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A San Antonio nonprofit organization is fulfilling a need to provide connection and resources for neurodivergent adults ages 18 and up in the San Antonio area. Neurospicy SA is hosting its grand opening in July.
Neurospicy SA began in December 2024 as a group on Meetup for young adults on the autism spectrum. It was established this year as a local 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to supporting, promoting, involving, connecting, and educating neurodivergent adults living with autism, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other conditions.
Neurospicy SA’s Executive Director Meredith Marks is on the autism spectrum and lives with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and bipolar disorder. She created the organization after she moved into a group home in June 2024.
“And the first week I was there at the group home and setting up my room, I found out that they had socials there at the group home every Friday night,” said Marks. “So I'm like, I want to host, and I wanted to go into event planning at the time. I had no idea I wanted to make it a nonprofit, but yeah, the group home was a wonderful place for me while it existed.”
The facility shut down in 2024, but Marks wanted to continue the social events she had found so welcoming.
Marks said Neurospicy SA’s main focus is providing resources and connections to prevent isolation for adults, who are often excluded from resources that are available for children and teens.
“There's a lot of resources for kids and teens, but the ones that are for adults tend to be therapy-related and costly, and I want there to be more resources for neurodiverse adults out there … because nobody knows where to find them. And especially something like our group is the first of its kind, as far as I'm aware, in San Antonio, that's really making a difference and staying around,” said Marks. “People are stuck at home, they're in their homes, not going out and making friends. ... They try it, but these groups out there are not sensory or neurodivergent friendly, and so that's what our group is here for, for being a resource where there isn't any.”
Neurospicy SA provides various peer and educational programs. The Common Ground Peer Group meets twice a month on Saturdays, 6-7 p.m., hosted by a peer telehealth professional.
Neurodivergent coaching is available to anyone who wants to participate.
Neurospicy SA also provides social programs where neurodivergent adults can discuss their lived experiences.
“It's less of a program and more of just like a meetup group in general, where we meet up, we socialize, we play games, video games, card games, board games, we have coloring books, we have socializing, and we have ways to communicate and make friends,” said Marks. “This big safe space for neurodivergent adults to come and just be themselves and just make friends with our community.”
Marks says the name Neurospicy came from her mother as another way to identify as neurodivergent.
“I had never heard of the name before. My mom mentioned it when I was creating the socials for the group, and so I'd have my mom to thank for coming up with the name Neurospicy,” said Marks. “I've always seen my disabilities — you know what they call 'disabilities' sometimes — but I see them to be a superpower because it helps me see the world in ways no one else can, and it makes me just a little 'neurospicy,' so Neurospicy is a fun way of saying it, because it refers to the way the way someone is whenever they're living their best life with their conditions.”
All the services are free, and neurotypical individuals are also welcome.
Neurospicy SA hosts its grand opening Saturday, July 25, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. It will have an art market and an autism and neurodivergent resource fair at Twinkle Healthcare located at 7666 Bandera Rd.
