Autism Grown Up Podcast

Friendships can be a challenge to begin and navigate for many teens and young adults on the autism spectrum. Over 61% of teens on the spectrum experience bullying and social isolation, leading to increased mental health challenges, such as depression and suicidal thoughts. As a result, many people have become interested in starting social clubs or meet-ups in their area. (Note: this is a time sensitive issue, and we hope the opportunities to have social experiences in our community will become an option again sometime soon). Our guests this week are from a non-profit organization called Erin’s Hope for Friends, which is on a mission to create lasting relationships through joyful interactions with teens and young adults on the autism spectrum. It was founded by the Horst family, in their daughter’s loving memory. Erin was a teen with Asperger’s who faced many challenges and decided to take her life. They started their first clubhouse in Georgia and have since opened a couple more and are working on expanding t