Where to start

We're so glad you've found us!

Below you will find step-by-step instructions for how to get started using the Talk about Autism community. If you would like a helping hand with any of this information, we have a team of friendly mentors who are ready and waiting to speak with you. Visit our mentor page to find out more.

1. Register to the community

To use the community you’ll first need to register - it's free and only takes a few minutes. Once you’ve registered, please start off by reading our Community Guidelines. You might also find the How to use the community page helpful for things like finding out how to start a discussion. 

2. Join the discussions

Now you’re ready to join in the Discussions, where you can meet and talk with others. A good starting point for joining the discussions is to post a brief introduction about yourself. And if you'd like to go a step further, try out our New (and returned!) Member Q&A where we ask folks to answer 5 quick questions - it's a great way to jump into the discusions and meet some of the other members.

Looking to connect with people in your area?

Try searching our Member Directory or you can post a message in our Where do you live? discussion.

What types of topics are covered at Talk about Autism?

Have a quick look around the Discussion forums and you’ll see that we chat about lots of different topics and issues such as Education, Autism in the News, Support and Campaigning Groups and Local Authority Services. Or you can just relax and chat in the The Social section. We also have a Neurodiversity Room which is a discussion area especially for people on the spectrum. We've recently introduced an exciting new area of discussions where you can speak with someone on the spectrum. And we've got two different types of Member Q&A's where we get to know our members a little better.

Start a new discussion!

If the discussion topics aren’t quite what you’re looking for, you are welcome to start a new discussion – start as many as you like!

Keep up-to-date!

Visit the Community News discussion to make sure you're aware of all of new features, new activities, competitions, volunteer opportunities and all sorts of other news items pertaining to the community.

You can subscribe to receive an email notification every time the Community News discussion is updated. To do so, click "Subscribe" beneath the first post on the page above, then select "Subscribe to this page" and then click "Save".

3. Other areas of interest in the community

At Talk about Autism we are always trying out new ideas and activities, and are constantly building up our resources.

• We have a Stories section where can tell us your story, and read the stories of others.
• We have an extensive Support section including useful resources, links and advice from the members of Talk about Autism.
• We’ve been running regular Live Q&A Events where we invite guests, such as MPs, to come visit our community and take part in a real-time Q&A with us.
• We also have a Question and Answer section where you can ask your own questions and answer the questions others have asked.

Looking for something more?

If you feel like there's something more which you'd like to give to this website - perhaps by looking after a special area of the discussion forum, or by volunteering to mentor new members...or maybe you've got your own idea - then please stop by our Volunteers Welcome! page to learn more about other ways to get involved with activities happening in and around this online community.

We also shout about all of our volunteer opportunities in the Community News discussion.

Questions? Need help?

If you have any questions about how to use the site, please post them in the Feedback and Help section or email me at elena@talkaboutautism.org.uk. 

If  you’re struggling to understand how all of this works and would like a helping hand from one of our members, please visit our mentor page to find support.