From the outside, Jocelyn led a vibrant teenage life—filled with choir performances, school plays and spending time with school friends. But beneath it all, she yearned to meet someone who truly understood her world: another girl her age on the autism spectrum. Without that connection, a profound sense of loneliness lingered.

“I always felt like one of the very few people who had autism,” Jocelyn said.

When Jocelyn’s mother, Sonia, discovered Girls With Voices—an AutismOklahoma program where girls on the spectrum meet regularly to build friendships and experience life together—she knew it could be the exact space Jocelyn needed.

“She liked the idea of all the girls hanging out together, that’s really fun for her,” Sonia said.

At Girls With Voices, Jocelyn quickly connected with peers her age like Michelle and Anna. Having that common ground allowed Jocelyn to feel truly understood and build deeper, more meaningful friendships.

“I don’t like being unique sometimes, and I want to see if there are other people like me out there,” Jocelyn said.

“It was wonderful to see all these girls come together that had autism and it also helped Jocelyn see that she wasn’t one of the few… that she was not alone,” Sonia said.

Because of a better understanding of how autism presents in females, diagnosis rates in girls and women experienced a surge in the 2010s. In response, AO launched Girls With Voices as a pilot program to provide a safe space for these individuals to build connections with peers.

We are excited to share an improved format of this important program! Girls With Voices is now dedicated to serve girls ages 8 to 17 years-old, and they will meet on the fourth Monday of every month from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

AO is adding Social Program Peer Connectors who are seasoned Girls With Voices program participants. These connectors work alongside our program facilitators to help participants know what to expect, feel included and connect with others. Most importantly, they will be someone participants can look to as a peer who understands.

As part of this redesign, AO is launching Women With Voices, a program for autistic women ages 18 and older. Women With Voices will meet quarterly beginning in November.

If you have a girl on the spectrum between the ages of 8 and 17, register for our September 28 meeting.

This program is free to attend. Registration is required.