Hi everyone my name is Dane 
I am a trainee clinical psychologist working in London. Reading the posts on this section is very powerful.
I am interested in making the world a better place when it comes to all kinds of thinkers out there. I have ran groups in the past for people with a diagnosis of ASD/Autism/Aspergers.
I am now more interested in thinking about Autism as a form of Neurodiversity and how sometimes people can identify as being on 'The Spectrum' without an "official" diagnosis. I hope to do some research to help make the lives of people on The Spectrum better for them by listening and valuing their words and voices!
Anyway to start, I hope to find out more about if there are groups in London for people on The Spectrum (and perhaps their friends and family). I am interested in if there are community or charity groups, rather than NHS groups. This is because I am interested in what groups would be like if designed by people on The Spectrum rather than 'professionals'.
Particularly I want to find out about in groups which might meet regularly and if they would be intersted in me joining to do some sessions alongside the members in the future. This would be to empower group members and to listen to what their opinions and their own voices have to say!
It might address thoughts around diagnosis and how people might aggree and disaagree with the way 'autism' is understood by everyone. Is there a better way to think of it? What does it mean to you and the group? What are the strengths of this group of people? How can we make them stronger? How can we share them and who would benefit from the sharing of these strengths? Perhaps other people with or without a diagnosis? Or someone else? In what ways can we make your lives better on a personal level, on a social level and even on a more social level? 
I hope to start my exciting journey and make many contacts along the way.
Best wishes,
Dane
