GROVE logo - green with 5 different trees inside the 'o'
national diversity awards 2025 finalists

 

OUR VISION

GROVE aspires to be a safe community for Autistic young people to connect through shared interests & experiences.

We support young people’s personal growth by fostering a positive & authentic identity through neuro-affirming mentoring, groups & our ‘BEING ME: Knowing Myself, Valuing Myself, Being Myself’ group programme.

GROVE’S NEURO-AFFIRMING FOUNDATIONS

  • Our approaches are grounded in the principles of Neurodiversity Paradigm. 
  • We recognise the pervasive role of ableism within society, including the influence of internalised ableism. We aim to challenge ableist narratives about neurodivergent people.  
  • We are committed to being anti-racist. 
  • We are committed to being LGBTQIA+ affirming. 
  • We recognise and respect each individual’s intersectional identity and are committed to unpacking one’s own privilege.  
  • We aspire to work in a way that is trauma informed.  
  • We respect all forms of communication and presume competence. 

Our Foundations enable us to aspire, wherever possible, to create an accessible and emotionally, psychologically, sensorially, relationally safe space for GROVE’s young people, their families and those with whom we work.  

These foundations create the potential for authentic connection, community and growth in a way that is meaningful for each individual – for instance, developing meaningful relationships, a sense of belonging, possibly developing self-understanding, positive self-esteem and neurodivergent identity.  

BY AUTISTIC ADULTS, FOR AUTISTIC YOUNG PEOPLE.

A ‘GROVE’ as we see it:

A community of trees. Each tree unique yet together their connection supports each individual’s growth. Their community may be smaller than that of a forest but this is inconsequential. This GROVE is united in shared experience and so together the trees thrive.

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‘...more dissatisfaction with autistic personal identity predicted lower self-esteem, and more autism pride predicted higher self-esteem’

Corden, K., Brewer, R., & Cage, E. (2021). Personal Identity After an Autism Diagnosis: Relationships With Self-Esteem, Mental Wellbeing, and Diagnostic Timing . Frontiers in Psychology , 12(699335), https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.699335

'...open discussions about autism may foster positive identity development... learning about one’s diagnosis often helps autistic people understand their differences'

Riccio, A., Kapp, S. K., Jordan, A., Dorelien, A. M., & Gillespie-Lynch, K. (2021). How is autistic identity in adolescence influenced by parental disclosure decisions and perceptions of autism?. Autism, 25(2), 374-388.

On diagnosis (we prefer 'identification'): '...for some young people associated with positive experiences in terms of better understanding oneself. It legitimated difference & empowered them to negotiate living lives of difference.'

Mogensen, L. and Mason, J. (2015), The meaning of a label for teenagers negotiating identity: experiences with autism spectrum disorder. Sociol Health Illn, 37: 255-269. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9566.12208

'...there is evidence that some autistic people prefer to see autism as integral to their identity, & that having a positive sense of autism identity has benefits for mental health'

Cooper, R., Cooper, K., Russell, A.J. et al. “I’m Proud to be a Little Bit Different”: The Effects of Autistic Individuals’ Perceptions of Autism and Autism Social Identity on Their Collective Self-esteem. J Autism Dev Disord 51, 704–714 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04575-4

'...social identity processes are relevant in autistic young people as well as adults, in that positive feelings about one’s autism identity and autism solidarity are particularly related to better psychological well-being'

Cooper, R., Cooper, K., Russell, A.J. et al. “I’m Proud to be a Little Bit Different”: The Effects of Autistic Individuals’ Perceptions of Autism and Autism Social Identity on Their Collective Self-esteem. J Autism Dev Disord 51, 704–714 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04575-4

'...higher autism satisfaction was associated with higher psychological well-being and lower social anxiety'

Cooper, K., Russell, A. J., Lei, J., & Smith, L. G. (2022). The impact of a positive autism identity and autistic community solidarity on social anxiety and mental health in autistic young people. Autism, 13623613221118351.

WHY THE NAME 'GROVE'?

When I decided to create an organisation with neurodivergent children and young people at its heart, I wanted a name that would capture our values: connection, community and growth.

A ‘GROVE’ as I see it: A community of trees. Each tree unique yet together their connection supports each individual’s growth. Their community may be smaller than that of a forest but this is inconsequential. This GROVE is united in shared experience and so together the trees thrive.

I also just really love trees!

Jess (Founder)

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