Millennials make up the majority of parents of Generation Z and A children these days and they also are likely to be Facebook users. So if Facebook is your platform of choice, here are some groups I recommend joining. The groups listed for autistic people may or may not allow non-autistic people to join to lurk and learn. Be sure to check the rules to see if you can join if you’re not autistic. Basically, nobody owes you education in those groups.
- For Autistic People or Questioning if You’re Autistic
- For Parents that are also Autistic
- For Autistic Self-Advocates
- Autism-Adjacent / Intersectional with Autism
- For Parents, Caregivers, Educators, and Medical Professionals
- Network Groups
- Tag Groups
Facebook groups marked with a heart (♥) are groups I created.
Facebook groups marked with a star (★) are groups where I am either an admin or moderator.
All of these Facebook groups are private, meaning only members can see who is in the group and what they post. If the link does not work, then it is likely also hidden, meaning only existing members can invite new members.
For Autistic People or Questioning if You’re Autistic
These are safe spaces specifically for autistic people. Not all of them are support groups, but may be specific to providing accommodations for common challenges experienced by autistic people.
- Actually Autistic and Trans – No Gatekeeping
- Autism Late Diagnosis/self-Identification Support and Education
- Autism Mealsâ„¢
- Autistic Researchers Researching Autism (ARRA)
- Autistics Worldwide
- Sounds Autistic, I’m In
- Sounds autistic, I’m in (racism free edition)
- this is autistic culture
- Unmasked Autistics
- Why did I walk into this room? A progressive ADHD/Autistic support group
For Parents that are also Autistic
Some parents discover they are autistic only after going through the evaluation process with a child. In many cases, groups for autistic adults don’t include parents and groups for parents of autistic children don’t include autistic adults. These spaces are safe for the intersection of autistic people that are also parents.
For Autistic Self-Advocates
Some are specific to autistic self-advocates while others are inclusive of non-autistic allies.
Autism-Adjacent / Intersectional with Autism
Groups that are inclusive to autistic people or are focused on support in areas common among autistic people.
- A group where everyone is super fucking nice to each other for no reason
- Day To Day Tasks And Life Explained Step By Step And Advice
- I Survived ABA – Unmasked
- Neurodivergent, But Make It Community
- Neurodivergent, But Make It Disabled ★
- Neurodivergent, But Make It Parents ★
- Neurodivergent Cleaning Crew
- Neurodivergent Cooking Crew
- Neurodivergent Parents Parenting
- One Bad Neurodivergent Parent ♥
For Parents, Caregivers, Educators, and Medical Professionals
These are the non “Autism Mom” groups I recommend to non-autistic people seeking support for the children in their lives. If you’re autistic and joining these groups, expect to spend spoons educating others. These are safe spaces for the parents, not you.
- Ask Autistic Adults – Resource for Parents of Autistics
- Ask Me, I’m an AAC user! (24 Hour Rule!)
- Ask me, I’m Autistic (24hr rule!)
- Autistics Worldwide
- Embracing Autism Community
- Embrace Autism Open Community
- OBPs of Disabled, Medically Complex, and/or Neurodivergent Kids *
- That Au-some Book Club
- The B Team
- The Neurodivergence Convergence
- Visible Child: Respectful/Mindful Parenting
Network Groups
Network groups are multiple groups on Facebook that all follow a theme. They usually have crossover in admins, moderators, and rules.
One Bad Mother (OBM)
OBM is a network of groups that has a main group, lovingly referred to as the motherboard, and subgroups that branch off from it. The commonality is member behavior. When people join subgroups, they know what they’re expecting because members are expected to behave consistently in all groups.
The network is based on the Maximum Fun podcast by the same name, a comedy podcast about parenting. You do not have to be a parent nor do you have to be a listener.
Some of these groups may require membership to the main group in order to obtain membership to the sub-group. Please check the group’s rules before applying for membership.
- One Bad Mother—the main OBM group
- One Bad Autistic ♥ ★
- One Bad Chronic Parent
- One Bad Spirited Child
- One Bad Neurodivergent Parent ♥ ★
- OBPs of Disabled, Medically Complex, and/or Neurodivergent Kids
Neurodivergent, but make it… (NDBMI)
NDBMI is a network of groups with no main group. It has strict anti-oppression and pro-liberation rules and members are expected to have fundamental anti-racism knowledge. This is not a place for white people to unpack their internal bias.
Tag Groups
Tag groups are generally used as reactions to people’s posts or comments. If you’re into calling out ableism on Facebook, consider joining these groups and tagging them as needed.
Editor's Note: This article was originally published on , and was last reviewed on . Updated to add network group section.
