Special interest groups for neurodivergent kids
Finally… a space where your kid just gets to be their neurodivergent self. No agenda, no “goals,” no skill-building… just a safe space for neurodivergent kids to hyperfocus on the thing they love with other kids who are just as passionate as they are about their beloved special interest.
Perhaps your kid makes a new friend. Perhaps they build social navigation skills. It may happen naturally. But this is intended to be a no-pressure space. If your child wants to sit alone and “parallel play” next to other kids on their screen, they can. If they want to initiate conversations with other kids, they can.
The vision for the special interest social group is to create an opportunity for neurodivergent kids to meet other kids who they can relate to, who get them, who they can unmask with.
Spring 2026 Update:
Hi everyone, Gabi here! We just finished up our Science series, where each month we hosted a different special interest topic related to science, including outer space, dinosaurs, animals and insects, and engineering and physics. We had a really great time and learned a lot!
This was our first go at hosting these special interest groups, and based on your feedback, we are going to try something new: more consistent, ongoing, and specific topics to allow for the same kids to return and continue to build connections with one another. While we will be starting with just two groups, the hope is that we can add more monthly groups in the future. Stay tuned for updates and changes as we continue to learn and grow!
Starting in May 2026, we will be hosting the following groups once/month each: Arts and Crafts (2nd Tuesdays from 6-7 PM) and Nintendo (4th Tuesdays from 6-7 PM). See more information and register below!
Upcoming dates (Nintendo):
Tuesday 5/26 from 6-7 PM
Tuesday 6/23 from 6-7 PM
Tuesday 7/21 from 6-7 PM (rescheduled to the THIRD Tuesday of the month)
Tuesday 8/25 from 6-7 PM
New groups starting May 2026:
Arts and Crafts and Nintendo!
See details below
Upcoming dates (Arts and Crafts):
Tuesday 5/12 from 6-7 PM
Tuesday 6/9 from 6-7 PM
Tuesday 7/7 from 6-7 PM (rescheduled to the FIRST Tuesday of the month)
Tuesday 8/11 from 6-7 PM
What is the cost of these groups? How does registration work?
Our special interest groups cost $30 for each group meet up.
To register for an upcoming group meet up, you can click on red the sign up button above. This will lead you to pay and sign our consent form.
Please email Gabi at gabi@realworkwellness.com if you would like to attend but cannot pay the fee… we don’t want finances to be a barrier for anyone to be able to attend. :)
You can also leave us a “tip” if you’d like to contribute to scholarships for other families to attend and/or for our supply budget!
You can use the link here to give a tip: https://realwork.kit.com/products/special-interest-group-tip-jar
What is the format of the groups?
There will be a facilitator present (Gabi, one of our child therapists). Group gatherings will be one hour in length. There will be some materials provided related to the monthly topic, and your child is encouraged to bring their own items to show and tell too! Parents and/or caregivers will be asked to stay present for the duration of the group, and can be as hands on or hands off as is most supportive for their child!
As described above, this will be a low pressure space to simply hang out, connect, and hyperfocus in the company of other neurodivergent kids. The facilitators will not be “teaching skills” but skills may be learned naturally. The facilitators will be there to host the groups, connect and interact with kids who would like to, and provide opportunities for kids to connect with each other when appropriate.
Currently, we are capping group meet ups at 5 families.
Learn more about the group facilitator, Gabi, on her bio here!
What are the days/times of groups?
Our special interest groups are hosted once/month. Currently, we are hosting 2 groups, Arts and Crafts (typically every 2nd Tuesday of the month from 6-7 PM) and Nintendo (typically every 4th Tuesday of the month from 6-7 PM).
What topics will be offered in the future?
We have gotten a lot of requests for more video game topics, building, Legos, sensory play, and science! You can sign up to be notified when new groups are announced (Sign up button is at the top of the page).
We decided which topics to offer based on your feedback (thank you!) If you’d like to share what your child’s special interest is to inform future topics, you can email Gabi at gabi@realworkwellness.com.
Where do these groups take place?
In person at The Real Work in downtown Beaverton.
The address is 4775 SW Watson Ave. (Gabi will send more specific instructions for finding the space and parking after you registration).
Who can participate in group meet ups?
At this time, the 2 groups we are offering are designed for neurodivergent kids ages 8-12. However, if your child falls outside of this age range, but you think they would still get along with children this age/enjoy activities catered towards this age, they are still welcome to join!
“Neurodivergent kids” includes children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, and sensory processing disorders, but no diagnosis is required to participate in this group. You/your child may decide for yourselves if they identify as “neurodivergent” (aka, their brain/nervous system diverges from the “norm.”)
Questions or feedback?
Please reach out to Gabi at gabi@realworkwellness.com with any other questions or feedback you have!
Our hope is that these groups will help meet the needs of our neurodivergent community. We are hoping to learn more about how to best do that as we go! We would love to hear your feedback about how this offering does or doesn’t meet your child or family’s needs to connect with peers. Let us know if you have any feedback about the structure, size, date and time, topics, etc. Your feedback helps inform this group!
At our animals and insects special interest gathering, we worked on a puzzle, read all about animals, colored, and played an animal-themed scavenger hunt bingo!
At our dinosaur group, we dug up dinosaur bones and worked together to identify the types of dinosaurs!
We also made dinosaur masks at our dinosaur group, and had a lot of fun playing pretend together.