The Delian Club has a focused mission: to provide in-person social events to autistic adults with intellectual and artistic interests. Please see our Meetup page: https://www.meetup.com/the-delian-club/

Autistic adults suffer disproportionately from severe social isolation and acute loneliness. See, e.g., Loneliness in autistic adults: A systematic review - Grace et al, 2022. Loneliness isn’t just sad. It is hurting us. We suffer from higher rates of depression, anxiety, suicidality, suicide, obesity, and substance addiction. See, e.g., A systematic review and meta-analysis of suicidality in autistic and possibly autistic people without co-occurring intellectual disability - PMC; Autism and depression are connected: A report of two complimentary network studies - PMC.

The research is distressing but the Delian Club is making things better! We know that socializing with other autistic adults alleviates our loneliness and improves our quality of life in so many ways. See, ‘I never realised everybody felt as happy as I do when I am around autistic people’: A thematic analysis of autistic adults’ relationships with autistic and neurotypical friends and family - Crompton, et al., 2020. This research is encouraging, and it represents what we at the Delian Club are experiencing in real time, and the reason we are seeking funding to continue our work.

In 2025, the Delian Club has hosted 34 nature walks, 20 discussion nights, several lunches, and a highly praised all-day retreat. Participants have given wonderful feedback. One 66-year-old woman commented that socializing with other autistic adults made her "want to live." Another 35-year-old member described a Delian Club event as "relief from the unbearable angst of not belonging." Participants at our recent day retreat described the experience as "transformative," with many stating that they had never before experienced such a sense of belonging and acceptance.