EMPOWERING THE AUTISTIC COMMUNITY THROUGH AUTISM-AFFIRMING SUPPORT AND RESOURCES
“Rarely, if ever, are any of us healed in isolation.”
Autistic-led
Autistic engagement
for Autistic solutions.
The Bay Area of California hosts exceptionally high rates of autism, which is thought to be due to the technical aptitude of autistic people and the wide presence of the local tech sector. Yet, there is a shortage of autism-focused social support for autistic adults.
Participation in support groups has been demonstrated to enhance individuals' well-being, boost their social skills, improve satisfaction with available services and assistance, enhance overall health, reduce hospital admissions and inpatient stays, and ultimately lower the overall expenses associated with serving the population. However, autistic people do not experience these gains when non-autistic people dominate support groups.
BAAC is a public nonprofit 501(c)3 organization # 93-2060468
The Bay Area Autism Collective currently serves over 250 autistic adults each month through our peer support groups, workshops, and advocacy efforts. Our community includes people of all ages, genders, support needs, and racial and cultural backgrounds, with many members identifying as multiply marginalized. While we are rooted in the Bay Area, our virtual programming extends across California and beyond, allowing us to reach autistic individuals in rural, under-resourced, and geographically isolated regions. This wide reach reflects our commitment to accessibility, neurodiversity-affirming care, and building sustainable autistic community infrastructure.
Bay Area Autism Collective aims to positively contribute to the Bay Area’s organizational direction for autistic people.
Bay Area Autism Collective questions the goals of any organization led and staffed by non-autistic people. Organizations that don’t value autistic voices, infantilize, or talk over us aren’t equipped to address our needs. Following the disability justice movement, we live by the belief: NOTHING ABOUT US WITHOUT US. Autistic justice is how we pave our way on our terms and celebrate autistic culture.
Building Community.
Delivering support.
The autistic community in the Bay Area has limited options to connect with other autistic people, especially others who are LGBTQ+, those who are also in recovery, or those who share a passion for anti-oppression work. When autistic people support each other through shared experiences, we become stronger and more capable. As funding allows, BAAC adds groups and programs that address the autistic community’s greatest vulnerabilities.
Sharing resources.
BAAC is creating a sustainable autistic ecosystem wherein we learn from each other to build better services over time. Just as disability accommodations are an ever-evolving project, BAAC’s support system grows based on the energy that feeds it. Our partnerships are critical to this process, and as we grow, so will our partnerships. We envision a future where we work with local identity-based organizations to help them become more inclusive of autism, and they help us spread the word about our work.
Autistic culture is real, relevant, and valid.
Autistic culture is worth celebrating.
Land Acknowledgment
Bay Area Autism Collective is based in San Francisco and acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands we live and work on. The San Francisco peninsula and north Bay are located within the occupied territories of the Ramaytush Ohlone and the Coastal Miwok, who, along with the Southern Pomo, are organized as the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria. We pay our respects to elders past, present, and emerging.