@ascumich
A social club by and for autistic students at the University of Michigan! If you're looking to join, email ascumich(@)gmail(.)com https://maizepages.umich.edu/organization/autismspectrumclub (banner image by Welcome to All ! ツ from Pixabay)
"Vaccines do not cause autism. Vaccines let autistic children live long enough to become autistic adults. Autism is not a tragedy to be prevented; it is a way of being deserving of support and respect." From @autisticadvocacy.org:
autisticadvocacy.org/2025/12/asan... #autism #VaccinesWork
“My brain takes in so much more information than the person next to me. So, I need time to process that information, & if I don't process it and more is coming in, then I could shut down & implode or just have massive meltdowns.” Chloé Zhao on her neurodivergence:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/c...
Finally (LAST POST IN THREAD WOOHOO),
You may not find someone who understands your brain better than you. Why not learn who you are and how to advocate and accommodate for yourself?
Whether you join or not, we hope your experience at UMich will be great! Go Blue!
- This Account, Specifically -
We'll be posting updates on the club and sharing event information as much as we can; we'll also be sharing resources and news from other autistic or autism-centered bsky accounts! Access to good information is important.
We understand it can be frustrating to start the joining process before you know if you can make the meetings; we're also running book clubs and starting up a DnD group soon, so rest assured that if you cannot come to the weekly meetings, you may still find other things to do!
- Joining -
The easiest way to join is to view our MaizePages (link should be in bio) and contact us, or email the address in bio.
We don't bite! We don't really ask a lot of questions, either, anymore. This is just to make sure you can be added to the email list and Discord.
As autistic people can belong to pretty much any other identity group, an autistic bigot is, to borrow another's words, "a self-hating oxymoron".
Our club room is R-rated, in terms of language; swearing is allowed, and we chat about a variety of topics. Just be mindful of others.
- Rules -
The biggest rules are that members should not discuss meeting dates, times, or locations with other students who aren't members. This is for the confidentiality of themselves and other members.
Bigotry is not allowed in club meetings. Leave it at the door if you come to meetings.
- History -
The first Autism Spectrum Club was founded at Central Michigan University, where the first leader/president was Daegan Reynolds. Upon graduation, he attended UMich for graduate school, and formed another ASC there.
We have had other branches, though many lay dormant at the moment.
While many of us do consider autism to be an identity, and often only one of many identities we wear, it is also a medical condition that is still rather stigmatized and can lead to bullying. We don't ask which members would prefer to keep it private or why, we just do it.
- Why We Don't Post Meeting Times, etc. -
Most clubs on campus will tell you when and where they meet on MaizePages or their social media. We do not. This is partly to keep the space autistic-only, but also to ensure that members who are not open about their autism aren't outed.
We are autistic-exclusive based on the idea that autistic people often spend a lot of time masking and feeling like the odd ones out. In an autistic-exclusive space, this problem doesn't go away, necessarily, but it allows us to relax and be ourselves, and gives us space to figure that out.
- The ASC, in as few characters as possible -
The Autism Spectrum Club is a social club for autistic students, alumni, and possibly faculty and staff at the University of Michigan. We've been around since 2023.
We are autistic-run and autistic-exclusive. We welcome self-diagnosed people.
Hey!
We're the Autism Spectrum Club at the University of Michigan!
This pinned thread will contain information on:
- What the club is
- Why we don't post meeting times
- Our club's rules and history + other branches of the ASC
- How to join
- What to expect from this account.
Ready? Let's go!