Resources

questionmark I am frequently contacted by people looking for local and online resources about Asperger Syndrome. Below is a list of places that I recommend.

I would really like extend this list beyond the bay area. If you know of any good resources in your area, please email me with a link to the webpage, or some other kind of contact information. Thanks!

Resources are listed in alphabetical order.
(Skip to Online Resources)

Local: San Francisco Bay Area

AASCEND – Autism and Asperger Syndrome Coalition for Education, Networking, and Development, San Francisco
Autastics (Autistics United Together And Showing They Indeed Can Succeed) – A group for adults on the autism spectrum, centered in the San Francisco California Bay Area. The Autastics holds regular monthly meetings in or near San Francisco, with every third or so meeting in the San Jose, California, area. We also go on regular outings (hikes, etc.) together.
San Francisco Adult Asperger Self Help Meetup (AASHM) – The adult Asperger self help revolution is on! We meet to share experiences, find resources, interact in a safe environment, and take responsibility for our growth. One aim of this group is to connect people who are in the early stages of their AS realization journeys and those who have known they had AS for much of their lives. We have a lot to learn from each other about how to thrive in wider society as well as how to live in less conventional ways that are attuned to our uniqueness.The only requirement for attending this group is that you are an Adult with Asperger Syndrome (or another condition nearby on the ASD spectrum like HFA, PDD-NOS, NVLD, or other forms of autism) and you won’t disrupt the meeting. Questioning, self diagnosed, and professionally diagnosed are all welcome.

Online Resources

ASAN (Autistic Self-Advocacy Network) – The Autistic Self Advocacy Network seeks to advance the principles of the disability rights movement in the world of autism. Drawing on the principles of the cross-disability community on issues such as inclusive education, community living supports and others, ASAN seeks to organize the community of Autistic adults and youth to have our voices heard in the national conversation about us. In addition, ASAN seeks to advance the idea of neurological diversity, putting forward the concept that the goal of autism advocacy should not be a world without Autistic people. Instead, it should be a world in which Autistic people enjoy the same access, rights and opportunities as all other citizens.
aspieSocial – There are many fine web resources out there where people can find out about Asperger’s Syndrome or Autism; where parents can discuss how to help their children; where professionals can compare papers with each other.aspieSocial, however, is specifically for adults on the autistic spectrum who want to meet each other, just for the sake of socializing. It can be a bit frustrating ambulating in a world day after day where so few people around you speak your language. so this site is offered as a place where these finely-hued people can collect, congregate, meet, trade stories, and maybe meet in real life, for whatever purpose you’d like. you don’t necessarily need to be an active member; you can just create a profile, park it, and because of your awesomeness even more people will come to park their profiles around yours and you don’t even have to talk to them You can create a member profile, start a blog (you can even import the rss feed from an already existing blog), upload photos, start discussions on the forum, add video, and do a bunch more. deck yourself out however you want to. If you feel like it, introduce yourself in the forum, (no pressure though) so everyone else can say hi.
Autism Hub – “The Very Best In Autism Blogging”
Autism Women’s Network – Interesting articles and community forums. The mission of the Autism Women’s Network is to provide effective supports to autistic females of all ages through a sense of community, advocacy and resources.
Gestalt – An autism and psychology discussion forum
O.A.S.I.S. – Online Asperger Syndrome Information And Support
The Autism Acceptance Project (TAAP) – The Autism Acceptance Project works to promote acceptance of and accommodations for autistic people in society.
Wrong Planet is the web community designed for individuals (and parents of those) with Autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, ADHD, PDDs, and other neurological differences. We provide a discussion forum, where members communicate with each other, an article section, with exclusive articles and how-to guides, a blogging feature, and a chatroom for real-time communication with other Aspies. Asperger’s Syndrome, a pervasive development disorder, is a form of autism.