Why AS North West?

First and foremost, I'm in the North West so it seemed like a good place to start.

Secondly, I can't believe that I'm the only adult with autism in the North West that has felt for so long that there is a distinct lack of opportunities and possibilites for those of us on the spectrum to socialise, meet new people, share interests and perhaps learn about things we didn't know, all (of course), in our own individual ways.

I believe that autistic people themselves are the best placed people to express what they would like and how they would like it to operate. Coordinating something positive for those on the autism spectrum where it's second nature to us to consider what needs should be met upfront.

I started this group in Summer 2022 so it's still in its infancy and I would dearly love that as many autistic adults as possible get involved so that collectively, we can make it something worthwhile and useful for everyone.

Please note though, that this venture is not intended to be an all-encompassing portal for all things autism. There are many sites on the internet and other groups around the country that adopt this more generic approach. The key focus of this group is to try to help with the issues of isolation that many of us can feel. Whether that's due to the unique and individual ways we choose to live our lives, the pandemic, difficulties we may face in engaging with other people, fear borne out of previous bad experiences or anything else. A laid back collective of individuals where we can interact as much or as little as we like can be a terrific support mechanism and enable us to feel part of something where everyone just 'gets it' as opposed to feeling like 'the outsider'.

The two main areas I want to focus on initially are socialising (breaking out from isolation) and showcasing small businesses that are run by autistic people so that this website can provide a platform for anyone creative to open up what they do to others and hopefully engage new customers.

Regular updates and posts are made via our Facebook group so do search 'AS North West' and join up to keep up to date.