More information on this group was found at GRASP Support Group Hudson Valley, Meetup.com for Aspies of the Round Table (same group; original name), and Grasp Hudson Valley on Facebook.
Aspies of the Round Table was established in January 2007 by Irene Brody; a psychologist who specialized in the area of Aspergers. She wrote Star Trek: Lessons for Our Times for the Autism Asperger's Digest January-February 2010 issue.
Dr. Brody passed away on Wednesday, December 29, 2010. This site's redesign is in dedication to Irene. It is a memorial to her for being the founder of this support group for adult Aspies.
This site is also a memorial for James Ryo Kiyan and Craig Russell Wishnick.
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Ryo sadly took his life on October 2, 2010. He was 48 years old. I singled him out here from a photo I took of those in the Aspie group who came to a barbecue the month before he died.
His tragic story is told by his mother Caroline Crane on her blog. It is an example of what mistreatment to an Asperger adult can lead to.
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He and I enjoyed our walks together on the rail trail, so for him to jump off the Walkway Over the Hudson creates mixed feelings for me now when on the rail trail. Those who didn't appreciate him were fools and missed out on knowing a very nice person.
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Jesse Saperstein, a member of this group, combats bullying by being an advocate and motivational speaker. He's the author of, "Atypical: Life with Asperger's
in 20 1/3 Chapters," published in 2010 and "Getting a Life with Asperger's: Lessons Learned on the Bumpy Road to Adulthood," published in 2014.
------------------------------------------------------------Aspies contributed to the above information. All the information below is by Kate Palmer from Facebook, Meetup.com, and GRASP. It has been left here as is, since November 26, 2012:
We are a group of adult individuals with Asperger's Syndrome that gather for the purpose of support, to provide an environment conducive to expressing oneself about any issues that s/he may have, and to create a network of friendship and understanding. All adults with Asperger's Syndrome are welcomed to attend any and all meetings. The more of us that there are, the better we will be able to support each other.
We gather on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of each month at the Old Dutch Church at 272 Wall Street in uptown Kingston, NY, between John and Main Streets from 12:30 to 2:30 pm.
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Above contains November 3, 2022 updated links. Below does not have updates due to that section being from a different author no longer available for edits.
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Welcome to the Hudson Valley, New York GRASP support group!
GRASP Hudson Valley is a support group for adults on the Asperger Spectrum - to meet each other, talk about things on your mind, and get support and feedback from others.
We meet at Old Dutch Church, 272 Wall Street, in Kingston, NY. Please see the GRASP calendar for location details.
MEETING DATES: GRASP Hudson Valley generally meets the second and fourth Saturdays of each month, from 12:30-2:30 pm. Please see the GRASP calendar for upcoming meeting dates.
LOCATION: GRASP Hudson Valley meets at the Old Dutch Church, 272 Wall Street, Kingston, NY. You can use this link to see a map. Please subscribe to the Hudson Valley Group so you can stay updated on any changes to our location and meeting dates.
CONTACT: GRASP Hudson Valley will be facilitated by Kate Palmer.
WHO CAN ATTEND?: Anyone on the spectrum is invited, plus those in support roles if they clearly identify their role. Membership information is kept through the main GRASP office, so you must subscribe before you can attend. This allows your membership to remain as anonymous as you desire. We respectfully request that anyone in attendance not share with others the names of anyone else they have seen at a meeting.
COST: All GRASP groups are absolutely FREE to attend. However, GRASP survives on funding from foundations, corporations, and generous individuals. If you wish to donate to GRASP, we would gratefully appreciate it (and we’re almost certain to need it). You can make a tax-deductible donation with a credit card via our DONATE page or mail your check made out to GRASP to: GRASP, 666 Broadway, Suite 825, New York, NY 10012
