Nothing About Us Without Us: Autistic-Led Organisations, Charities & Social Media to Follow

(Also a few amazing advocates, organisations and charities that are not Autistic-led but are doing amazing work, and I feel they are wonderful allies in our community!)

A list of UK Autistic-led organisations was originally compiled by Zoe Williams (2024).
I’ve expanded this to include even more organisations and additional signposting with some links to global Autistic-led organisations. I have also curated list of some neuro-affirming social media accounts to follow.
If you know of any other organisations or accounts that you feel should be included please get in touch.

Also, check out the blog I wrote with GROVE about the harm of neurodiversity-lite and why it is important to do your research before you engage with Autism organisations.

Download your FREE Autism and Neurodiversity Starter Pack Ebook that I created with David Gray-Hammond (Emergent Divergence)

Looking for neurodiversity-affirming books – have a look at my recommended reading list.

The Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism (TPGA) has created a page of resources with helpful signposting and guidance about finding neuro-affirming organisations and people to trust.

How can you know which autism organizations to support and trust?

They suggest considering if they organisation or person follows the following guidelines:

Advocacy for the human and civil rights of all autistic people: Clear positions must be publicly expressed on issues that affect the well being of autistic individuals. Such issues include the use of physical and chemical restraints; the lack of full inclusion in education, work, and housing; and funding for programs that address the immediate needs of Autistic people in their communities.

Supports, not cures: autism is a naturally occurring human neurological variation and not a disease process to be cured. Autistic neurology, sensory traits, processing, communication, and other autism-specific traits should be accommodated, not stigmatized. Qualify of life for autistic people of all ages and abilities should be a primary focus. Medical or health issues that may accompany autism should be addressed as co-occurring conditions, not as integral to autism.

Autistic-informed supports and therapies: Services for Autistic individuals must improve their quality of life. When there is conflict between non-autistic autism professionals and the Autistic community as to an approach or therapy, the organization takes autistic concerns seriously, and looks to participatory and otherwise autistic-informed research, and self-advocate leadership, for direction.

Inclusiveness: Autistic people must have significant, meaningful, and primary roles in all aspects of the organization, especially at board and executive levels, with regards to planning and decision-making. Autistic employees and contractors will be compensated at the same level as other participants doing similar work.

Acceptance, not stigmatization: All aspects of the organization’s financial cycle, from advertising and fundraising through grants and programs, must be driven by values of inclusion and acceptance of autistic people of all ages and abilities. It is not acceptable to use scare tactics or negative imagery to promote autism awareness.

Global Organisations

Autism From The Inside (Australia & Global)
Autistic Collaboration
Autistic Women’s and Non-Binary Network (AWN)
Autistic Inclusive Meets (AIM)
ASAN (Autistic Self Advocacy Network)
CASY (Cultural Autism Studies at Yale)
Neuroclastic
Reframing Autism (Australia & Global)
Stimpunks
Therapist Neurodiversity Collective
Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism
Thriving Autistic

UK Organisations

UK Regional Organisations

A2ndVoice (London)
AMASE (Autistic Mutual Aid Society Edinburgh)
Appeer (Surrey)
ARGH (Autism Rights Group Highland)
Aubergine Cafe (Cardiff)
Aurora Consulting (Scotland)
AutAngel (Reading)
Autpeer (Cumbria)
Autism Early Support (Buckinghamshire)
Autism Support (Crawley)
Autism Wellbeing
Autism Inclusion Matters — Isle of Wight
Autistic Inclusive Meets (London)
Autistic (ASD) Women in and around Colchester (AWAC)
Isle of Wight SEN Support
Koala (Hampshire)
Muíriosa Foundation (Ireland)
ND Matters (Northwest England)
Neurodivergent Friends in Thanet (East Kent)
Scottish Ethnic Minority Autistics (SEMA)
Staklife (Kent)
SWAN (Scotland)
Waymakers CIC (Devon)
ZIG/ZAG (Gloucestershire)

Looking for a neurodivergent neuro-affirming practitioner?

Check out Thriving Autistic’s International Directory of Neurodivergent Neuro-affirming Practitioners. You can search for a therapist, coach, psychologist, relationship support, and more in their global directory.

Discover more directory signposting collated by Thriving Autistic.

Social Media Accounts & More Websites

Some of this list has been created using shared resources from Robbie Prosser on Facebook (thank you!), I have added lots more and will keep expanding this epic list!

Not all these pages /groups/ organisations may be Autistic led but I have found many to be personally valuable, others have been recommended to me. I am not accountable for content of the list below but I hope it is a valuable starting point. Some of our allies are also doing truly fabulous work and it’s worth looking wider.

I encourage you to do your own research and look into spaces that feel right for you or those you support!

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