A REGULAR meet up has been established to provide autistic people with a safe and inclusive environment to chat and socialise.<\/p>\n
Organiser, Maria Marshall, said the get-togethers are the culmination of a 10-year goal to establish a social network for Ballarat\u2019s autistic community.<\/p>\n
\u201cI work as a clinical psychologist and often with people who are autistic. I\u2019ve heard time and time again about the complete lack of spaces for autistic people in Ballarat,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cContrary to popular belief, autistic people are very sociable and love meeting new people, they just need some support around forming their own environment.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s nothing especially for adults who want to talk about things like life, love, movies, music, the autistic experience, so that\u2019s what we\u2019re aiming for.\u201d<\/p>\n
The meet ups take place fortnightly on Fridays at 9.30am and Ms Marshall said the main obstacle in establishing the events has been finding a location with a suitable sensory-conscious space.<\/p>\n
\u201cLots of autistic people have sensory issues in terms of light, sound, too many people, those things can be very overwhelming,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The meet ups currently take place at the Lake View Hotel in Lake Wendouree, and the next is set for Friday, 30 September.<\/p>\n
Melinda Tant is autistic and has been advocating for Ms Marshall to organise the group.<\/p>\n
She said it\u2019s a great way to bring the region\u2019s autistic community together.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a supportive environment for like-minded people and I guess that\u2019s one of the struggles of being autistic is you\u2019re constantly questioning yourself and trying to fit in,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you meet like-minded autistics, it\u2019s so easy and natural. They get you. You don\u2019t have to overexplain or watch what you say or do. You\u2019re just accepted.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome of us have been diagnosed later in life and it\u2019s a revelation and unravelling, so to do that in a supportive group like Maria\u2019s established is comforting.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A REGULAR meet up has been established to provide autistic people with a safe and inclusive environment to chat and socialise. Organiser, Maria Marshall, said the get-togethers are the culmination of a 10-year goal to establish a social network for Ballarat\u2019s autistic community. \u201cI work as a clinical psychologist and often with people who are […]<\/p>\n