Autistic people in NYC face unique challenges. Being in such a loud, busy, and chaotic city makes it extremely difficult for Autistic people to connect and thrive. As a whole, our community faces large amounts of disconnection and isolation.

Autistic Adults NYC started on Meetup.com in July of 2022 with a simple picnic meetup at Central Park. We’ve grown substantially since then, introducing a variety of different programs and serving Autistics from around the Tri-State area and beyond. We remain an Autistic-run organization, and strongly believe in the importance of input from the community we serve in creating our programs, developing our resources, and informing our positions.

Our purpose as an organization is to serve the Autistic community through various social and educational programs, advocacy and resources. We aim to create a supportive environment where Autistics can thrive in NYC. We hope to provide a safe space for us to network and make friends, and advocate for Autistic people of NYC and beyond. 

Our events and programs are open to any Autistic person, formally diagnosed or self-diagnosed.

Are you Autistic and interested in joining us at our different events/programs? Click the link below!

Board of Directors

Nicole Russell - President, Executive Director

Nicole Russell currently lives in Brooklyn, NY, and was diagnosed as Autistic in August 2021 shortly after moving to Brooklyn from Texas. After a long journey of adjusting to city life, a new diagnosis, and struggling to find community, she founded Autistic Adults NYC. Since starting the organization, she has continued to enjoy facilitating events and compiling resources for the community, along with director duties. Her special interests include disability advocacy, music, and animals. More about Nicole

Sarah Cogen - Vice President

Sarah Cogen is a proud Autistic and physically disabled self advocate. They are part way through their Master of Science in Education degree at Hunter College, specializing in the high needs Autistic preschool population. They currently work in an inclusive preschool classroom. In their personal life, they love (quietly!) listening to classic rock, going to Broadway musicals and plays, and wandering through museums with friends.

Benjamin Jacobs - Treasurer

Ben Jacobs is an Information Governance professional, currently working at a law firm. He has years of experience working for nonprofits, including being a CityYear Corp Member and working at a YMCA in Massachusetts. He also possesses a master degree in Library and Information Science from Simmons University. His favorite part about New York City is its gorgeous parks. You might see him there in his spare time taking pictures of local wildlife and plants.

Sarah Fowler - Secretary

Sarah is a software engineer working in climate change mitigation, and was assessed as Autistic late in life, at age 40. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and a very rambunctious cat, and spends her time knitting, gaming, reading, birdwatching, seeing performance art, and stressing out. She's always learning something strange and new; this year, she began learning taxidermy and fire eating.