your leadership style, because you have both, even if they look different from what you have been told leadership should be.

We do this because we believe in a world designed with care, intention, and real human difference in mind. That belief shows up in everything we do. From our President’s bold presentation on Aspergers and what it means to claim or question a label, to Jenny’s upcoming Hear From Each Other talk that centers Autistic lives in our own conversations, to every volunteer, participant, and quiet supporter who makes these spaces possible.

You are the reason we do this work. And we are doing it.

Thank you for being here, for supporting us in whatever way works for you. Whether that means giving AOG a High Five, becoming a paid member, showing up to an event, or simply paying attention to what we are building, your presence matters. We ask you to be here for us, because we plan to be here for you.

With gratitude,

James Orman

james@autismonthego.org

Contribute to AOG's Communications

The "Quirk Alert" has a new design - and it's searching for a new name! We would love to hear your thoughts on our evolving newsletter. Things you might have opinions on include:

• Do you like the idea of a monthly roundup of news? Or would you prefer smaller messages with up-to-the-minute announcements?
• Do you prefer a design that evokes "fun and welcoming" or one that expresses "classy and grown-up"?
• Do you like emojis for introducing topics, or do you prefer plain bullet points?
• What name would help you recognize AOG's newsletter when it lands in your inbox? What name do you think would inspire people like you to open the newsletter?
• Is there anything about the design of the newsletter that makes it hard for you to read and understand the content? What would be better?

Send all your thoughts and feedback to janette@autismonthego.org.

Want to be even more deeply involved with AOG's communications? We are looking for a few #ActuallyAutistic people to help manage our social media channels! Be the first to know about AOG activities, help to share AOG's good work with the world, and build a portfolio of your own content creation skills.

Read more about the Your Job, Your Way program and tell us what you can do.

Upcoming Events

"Asperger's Syndrome: The Dragon Condition" - A Presentation by AOG President Owen Keys

What happens when the world assumes you’re “fine,” but you’re quietly carrying something powerful, complicated, and misunderstood?

Join Owen Keys, President of Autism On the Go (AOG), for a candid, story-driven virtual presentation that explores the lived experience of being an aspie — from where the label came from, to why some people still claim it, to what it actually looks like day to day.

This is not a clinical lecture. It’s a human one.

In "Asperger's Syndrome: The Dragon Condition," Owen speaks openly about:

• Strengths and struggles
• Contradictions and survival
• What gets missed when someone appears “high functioning”
• And why honesty, clarity, and context matter

There will be room for real conversation, curiosity, and reflection.

Come open. Leave seeing aspies a little more clearly.

🗓 Date: Wednesday, March 11, 2026

🕕 Time: 6:00 PM Eastern

📍 Location: Virtual (link provided upon registration)

👉 Register now

We hope you’ll join us for an evening of insight, nuance, and shared understanding — and for a chance to directly support Autistic leadership.

This presentation will be part of our Your Job, Your Way – Paid Presenter Series, a program designed to center lived experience, compensate presenters for their expertise, and support meaningful, self-directed work within AOG.

Free to attend — donations welcome. Donations go directly to support Autistics as paid presenters through this program, and to help AOG continue to build sustainable, dignified opportunities for Autistic leaders.

Hear From Each Other — Featured Speaker: Jenny Love

Our next Hear From Each Other (HFEO) Featured Speaker is Jenny Love, who will be joining us on February 24 at 7:00 PM (Eastern).

Come support Jenny Love as she shares her lifelong artistic journey as an undiagnosed AuDHD human. She will be discussing her new "Feral Parade" project, which is a celebration of autistic unmasking through art, expression and healing creativity. She hopes to help fellow community members discover new and approachable ways to express their own creative energy and join her in the "feral parade." So come out to support, and be supported, and celebrate our collectively brilliant, autistic, creative minds together!

Hear From Each Other is a neuroinclusive conversation space where people of all neurotypes come together to listen, reflect, and share lived experience. Each session centers a featured speaker while leaving room for dialogue, resonance, and shared meaning.

Download the calendar item.

Whether you come to listen quietly or to participate more actively, you’re welcome.

Stay Connected: AOG Meetup Group

Looking for a low-pressure way to stay connected with Autism On the Go?

Our AOG Meetup page is a shared space where community members can stay connected between events.

While you’re there, we especially invite you to check out our core weekly reflective group, which meets every Thursday at 6:00 PM (Eastern) on Zoom.

This group is a warm, intentionally paced space for neurodivergent adults to explore the inner world of neurodivergence—connection, identity, boundaries, meaning, and the lived experience of being human. Participation is flexible: you’re welcome to speak, listen quietly, use the chat, or simply be.

Check out the AOG Meetup group!

Your Voice Shapes AOG

We’re asking community members to take a survey after attending our groups and events to tell us how we’re doing and show our partners our spaces work.

It’s short, it’s anonymous, and it’s completely voluntary.

Been to an event lately? Check out the survey.

And if you enjoyed that recent event, give AOG a "High Five"! AOG High Fives are an easy, low-lift way to say “thank you,” show appreciation, or help sustain the work we’re doing—no long forms, no pressure, just a small gesture that adds up.

High Fives help keep groups running, speakers paid, and experiments possible.

Consider giving us a High Five today!

More Events

AOG After Dark

Not every conversation fits in daylight. AOG After Dark is a new virtual group for adults (18+), meeting every Thursday at 11:00 PM Eastern, designed as a free-form, low-pressure space for deeper conversation.

This is a place where things may get darker, more complex, and more real.

Conversations aren’t rushed, fixed, or softened for comfort. Instead, we make room for honesty—about harder experiences, complicated emotions, and the parts of ourselves that don’t always fit neatly into daytime spaces.

AOG After Dark is grounded in mutual respect. We listen without interruption, stay aware of the space we take, and make room for many voices. You are always welcome to step back, mute, take a break, leave early, or return later—supporting yourself comes first.

There’s no pressure to perform, explain, or participate in any particular way.

Come as you are. Stay as long as you like.

Welcome to AOG After Dark.

Subscribe to announcements about this new group.

February Town Hall - "Human Connection: How To Avoid Being DUL"

What does it mean to truly connect — when the systems we’re given don’t fit how our minds work?

This February, AOG’s Town Hall will explore human connection beyond “normal” rules, scripts, and expectations. Led by James Orman, Executive Director of Autism On the Go, this presentation invites us to rethink connection not as something we’re failing at — but as something we may need to approach differently.

🧠 What we’ll explore

• Why humans need connection — even when it looks different for each of us
• How rigid ideas of “normal” relationships can limit curiosity, desire, and authenticity
• Why humans aren’t discrete units, but complex systems
• How thinking in systems (not labels) can help us connect more safely and genuinely

The presentation will be followed by:

• time for questions
• guided discussion prompts
• and an open, shared forum to talk things through together in a supportive, neuroaffirming space

👥 Who this is for

• Neurodivergent folks who’ve struggled to connect using today’s systems
• Non-autistic people who want to understand connection differently — without boxing us in
• Providers and support people looking for more effective, humane ways to build connection

⚠️ Important note

This is an adult (18+) space. Topics may include sex, sexuality, bodies, desire, relationships, and loneliness. Participation is always optional — listening counts.

👉 Download the calendar item.

A separate email with the join link will be sent the morning of the event.

If you’ve ever felt disconnected, boxed in, or unsure how to connect without forcing yourself into someone else’s version of “normal,” this Town Hall is for you.

Come as you are. Bring your whole system.

AOG Radio Show (and Podcast!)

Join us for AOG Radio, a live, recorded, radio-style conversation that will later be released as a podcast.

For this episode, we’re joined by James Humphries to explore a theme many of us know too well: Supports Are for Everyone.

Support is often rationed. You’re either “independent” or “supported.” Capable or not. Eligible or not.

But what happens when you can advocate for yourself and still need help? Who decides when support is “allowed”?

We’ll talk about functioning labels, gatekeeping, and what it could look like to design systems for real humans instead of categories.

How It Works

• We log into Zoom.
• We press record.
• We start talking.

You’re welcome to:

• Tune in and listen live.
• Ask questions during call-in moments.
• Drop in and out as needed.

This is not a support group — it’s a public conversation. The session will be recorded and released as a podcast.

📅 March 4, 4:00 PM Eastern

👉 Download the calendar item.

Stop by to listen, ask a question, or just enjoy the radio vibes.

In-Person Events on the Horizon

We’re also looking ahead to in-person gatherings later this year, including:

• 🧺 AOG Picnic — May
• 🎭 Costume Dance Party — October
• ✨ Additional local and regional meetups to come

Interested in helping bring an AOG event to your area—or hosting one with support from us? Reach out at info@autismonthego.org and let’s talk.

AOG Marketplace & Auction House - Listening First

One of the things we care most about at AOG is building systems that actually work for people — not creating systems first and asking people to fit into them.

Over the past few months, we’ve been paying attention to the energy, needs, and ideas coming from our community. Based on that, we’re exploring the next step in our online marketplace vision — one that’s more flexible, more supportive, and more aligned with how people actually want to participate.

We’re currently considering an AOG Online Store and Auction House that would feature items created, commissioned, or donated by members of our community.

That could include:

• Art or prints
• Stickers, pins, or small items
• Zines or written work
• Apparel designs
• Digital downloads
• Auction items
• Or something else entirely

We’re also exploring commissioned sales, where AOG would purchase or commission items from community members and sell them through the site as a way to support both creators and our programs.

Nothing is being asked of you right now beyond this: Is this something you might be interested in being part of?

That interest could look like:

• Creating items for the store
• Donating items to the auction house
• Participating in commissioned sales
• Helping with administrative or behind-the-scenes support
• Or just staying in the loop as this takes shape

No proposals. No commitments. No pressure.

If the idea sparks something in you, you can let us know in one of two easy ways:

👉 Fill out this very short interest form.

or

👉 Reply to this email with: “Interested in marketplace”

That’s it. We’ll follow up later to gather more information only from those who raise their hand.

We’re taking this step by step, together, and shaping it based on real people and real capacity — not assumptions.

Comedy Corner

When Autistic people lead: Fewer arbitrary-seeming rules, more information about potential consequences of choices.

Received this newsletter from a friend? Sign up to receive it directly.

For questions and submissions, contact info@autismonthego.org.