View a past chat on this topic here: Feb 9, 2020.

Today is #AutChat’s five-year anniversary! We began back in Feb 2015. As of today #AutChat has had 323 chats on 151 topics! https://autchat.com/all-topics/

#AutChat began because autistic folks on Twitter were having many good discussions about autism, and wanted to keep them from getting lost when they scrolled off our timelines.

You can read about our history in this piece @AskCisco wrote six months in:

https://askcisco.blogspot.com/2015/09/autchat-six-months-of-showing-diversity.html

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In honor of our 5th anniversary, #AutChat is mailing commemorative postcards to any past or present participants who would like one! We have various privacy options, including getting a DM’d photo instead of mail.

We’ll post a link to request a postcard at the end of chat.

We’ve sometimes encouraged folks to post photos of their cats during #AutChat, or to the related #CatsOfAutChat tag (credit to @shydrae). You’ll have the option to request that your commemorative postcard feature at least one cat.

If you are an #AutChat participant with a cat, and would like your cat to be included on an #AutChat commemorative postcard (#CatsOfAutChat edition), DM us the cat photo you would like us to include. We are tentatively open to non-cat pets, as long as they are your pets.

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On to the chat!

Today’s #AutChat is about autistic and neurodivergent communities and the future. When you answer, feel free to answer about online communities, in-person communities, or both!

Q1: We’ll start with a question about the past and present: What kinds of autistic and/or neurodivergent communities have you been part of (if any)? What has your experience with them been like, if any? #AutChat

Q2: How do you think autistic and neurodivergent communities are likely to change in the future? What are your hopes for them? For the next few years, the next few decades, the far future? #AutChat

Q3: How do you see autistic communities and/or neurodivergent communities fitting into wider disability communities? Do you think this will change in the future? What changes (if any) do you hope for? #AutChat

Q4: How do you hope broader society will regard autistic and neurodivergent communities in the future? #AutChat

Q5: Do you want your involvement in autistic and/or neurodivergent communities to change in the future? How? #AutChat

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If you are a past or present #AutChat participant and would like to receive a special 5th anniversary commemorative postcard, sign up here! We have various privacy options, including getting a DM’d photo instead of mail. https://forms.gle/HscBKsRPSPH1QFAw9

The form will be open for 2.5 weeks and we’ll remind you at the next couple #AutChat chats.

Postcards will be mailed at some point in the next couple months. #AutChat