Creating connections, understanding, and mutual support
Creating connections, understanding, and mutual support
We're a lived-experience led organisation supporting Autistic people and their Carers across the Alpine Shire and surrounding areas.
Our Autistic Peer Support Group meets monthly, offering autistic adults a safe space to connect, share experiences, and explore topics like wellbeing and self-advocacy, in a neurodiversity-affirming environment.
Our peer support group helps reduce isolation, build understanding, and create lasting connections.
We believe in the power of lived experience and take a neurodiversity-affirming approach that celebrates autism as a natural part of human diversity, while still recognising the challenges of being an autistic person, or carer for one, in a neurotypical world.
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 at the Myrtleford Library, typically on the 2nd Sunday of each month, from 1pm to 3pm. People can also join most meetings remotely via Zoom.
Our group is an informal, friendly spaces where Autistic adults 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 were fortunate to secure funding the the Victorian Government's Connecting Carers in their Community small grant last year, which enabled us to bring in professional 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 group is specifically for Autistic adults.
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.
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 professionals and organisations about how we can help them better understand and support our local Autistic community.
Reframing Autism is an Australian not-for-profit organisation led by and for autistic people.
Their mission is to create a world that embraces and celebrates autism through education and advocacy that promotes understanding, acceptance, and genuine support for autistic people and their families.
Yellow Ladybugs is an autistic-led Australian organisation dedicated to supporting and celebrating autistic girls, women, and gender diverse individuals.
Through their work, they create inclusive spaces and opportunities while promoting understanding of how autism can present differently across genders.
The I CAN Network is Australia's largest provider of autistic-led mentoring programs.
Their work is grounded in a hopeful and respectful understanding of autism, with programs designed to empower autistic young people through the leadership of autistic mentors who share their lived experience.