Neuro Affirmative Autism Resource Center
Welcome to the Neuro Affirmative Autism Resource Center (NAARC)
Located in North Alabama, NAARC is a fully volunteer-run nonprofit with no external funding or grants. Our work is powered by compassion, lived experience, and the dedication of mental health professionals who believe in building a more inclusive world for autistic individuals.
Rooted in neurodiversity, advocacy, and community care, our mission is to empower autistic people and their families by offering resources, connection, and a safe space to grow. We believe every autistic person deserves support that honors their identity and fosters their strengths.
Whether you're seeking guidance, community, or clarity, NAARC is here to walk beside you.
Who We Are:
Join A Group!
Join us Thursdays for our open, peer-led support group—created by and for autistic adults in a space grounded in safety, dignity, and neurodiversity-affirming care. This group is a first step toward connection, understanding, and community.
After joining, you’ll have access to all the closed, private groups tailored to specific needs and experiences. All groups are facilitated by autistic peers and guided by principles of transparency, consent, and mutual respect. As we are entirely volunteer run, please be patient if it takes a week or two for us to send you the link to join.
To participate, please complete the linked application. We look forward to welcoming you—just as you are.
Keep scrolling to join teen group.
Need an Autism Assessment?
NAARC provides low-cost autism testing for those who reside in the state of Alabama. Testing is $150 and must be paid prior to your first appointment. Please fill out the form below to schedule your first appointment!
It may take a month or more for our volunteer interns to respond to you. Please be patient. We are dedicated to getting you the help we need.
Currently, our waitlist for testing is very long. We believe it may be as late as January 2027 before we are able to reach out to get you scheduled.
If you are able to pay for testing, testing is available at Tree of Life Behavioral Health, our parent organization, today for $600. 256-278-2802.
Need Counseling?
We are able to offer counseling services for autistic adults and teens is free. You will need to bring in paperwork documenting your financial need and have testing indicating you are autistic to qualify. The online RAADS-R and AQ tests are valid. Please complete the form below to register and someone will reach out to you to schedule you within 2-3 weeks.
We have openings for new counseling clients at this time. Please complete this form and one of our volunteer therapists will call you back within 14 business days.
Support yourself. Support your community.
GlimmerNest was invented to help autistic people who need support—offering tools to understand their needs, navigate daily life, and find moments of calm and joy.
Now, those tools help us give even more. All money spent on GlimmerNest supports NAARC, helping fund free support groups and counseling, low-cost assessments, and neuroaffirmative resources.
Every subscription helps put support within reach—for you and for another autistic person who needs it. Glimmernest is available in the app store and on google play.
“When I was younger I was looking for the magic meaning of life. It’s very simple now. Making the lives of others better, doing something of lasting value. That’s the meaning of life, it’s that simple”
— Temple Grandin, Autistic Person and Autism Advocate
