MyAOG has always been more than a website. It is a community space created by and for Autistic and neurodivergent people—a place where we can connect without having to mask, perform or explain who we are.
Over the past several months, Autism On the Go has made significant changes to MyAOG. We have improved its accessibility and mobile experience, strengthened members’ privacy, made the platform easier to navigate, and introduced new ways for people to connect on their own terms.
Throughout this work, one principle has guided us: Autistic and neurodivergent people deserve meaningful choice and control over how we participate in community.
A More Accessible and Private MyAOG
Some of the most important changes to MyAOG may not be immediately obvious, but they help make the community safer and easier to use.
Profiles, the member directory, and community forums are now available only to signed-in MyAOG members. Member profiles are also hidden from search engines. These changes help create a more private community where members have greater control over who can find and interact with them.
We have also improved MyAOG’s mobile layout and accessibility, removed frustrating horizontal scrolling, made profile sections easier to identify, and updated language throughout the platform to feel warmer and less demanding.
That includes being more intentional about saying that there is no expectation to participate in one particular way. You can join a conversation, observe quietly, respond later, or step away entirely. You do not have to be constantly available, highly social, or “on” to belong here.
MyAOG members can create profiles, choose what they want to share, find other members through the directory, participate in forums, exchange private or group messages, and join community spaces such as the Parallel Play Zone.
The Parallel Play Zone reflects the kind of community we want MyAOG to offer. Members can talk, work on hobbies, draw, play games, study, listen, or simply exist alongside other people. Cameras and microphones are optional. Participation can look different for each person.
Introducing Peer Connect
One of the most important additions to MyAOG is Peer Connect, part of the MyCelium Network.
Peer Connect offers Autistic and neurodivergent adults the opportunity to have one-to-one conversations with trained volunteer peers. Peer Connectors offer lived experience, listening, and genuine human connection.
Sometimes we need someone who understands what it can be like to navigate the world as an Autistic or neurodivergent person. We may want to talk through a challenge, share an experience, explore a decision, or simply connect with someone who is willing to listen without judgment.
Peer Connect is not therapy, crisis intervention, or professional care. It is something both simpler and, in its own way, deeply important: people with lived experience being present for one another.
Conversations will usually last about 45 minutes, but Peer Connect is intentionally flexible. There is no required number of conversations. A participant can request a conversation when one would be helpful, while Peer Connectors decide when and how often they are available.
Either person can pause, step back, or end a connection. No one is required to continue a conversation or relationship that is no longer comfortable or helpful.
Why Choice and Control Matter
Choice and control are not merely conveniences. They are neurosensitive features.
Many Autistic and neurodivergent people have experienced environments where expectations are unclear, boundaries are ignored, or participation is treated as mandatory. We may be expected to respond immediately, socialize in prescribed ways, or disclose more than we want to share.
A neurosensitive community recognizes that people have different communication styles, energy levels, sensory needs, and capacities for interaction. Instead of deciding what participation should look like for everyone, it gives each person meaningful options.
Within MyAOG, that means you can decide:
- What information you include in your profile
- When and how you communicate with other members
- Whether you speak, type, listen, or simply observe
- Whether you participate regularly or only occasionally
- Whether you accept, pause, or end a peer connection
- How much time and energy you are able to offer
Having these choices reduces pressure and makes authentic participation more possible. It allows people to engage because they want to—not because they feel obligated to meet someone else’s expectations.
Becoming a Peer Connector
Peer Connect depends on Autistic and neurodivergent people who are willing to offer their time and lived experience to others.
You do not need professional credentials or a background in counseling to become a Peer Connector. The process is conversational rather than competitive. Prospective Connectors express their interest, talk with AOG about whether the role feels like a good fit, review the Peer Connector Guide and Agreement, and participate in orientation and training.
Peer Connectors choose their own availability. There is no minimum or maximum number of conversations you must offer. The goal is not to pressure volunteers into giving more than they comfortably can. It is to build a sustainable network of people supporting one another.
Being a Peer Connector does not mean having all the answers. Often, the most valuable thing we can offer another person is the experience of being heard, respected, and understood.
If you would like to speak with a Peer Connector—or think you might be interested in becoming one—create or sign in to your free MyAOG account and explore Peer Connect through the MyCelium Network. You can also contact AOG to let us know you are interested in volunteering.
Free From Advertising—and Free to Join
MyAOG is completely free. There are no membership fees, subscriptions, or paid tiers determining who gets to participate.
The platform also does not rely on advertising. Members are not treated as an audience to be sold to, and community spaces are not interrupted by commercial promotions. This helps MyAOG remain focused on relationships, mutual support, and community rather than clicks, sales, or engagement metrics.
Keeping MyAOG free and advertising-free is part of making it accessible. A person’s income should not determine whether they can find community, attend a group, or speak with someone who understands.
Built by and for Our Community
MyAOG is not a platform designed for Autistic and neurodivergent people from the outside. It is being built by members of our own community, shaped by our experiences and improved through what we learn from one another.
That distinction matters.
When Autistic and neurodivergent people lead the design process, accessibility becomes more than a checklist. We can ask different questions: Does this create unnecessary pressure? Are people given enough information to make their own decisions? Can someone participate without speaking? Is it easy to step away? Does the platform respect privacy, autonomy, and different ways of communicating?
MyAOG will continue to grow and change alongside our community. We will not always get everything right the first time, but we are committed to listening, learning, and building something that reflects the people who use it.
Whether you want to join a group, find other community members, participate in the Parallel Play Zone, speak with a Peer Connector, volunteer as a Connector or simply explore quietly, there is space for you in MyAOG.
You get to decide what belonging looks like.
