Our peer community Gatherings:
If you, a partner or a family member is Aspergers, then our peer gatherings may suit your needs. Meet others, share stories, do activites together or listen to the occasional speaker in a friendly and inclusive community environment. Aspergers Victoria volunteers with lived experience run all meetings and welcome new attendees. Please let them know if you are new. Peer groups are often the first port of call for our new members - a place where you can meet others, listen, learn and share stories. A place to just be yourself with accepting peers who just 'get' you. For our under 18 Teens group parents must remain present at the venue but are in a separate area to build Teen independence further. Our meetings are for those who are fully independent - that means no carers are present in our Aspergers peer group meetings. Our Peer MEETINGS aim to empower attendees through discovering:COMMUNITY Our groups create a sense of belonging to a community with like-minded, supportive peers with lived experience RESILIENCE through ‘Growth Mindset’ and ‘Self-Regulation’ learning CONFIDENCE through a focus on appreciation of strengths, special interests and abilities SELF-DETERMINATION and independence through mentoring and learning FRIENDSHIP and social experience through regular peer gatherings. Reduce isolation, perceived stigma plus builds friendship and trust through regular contact with the group KNOWLEDGE shared in the group about how to extend or enjoy strengths, and ways to manage challenges Ultimately our gatherings aim to support self-esteem and, confidence and self-empowerment, to determine your own life independently, including areas of physical and mental health, relationships, employment, finance, housing, special interests and self-reliance. It could be regarded as a social networking program for Aspergers - without therapy. Referrals keep coming to the group from local health services, schools, youth services and by word of mouth and are now exceeding our capacity to accommodate them in a volunteer-managed format. *Please note these group gatherings are for Aspergers Victoria members only, however you are very welcome to attend a meeting before joining our community. Join online today! and then receive the other benefits of being part of our association. | Our Meeting ScheduleDue to COVID-19 requirements, our groups meetings have moved online and are using the online conferencing platform Zoom, and Discord for our Teens Group. Aspergers Victoria Group Values and Approach:
We call this the AV Groups Way. We expect attendees to abide by this in our events, activities and meetings. Our Peer Volunteers are NOT counsellors or therapists and cannot provide support for mental health issues. FOR Our MEETING bookings go to the bottom of this page or to our Events webpage.For any questions relating to our meet-ups, or general group enquiries, contact us at Groups. Please note: - Any promotion of members’ ventures and other (non AV) items of interest are only to be conducted via the Groups Coordinator. If you wish to make announcements or distribute materials or commercial activities at our meetings, please email your request to the Groups Coordinator admin@aspergersvic.org.au. We usually prefer income earning ventures to become a professional member and get the publicity benefits beyond the group with that but are willing to assess the Group benefits and support small business. - AV has become aware of groups using the AV logo or name to promote their services or groups without AV approval. AV cannot provide any assurance of the quality of any group not coordinated by AV and not listed in the links below. They will not be covered by our insurance, nor have our Peer Leader training or necessarily deliver quality support to AV standards. PLEASE NOTE: Our AV Groups do NOT provide professional advice, therapy, medical advice, counselling, crisis management or case management. They provide essential peer support via our volunteers and speakers. You can find professional support that is peer-recommended through our professionals directory and through a number of organisations that do offer CRISIS support. Our Meeting leaders are NOT qualified to provide crisis support in anyway and cannot act in the role of carer. Attendees that need a carer present may need to re-assess suitability before attending. |
Teens GroupJoin our Teens Group, for secondary students aged 12 to 18 years with Aspergers, autism, or other similar neurodiverse profiles. Meet like-minded peers in a relaxed environment; share strengths, passions or interests over board games, or chat with our young adult leaders. Parents and carers meet in an adjoining area to share stories or listen to a guest speaker about current teen issues. Meetings are held on the 1st Friday of the month in the south-eastern suburbs, February to November except public holidays. Aspergers Victoria volunteers with lived experience run all meetings and will welcome new families. All group leaders have a Working With Children Check. We also have an extension of the teens group called "Social Butterflies". This is a space for girls to meet other like-minded girls and non-binary teens and enjoy some fun activities and refreshments together. This group is currently on hiatus, however there are plans to resume this group in the near future, and we will share the details when they are confirmed. Contact the Teens Group co-ordinator if you have any questions, or register for a session. Please Note: A parent MUST accompany all children attending a Teens or Social Butterfly group, and the responsibility for supervision and any activity costs remains with the parents. |
Young adultsIf you are a young adult with Aspergers, autism, or another similar neurodiverse profile, aged 18 to 35 years and have left school, then this group may suit your needs. Meetings are held in the south-eastern suburbs on the 4th Thursday of the month, February to November except public holidays. Occasional social outings are arranged by this group. Meet other young adults, participate in discussions that determine your own life, and listen to the occasional speaker in a friendly inclusive environment. Parents and carers do not attend this group, and are welcome to attend one of the Parents & Carers of Groups. Young Adults with lived experience run all meetings, and welcome new attendees. It is expected that group members independently manage their own email to and from the Young Adults group.
Contact the Young Adults co-ordinator if you have any questions, or register for a session.
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Adults GroupIf you are an Asperger Adult, then this group may suit your needs.
Meetings are held in the South Eastern suburbs on the 3rd Thursday of each month, February to December except public holidays. Where there is a 5th Thursday, the group also has a social meeting (e.g. a bbq, at the same venue) Occasional social outings are arranged by this group. Meet other adults, participate in discussions, or listen to a speaker in a friendly, inclusive environment. Aspergers Victoria volunteers with lived experience run all meetings and welcome new attendees. |
Gener8 (Adults ~25-45) Social GroupIf you are a young Asperger Adult aged approximately 25 - 45 years and are currently working or studying, join our welcoming community of Asperger individuals for some fun and friendship. Social activities are held on a monthly basis typically on a Friday night or weekend day or evening. Meetings run between February to December, except public holidays. This group is lead by peer leaders who support the group to decide and choose what social activities will be planned. All attendees need to be able to attend this group independently. Partners are welcome. |
Women's and NON-BINARY GroupIf you are a woman or non-binary community member with Aspergers, autism or another similar neurodiverse profile who would like to meet others to chat to, gain insights and share your experiences with, join our friendly, inclusive group environment. Aspergers Victoria volunteers with lived experience run all meetings and welcome new attendees. Meetings are held monthly on the 3rd Saturday afternoon, from February to December, except public holidays. |
Dungeons & Dragons GroupIf you are a fan of Dungeons & Dragons, or want to give it a try, join like-minded people (teens to adults) in a friendly environment with others who share your passion. Dungeon Masters with lived experience run all meetings and welcome new attendees. Meetings are held in south-eastern suburbs, fortnightly on Sunday afternoons. Check groups calendar for dates. * February 2021: currently running primarily online. We hope to run in-person Dungeons & Dragons sessions again soon and will share the details with our community when they are finalised. * |
Parents & Carers GroupsIf you are a parent or carer of a child with Aspergers, autism or another similiar neurodiverse profile, then this group may suit your needs. Various meetings are held in the Eastern (1st Friday A.M.) and Southern Melbourne suburbs (2nd Monday P.M. & 4th Friday A.M.) February to December, except school and public holidays. Meet other parents and carers, share stories and listen to the occasional speaker, in a friendly inclusive environment. Aspergers Victoria volunteers with shared experience run all meetings and will welcome new attendees. |
Upcoming Group Meetings
 | We rely on donations and memberships to provide specialised support, advocate for change and fill the gap in the specific services our community needs. |
