No. We recognise that many barriers exist to getting a formal diagnosis, especially for adults, women, and minority groups. 

If you identify as autistic or think you might be autistic, you're welcome to join our autistic peer support group.

Currently our Autistic Peer Group meets in Myrtleford, and our Autism Carer Group in Bright.

The exact location can vary, but we choose quiet, sensory-friendly spaces that are comfortable for our participants.

• The Autistic Peer Support Group normally meets monthly in Myrtleford on the 2nd Sunday of each month, from 1pm to 3pm.

• The Autism Carer Support Group normally meets monthly in Bright on the 4th Sunday of each month, from 1pm to 3pm.

Our current locations are based upon trying to meet the needs of most participants in each group, and is something we'll continue to review as we have new people join.

View details of upcoming meetings

Our groups are informal, friendly spaces where people can share experiences and connect with others who understand.

You can participate in discussions as much or as little as you feel comfortable. Sitting back and just listening is perfectly fine.

Sometimes we may have a presentation or guest speaker on a particular topic, which we share ahead of time, and base upon feedback from the groups.

No, our groups are completely free for group participants.

We've been fortunate to secure funding the the Victorian Government's Connecting Carers in their Community small grant last year, which has enabled us to bring in some paid speakers in the first half of 2025.

We don't however have any ongoing funding currently to support our activities, and would love to hear from any people or organisations that would like to support us in any way.

It's natural to feel nervous about joining a new group. We understand this and make sure new members feel welcomed.

Many of our participants tell us they were anxious before their first meeting, but quickly found themselves in a warm, understanding environment where their experiences were shared by others. There's something incredibly validating about hearing others describe feelings, experiences, and challenges that you thought were unique to you - moments where you realise "it's not just me!".

You're welcome to contact us beforehand to learn more about what to expect, but we're confident you'll find, like others have, that connecting with people who share similar experiences creates an easy, natural sense of belonging that's often hard to find in the wider community.

For our Autistic Peer Support Group in particular, connecting with neurokin over shared autistic experiences can be incredibly profound and uplifting.

Our community includes people of all ages and life stages, but our current support groups are specifically for adults.

While our Carer Support group welcomes carers of autistic people of any age, we ask that children not attend the meetings. We understand finding care can be challenging, but to ensure we maintain a supportive environment where all participants can engage fully and share openly, our groups are adult-only spaces.

While we don't currently have the capacity to offer youth programs, we know many families are seeking peer connections for autistic children and adolescents. Attending our groups can lead to natural friendships between families, creating opportunities for autistic children to connect.

For structured support specifically designed for young people, we highly recommend the I CAN Network's online autistic-led mentoring programs, which provide excellent autistic-led mentoring across Australia. 

Our support groups are specifically for autistic adults and carers to share lived experiences in a confidential space.

However, we're happy to connect with local professionals and organisations about how we can help them better understand and support our autistic community.