The 2024 Stanford Neurodiversity Summit, to be held hybrid in-person and online September 22-24, is open for registration! See details about the excellent program and register here.

The hike was a fine success, starting off with the sharing of ancient documents about an AASCEND member’s ancestors who were themselves members of the very Legion of Honor on whose memorial steps we convened. The weather was superb, and it was free day in the Legion of Honor building itself, providing very welcome bathroom access! There was a lot of friendly conversation and high spirits. Here are some pictures from the day. We hope to see you at an AASCEND hike soon – they are a lot of fun!

Summer is here and it’s a fine time for a midsummer’s day hike together. This time AASCEND reprises an old favorite, the hike at Land’s End, but this time we’ll do it backward, and with a small historical surprise at the beginning. At 11am on Saturday July 20 we’ll meet by the entryway arch of San Francisco’s Palace of the Legion of Honor (see picture above). One of AASCEND’s members has ancestors in the actual Legion of Honor, and we’ll have the engraved documents on hand for folks to look at. From there we’ll hike to Land’s End, near where we have started the hike in past years. We’ll stop for a rest and snack there and then loop back.

NOTE: The walk meets at 11am, not the usual 10am AASCEND meeting time. We plan to sit down together to eat, so bring a lunch. The Land’s End Lookout Cafe may be open. It’s San Francisco, so dress accordingly!

It will be great to meet, walk, talk and celebrate Summer together. See you there!

Who: Adults on the spectrum, family, professionals and friends all welcome!

When: Saturday, July 20 2024 at 11:00 AM

Where: Palace of the Legion of Honor, San Francisco (X on map above) Follow 34th Avenue north into the golf course. You may have to park along El Camino Del Mar. It’s also an easy walk from the 38 Geary bus.

The AASCEND General Meeting is on vacation for the rest of June. See you next month!

Here is a video recording of the following program.

At the next AASCEND Job Club, we will continue our series with Dan Middleton, who will complete the series on finding and holding a job. Over the past few months, Coach Dan has discussed preparing for job search, resume building, and finding the best jobs. In this session he will discuss starting a job and the actions to succeed in the job, including developing a 100 day plan. He will be interviewed by Job Club facilitator Michael Bernick, who will lead a group discussion on job retention

The Zoom meeting URL and password will be sent to people on our email list as the date approaches. If you are not on our email list, click here to sign up. No registration is necessary.

As usual at AASCEND meetings, attendees on the autism spectrum will offer their experience and perspectives throughout the program. 

Who: Adults on the autism spectrum, families, mentors and professionals all welcome. For more information, please contact: info@aascend.org
When: Sat June 1, 10am – 11am
Where: Online via Zoom. URL and password will be emailed.

Here is a video recording of the following program.

Through the years AASCEND has received countless requests about how to be assessed for autism as an adult. On May 18 we will visit the question in an online panel discussion featuring AASCEND board members Lawrence Fung, Stacey Kennedy and Paul Nussbaum. Lawrence Fung is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Stanford, where he heads the Stanford Neurodiversity Project. He is a friend of neurodiversity and uses the approach of positive psychology in his work. Stacey and Paul are both autistic and have valuable experience to share about life before and after diagnosis, and the challenges of getting a diagnosis.

This program is a direct response to your many inquiries about diagnosis. Please bring your questions and experiences to share! We will be focusing on adult autism diagnosis in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The Zoom meeting URL and password will be sent to people on our email list as the date approaches. If you are not on our email list, click here to sign up. No registration is necessary.

As usual at AASCEND meetings, attendees on the autism spectrum will offer their experience and perspectives throughout the program. 

Who: Adults on the autism spectrum, families, mentors and professionals all welcome. For more information, please contact: info@aascend.org
When: Sat May 18, 10am – 11am
Where: Online via Zoom. URL and password will be emailed.

Spring is here! Let’s get out, breathe the fresh air, and celebrate Autism Advancement Month together on Saturday April 20! Now that we can see clearly and the rain is gone, AASCEND is reprising last year’s friendly, sociable walk from San Francisco’s Marina Green to Aquatic Park, this year with a side loop to the Palace of Fine Arts lagoon, exotic site of a thousand wedding photos.

Our route will take us through ever-fascinating Fort Mason. We’ll meet at 11am on Saturday, April 20, at the Marina Green parking lot (X on the map), by the Phil’s Coffee truck, near the corner of Marina Blvd and Scott St. Click map for detail. There is usually plenty of parking in the Marina Green lot. NOTE: The walk is at 11am, not the usual 10am AASCEND meeting time. We plan to sit down together to eat along the way, so bring a lunch. It’s San Francisco, so dress accordingly! If weather threatens (please no!) check the AASCEND.org website to be sure it’s on.

It will be fun to walk, talk and celebrate Spring together. See you there!

Who: Adults on the spectrum, family, professionals and friends all welcome!

When: Saturday, Apr 20 2024 at 11:00 AM

Where: Marina Green, San Francisco, Meet at the Philz Coffee Truck (X on map above) near the corner of Marina Blvd. and Scott St.

Here is a video recording of this event.

At the next AASCEND Job Club, we will continue our series with Dan Middleton (“Coach Dan”), and the job search and placement process. Dan will be interviewed by Job Club facilitator Michael Bernick, and will discuss best practices for members of our autism community in networking and interviewing. He also will discuss the handling of rejections, and how to move forward from it.

The Zoom meeting URL and password will be sent to people on our email list as the date approaches. If you are not on our email list, click here to sign up. No registration is necessary.

As usual at AASCEND meetings, attendees on the autism spectrum will offer their experience and perspectives throughout the program. 

Who: Adults on the autism spectrum, families, mentors and professionals all welcome. For more information, please contact: info@aascend.org
When: Sat Apr 6, 10am – 11am
Where: Online via Zoom. URL and password will be emailed.

Here is a video recording of the presentation.

On March 16 AASCEND presents, online via Zoom, the newly-released book Neurodiversity for Dummies, with authors John Marble, Khushboo Chabria and Ranga Jayaraman. Neurodiversity For Dummies is a guide to understanding neurodivergent conditions like autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and more. The book is intended for the neurodivergent person and for parents, caregivers and professionals seeking success for a neurodivergent person. The book is also designed as an aid to service providers, workplace managers and colleagues, and to family members and friends. At the meeting the authors will give a tour of the book, describe how the book came to be, and respond to your questions about it!

John Marble is the multiply neurodivergent founder of Pivot Neurodiversity, an organization empowering companies to modernize recruitment, hiring, and culture to better support neurodivergent employees. He is also a classroom instructor and training partner with Neurodiversity Pathways. Khushboo Chabria, motivated in part by her own ADHD, is a neurodiversity specialist working with the Neurodiversity Pathways program of Goodwill of Silicon Valley. Ranga Jayaraman is the Director of Neurodiversity Pathways program of Goodwill of Silicon Valley in San Jose, California, USA. He is a neurotypical father of a neurodivergent son.

The Zoom meeting URL and password will be sent to people on our email list as the date approaches. If you are not on our email list, click here to sign up. No registration is necessary.

As usual at AASCEND meetings, attendees on the autism spectrum will offer their experience and perspectives throughout the program. 

Who: Adults on the autism spectrum, families, mentors and professionals all welcome. For more information, please contact: info@aascend.org
When: Sat Mar 16, 10am – 11am
Where: Online via Zoom. URL and password will be emailed.

Here is a video recording of this event.

At the next AASCEND Job Club, job coach Dan Middleton will present a new career tool that he and others at Catalight have developed, focused on individuals with autism. Every attendee will receive a free copy of this Compass Work Tool for continued support. Dan will be interviewed by Job Club facilitator Michael Bernick, and will discuss how this tool can assist with navigating job boards, attending job fairs, asking for accommodations,  managing job rejections, and a 100 day plan for when you land the job you want.

The Zoom meeting URL and password will be sent to people on our email list as the date approaches. If you are not on our email list, click here to sign up. No registration is necessary.

As usual at AASCEND meetings, attendees on the autism spectrum will offer their experience and perspectives throughout the program. 

Who: Adults on the autism spectrum, families, mentors and professionals all welcome. For more information, please contact: info@aascend.org
When: Sat Mar 2, 10am – 11am
Where: Online via Zoom. URL and password will be emailed.

==> !!! PLANNED SF MARINA WALK POSTPONED DUE TO RAIN !!! <==

Temporarily defeated by weather, we pivot! Join AASCEND February 17 for an informal roundtable discussion of sensory overload and how we cope with it. This time you will be the experts! Let’s share our experiences and also the many ways we cope in a world that for many of us is often too bright, too loud, too fast-moving, too scratchy, too hot or cold, and more. Here is a chance for your hard-won wisdom about sensory overload to benefit others. You might pick up a useful pointer or two yourself!

The Zoom meeting URL and password will be sent to people on our email list as the date approaches. If you are not on our email list, click here to sign up. No registration is necessary.

As usual at AASCEND meetings, attendees on the autism spectrum will offer their experience and perspectives throughout the program. 

Who: Adults on the autism spectrum, families, mentors and professionals all welcome. For more information, please contact: info@aascend.org
When: Sat Feb 17, 10am – 11am
Where: Online via Zoom. URL and password will be emailed.