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Autism On the Go's
Quirk Alert - Vol VII
A newsletter by and for neurodivergents
*The Connection Special*
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In light of recent federal actions threatening diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility efforts, Autism On the Go reaffirms our unwavering commitment to fostering truly inclusive spaces.
Read our full statement here: AOG's DEIA Statement.
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Greetings and Salutations!
I am so very proud of the vulnerability and the support all of you are bringing to our organization. As we show up for each other, we also show up for ourselves. The simple act of sharing with one another is powerful and transformative. What we are building here matters; it is both healing and transformative.
We’ve accomplished a lot with that simple act of showing up and we hope to accomplish more. With your continued support we can grow our programming and reach new heights on how we can help one another; showing up is one way to support our efforts and I hope you continue to do so.
Another way to help us grow is to assist us in increasing our visibility. Share what we do with others; a great place to start is your mental healthcare providers. Offer our flyer or links to our social media to your therapists and psychiatrists! Mental health care providers are always looking for community resources for their patients and they can be a great ally in growing our network of support.
Every non-profit survives off grants and donations. I don’t have a great deal of financial means, but I do make friends and family aware of the amazing things AOG is building in hopes they will be inspired to donate. Visibility can have a ripple effect and assist in bringing in donations and other unexpected avenues of support
And if all you have to offer is yourself in attendance that is a great deal, and we are happy you are taking this journey with us. Thank you for being here for yourself and our community! Let’s see what we can do!
James Humphries (he/they), Secretary of the Neurodivergent Advocacy and Resource Group (NARG) and Autism On the Go (AOG)
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Join AOG’s After-Hours Discord!
Looking for a space to connect with friends and other meeting attendees outside of scheduled events? Look no further! The AOG Discord server is here for adults to unwind, chat, and connect in a safe and welcoming space.
💬 What’s it all about?
- Meet like-minded adults.
- Discuss literally anything – from hobbies and memes to deep life conversations.
- Build meaningful connections with our community.
It’s your place to laugh, share, and just be yourself. Come hang out with us after hours – we can’t wait to see you there!
👉 Join us HERE:
Let’s keep the connections going! 🧡
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Sunday - 2nd - 1pm
SereniTea Autistic Women's Group - Register Here
Wednesday - 5th - 6pm
NARG Policy Group *Special Guest Speaker, Victoria M. Rodríguez-Roldán, J.D. - Register Here
Wednesday - 5th - 7pm
Parents, Supporters, Caregivers *Special Presentation* - Register Here
Thursday - 6th - 9pm
Autistic Adult Group - Register Here
Monday - 10th - 7pm
Queer Support Group - Register Here
Thursday - 13th - 7pm
Bad Anon - Register Here
Thursday - 13th - 9pm
Autistic Adult Group - Register Here
Monday - 17th - 7pm
BIPOC Support Group - Register Here
Wednesday - 19th - 6pm
NARG Policy Group - Register Here
Thursday - 20th - 7pm
Bad Anon - Register Here
Thursday - 20th - 9pm
Autistic Adult Group *Special Presentation* - Register Here
Tuesday - 25th - 7pm
Hear From Each Other - Register Here
Thursday - 27th - 9pm
Autistic Adult Group - Register Here
Friday - 28th - 7pm
Writer's Fish Guild - Register Here
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Connections & Conversations:
A Neurodivergent Speed-Friending Event
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🎉 Join Us for an Inclusive Social Experience! 🎉
By and For Autistics and Neurodivergents
This is a welcoming, low-pressure space designed for meaningful conversations at your own pace. Using guided prompts, you’ll have the opportunity to connect with others in ways that feel comfortable for you—whether you're looking for friendship, love, networking, or deep discussions.
📍 Location: 7000 Tudsbury Rd, Milford Mill, MD 21244
📅 Date: Friday, February 21, 2025
🕡 Arrival: 6:30 PM | Event Begins: 7:00 PM | Wraps Up By: 9:30 PM
Light refreshments will be provided. Supporters are welcome to attend, and they are not required to register. Everyone is welcome, no matter who they are or what they’re looking for.
Come connect, chat, and enjoy an evening of thoughtful conversations in a safe and inclusive environment.
We can’t wait to see you there! 🎉
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Share Your Thoughts with AOG – We Value Your Feedback!
We at Autism On the Go (AOG) are always striving to create meaningful, inclusive, and engaging experiences for our community. Whether you’ve joined us for one of our groups, events, or advocacy efforts, we’d love to hear your thoughts!
Your feedback is crucial to help us improve and plan future activities that align with your interests and needs. Please take a few minutes to complete our survey:
👉 Complete the AOG Feedback Survey
This survey will only take about 5-10 minutes, and your input will directly shape the future of AOG programs.
Thank you for helping us grow and improve! We appreciate your time and ideas.
P.S. Feel free to share this survey with other attendees or members of our community who’ve participated in AOG activities.
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Join the AOG Team!
We’re on the hunt for amazing humans to help us make a difference – all while working for the ultimate paycheck: good vibes and gratitude (aka, these are volunteer roles - for now). Check out what we need:
Group Leaders
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Thursday Group (2 needed): Lead virtual, lively chats and activities for our Thursday support group. Bonus points if you bring snacks (just kidding...or are we?).
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Women’s Group (1 needed): Empower and inspire neurodivergent women in a supportive, judgment-free zone, virtually and/or in person.
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*NEW* Men’s Group (2 needed): Facilitate meaningful, virtual conversations for neurodivergent men while dodging clichés about “manly hobbies.”
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*NEW* Karaoke Night (1-2 needed): Be the hype person who makes singing off-key a virtual, community-building experience.
Leadership Roles
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Media and Entertainment Coordinator (1 needed): Plan and curate entertainment that people will actually want to stick around for.
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Board Treasurer (1 needed): Crunch numbers, keep us organized, and maybe teach us how to balance a checkbook for once.
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Grants Manager (1 needed): Love chasing money (legally, of course)? Help us secure funding by writing grant applications—bonus points if you can make a budget spreadsheet that doesn’t make us cry.
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Board Governance Committee Leader (1 needed): Keep our board on track, make sure we follow the rules (the good kind, not the pointless ones). Must have an uncanny ability to make “governance” sound exciting.
Support Roles
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Social Media Coordinator (1 needed): Channel your inner meme lord and help us create engaging content to boost our online presence.
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Event Planners (2 needed): Bring your A-game (and color-coded calendars) to help us host inclusive, unforgettable events.
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Operations Assistant (1 needed): Be the behind-the-scenes hero who keeps everything running smoothly while making the rest of us look good.
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Staff and Volunteer Support Coordinator (1 needed): Be the kind, understanding human that our team can turn to when they need a pep talk, a safe space, or just someone to nod along while they vent. Must be a great listener, able to keep secrets (like a diary, but with better advice), and committed to providing nonjudgmental reflection.
If you’ve got a passion for neurodivergent advocacy, and some time to spare, we’d love to hear from you!
📧 Email us at: info@autismonthego.org
Autistics, neurodivergents, and other super-humans are strongly encouraged to reach out for these roles. Let us know which one you’re interested in – your cape is optional, but your enthusiasm isn’t.
🧡 Volunteer with us and make a difference (while earning infinite imaginary gold stars)! 🧡
Note: All roles and tasks at AOG are strictly neurosensitive and non-punitive (without punishment). This means you will only ever be asked to do what you can and are willing to do and nothing more, and that will always be okay. It also means you can try it out and stop at any time if it's not for you. There's literally no downside!
Need to build a resume and get references from amazing people?
You know where to find us!
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AOG's New Website
Autism On the Go now has a website! Check out this space for info on who we are, what we do, and what's coming next. We will keep it updated with our events, photos, and other items of interest to our community. Reach out to us if you think there's anything we should add.
autismonthego.org
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Autism On the Go - Supporting the Autistic and neurodivergent community through services and meetups, by us and for us. | Find out what it looks like to join a community made by us, not just for us Access resources and networks just for us. We want to change things for our community and we want to hear from you about how. Neurosensitive programs designed to cultivate leadership skills in a safe environment. | | | |
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Nina Saini's Employment Area
Are you a parent of a teenager or adult with disabilities who is seeking employment or employment-related support? Join Nina for her next Employment-Related Support Group for Parents - meeting every other Wednesday at noon.
📅 Dates: February 5th and 19th
⏰ Time: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
👉 Video Call Link: Join the Meeting
This support group is designed for parents navigating the journey of helping their loved ones obtain or maintain employment. This group offers a safe space to share experiences, gain insights, and learn about available resources.
Highlights:
- Parents of teenagers can hear from others who have navigated DORS (Division of Rehabilitative Services) Pre-Employment Transition Services.
- A chance to connect with parents who understand your journey.
- Opportunities to exchange knowledge and advice about employment-related challenges and solutions.
If you identify as a person with a disability and need additional, personalized support, feel free to reach out for a one-on-one meeting.
For more information or to schedule a one-on-one meeting, please contact Nina Saini: nsaini0812@gmail.com.
Note: This is a promotion for a non-AOG sponsored group. Contact us today to find out how to feature your own group in an upcoming newsletter!
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Social Spot
AOG's County Meetups
Autism On the Go is Going far and wide this year! Our in person events have centered around Baltimore City and surrounding areas, and we will host meetings by and for Autistics in six different Maryland counties in 2025. Check out our list of planned meetups below, and keep an eye out for information and registration to attend. We hope to see you there!
January - Baltimore City
March - Harford County
May - Calvert County
(Possible Monthly Recurrence - Stay Tuned!)
July - Howard County
September - Baltimore County
November - Montgomery County
P.S. Are you looking to meet new friends near you? Whether you're in Maryland or Timbuktu, AOG will Go to you! Host an AOG sponsored event by contacting us today: info@autismonthego.org
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Coming Up!
Keep an eye out for announcements about the following events and meetups. Contact using the emails indicated for questions or interest:
AOG's Virtual Conference
July - Date/Time TBD
Contact: info@autismonthego.org
AOG's Picnic Potluck
September - Date/Time TBD
Contact: info@autismonthego.org
AOG's Costume Party/Fundraiser
October - Date/TIME TBD
Contact: info@autismonthego.org
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Bill Gates Says He Believes He Would Be Diagnosed with Autism if He Were a Kid Today | Bill Gates opened up about why he believes he would have probably been diagnosed on the autism spectrum when he was a child in an in interview with 'The Wall Street Journal.' | | | |
Autism On the Go's Facebook Page | Autism On the Go is run by Autistics, for Autistics. We seek to advocate, educate, and build community for people on the autism spectrum. | | | |
Autism On the Go's Meetup Page | Autism On the Go (AOG) is a group by and for Autistic adults in the state of Maryland and beyond. We hold weekly virtual meetings and in-person meetups and social events for Autistics, neurodivergents, and those exploring their identities on the spectrum.We welcome everyone regardless of ability or | | | | |
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SereniTea
By and for Autistic Women
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BIPOC Support Group
By and for Autistics
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Autistic Adult Group:
Unmasked, Unsilenced, Unrated
Meeting Virtually, Thursdays at 9pm
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This is a group by and for Autistic adults, those on the spectrum, and those exploring their identities to gather and share their thoughts and experiences with others in a safe and comfortable space.
We welcome everyone regardless of ability or status.
Our group fosters open and honest communication on any topic relevant to our lived experiences.
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