Raising and educating a child with an Asperger profile may be challenging at times, so it's not surprising that many parents feel stressed and isolated. AANE offers three types of support groups for Parents of Children, Teens, and Young Adults (through age 22) along with two Online Google Group Discussion Forums, one for Parents of Children and one for Parents of Teens to help you feel less alone and more empowered:
- Online "Closed" Support Groups- are groups that have the same members for a set number of sessions. (Fee, aid available)
- Online "Open" Support Groups- have an undefined number of group members with new people coming and going on a regular basis. (Free)
- Online Community Connection Sessions- help relieve isolation during the pandemic by connecting with community members and AANE staff. (Free)
- Online Discussion Forums (Free)
If the "Closed" group you are interested in states "There are no upcoming events at this time", or if the registration of a program is "FILLED", please sign up for early notification. Before a new round of your favorite closed support group begins, we will send you an early notification email to give you a chance to register before we open up registration to the general public.
Early Notification for Closed Groups
Online "Closed" Support Groups
Online "Closed" Support Groups meet for a series of consecutive weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly meetings. Each group is limited to 10-12 participants who pre-register and attend each meeting in the series. The groups offer a safe environment where participants can talk with like-minded peers, share similar issues and concerns, and celebrate successes. The closed support group also provides an opportunity to establish and develop connections with the same group of individuals over time.
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Parents of Young Children (<12)
Tuesdays, 7:00 PM- 8:00 PM ET, 1/31, 2/21, 3/7, 3/21, 4/4, 4/18, 5/2, 5/16 facilitated by Amanda Bailey
There are no upcoming events at this time.
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Parents of Tween Boys & Girls (4th - 9th grades)
There are no upcoming events at this time.
Tuesdays, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM ET, 1/17, 1/24, 2/7, 2/28, 3/14, 3/28, 4/11, 4/25 facilitated by Amanda Bailey
There are no upcoming events at this time.
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Parents of High School Boys
Tuesdays, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM ET, 1/10, 1/24, 2/7, 2/28, 3/7, 3/21, 4/11, 4/25 facilitated by Stephanie Loo
There are no upcoming events at this time.
Wednesdays, 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM ET, 12/7, 12/14, 12/21, 1/4, 1/11, 1/18, 1/25, 2/1; facilitated by Pam PalmucciThere are no upcoming events at this time.
Thursday, 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM ET, 1/6, 1/20, 2/3, 2/24, 3/10, 3/24, 4/7, 4/21 facilitated by Pam Palmucci
There are no upcoming events at this time.
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Parents of High School Girls
There are no upcoming events at this time.
Wednesdays, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM ET, 1/4, 1/11, 1/18, 1/25, 2/1, 2/8, 2/15, 2/22 facilitated by Debbie CurtissThere are no upcoming events at this time.
Thursdays, 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM ET, 1/5, 1/12, 1/19, 1/26, 2/2, 2/9, 2/16, 2/23 facilitated by Nancy Parker
There are no upcoming events at this time.
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Parents of Gender Diverse Youth (14-18)
Wednesdays, 7:00 PM- 8:30 PM ET, 6/1, 6/15, 6/29, 7/13, 7/27, 8/10, 8/24, 9/7 facilitated by Shari Coon
There are no upcoming events at this time.
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Parents of Transition Age Youth (18-22)
Tuesdays, 10:00 AM- 11:30 AM ET, 1/11, 1/25, 2/8, 2/22, 3/8, 3/22, 4/5, 4/19 facilitated by Debbie Curtiss
There are no upcoming events at this time.
Tuesdays, 12:30 PM- 2:00 PM ET, 1/3, 1/10, 1/17, 1/24, 1/31, 2/7, 2/14, 2/21 facilitated by Nancy ParkerThere are no upcoming events at this time.
Wednesdays, 7:00 PM- 8:00 PM ET, 1/4, 1/18, 2/1, 2/15, 3/1, 3/15, 3/29, 4/19 facilitated by Stephanie LooThere are no upcoming events at this time.
Thursdays, 4:00 PM- 5:30 PM ET, 1/19, 1/26, 2/2, 2/9, 2/16, 2/23, 3/2, 3/9 facilitated by Brenda DaterThere are no upcoming events at this time.
Thursdays, 4:00 PM- 5:30 PM ET, 2/2, 3/2, 4/13, 5/4, 6/1, 7/6, 8/3, 9/7 facilitated by Leslie FeinbergThere are no upcoming events at this time.
Thursdays, 7:00 PM- 8:00 PM ET, 1/12, 1/26, 2/2, 2/16, 3/2, 3/16, 3/30, 4/13 facilitated by Stephanie Loo
There are no upcoming events at this time.
If the "Closed" group you are interested in states "There are no upcoming events at this time", or if the registration of a program is "FILLED", please sign up for early notification. Before a new round of your favorite closed support group begins, we will send you an early notification email to give you a chance to register before we open up registration to the general public.
Early Notification for Closed Parents Groups
Online "Open" Support Groups
An "Open" Support Group has an undefined number of group members with new people joining from session to session.- Online "Open" Support Group for Spanish Speaking Families of Children, Teens, & Adults facilitated by Yesica Hickey. This FREE group will meet online from 6:30-7:30 PM ET on Friday evenings:
Thu
16
Grupo de Apoyo en Línea para Padres de niños, adolescentes y adultos jóvenes con Autismo/Asperger, 2/16/23, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM ET
February 16 @ 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm
Thu
16
Grupo de Apoyo en Línea para Padres de niños, adolescentes y adultos jóvenes con Autismo/Asperger, 2/16/23, 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM ET
February 16 @ 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
- Online "Open" Support Group for Fathers, facilitated by Bruce Sabian, LMHC. This FREE group meets one Wednesday evening per month from 7:00 - 8:30 PM ET.
Wed
22
Online “Open” Support Group for Fathers, 2/22/23, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM ET
February 22 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Mar
29
Online “Open” Support Group for Fathers, 3/29/23, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM ET
March 29 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
- Online "Open" Support Group for Grandparents, facilitated by Marcia Robinson. This FREE group meets twice a month and the expectation is that members will attend on a regular basis. Upcoming meetings:
There are no upcoming events at this time.
Online Community Connection Sessions for Parents
Parenting in the time of COVID-19 is especially difficult due to restrictions on normal activity and interaction. If you're unsure how to provide structure with kids out of school, need some self-care, or if you're feeling isolated from other adults and the community drop into our weekly free online Community Connection Sessions to connect with other parents online via Zoom. Sessions will be facilitated by AANE's Child and Teen Services staff who know firsthand the need to maintain a balance for ourselves and our children when life brings the unexpected. Online Community Connection Sessions for Parents of Children, Teens, and Young Adults (through age 22) - Thursday evenings from 7:00 - 8:30 PM ET
Thu
09
Mar
09
Apr
20
May
18
Jun
08
Online Google Group Discussion Forums for Parents of Children and Teens (through High School)
AANE offers two online Google Groups Discussion Forums for parents: one for Parents of Children and one for Parents of Teens (through high school). Both are moderated by AANE staff. If you would like to join either or both groups (or switch groups), please fill out the form below. Then look for an email invitation, and follow the instructions to set up your account.
Once your child graduates from high school, contact info@aane.org to move to the Online Google Group Discussion Forum for Parents of Adults.
It is recommended that all members of Online Google Group Discussion Forums join with a gmail email account.
If you prefer to remain anonymous as a member of the Online Google Group Discussion Forum:
- Create a new gmail account before joining the forum. This will allow you to remain anonymous.
- Forward the emails related to the forum to your primary email address inbox.
- BUT only send emails from the Google Group dashboard to remain anonymous
- Make sure that when you "reply all" your personal email address is NOT the sender.
- ONLY use the Google Group Forum name as the "reply all" sender
By submitting this form, you are opting in to email communication from AANE. You may update your email preferences at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of AANE emails.
If you agree to join then you agree to follow forum guidelines. Read more on the best practices for joining, sending messages, and leaving a Online Google Group Discussion Forum** Parents of young adults who are post-high school should join the Online Discussion Forum for Parents and Families of Post-High School Adults