Riverdale mom launches social event for neurodivergent young adults, sparking community response

An event designed for young adults with special needs to build meaningful connections was a hit on Sunday. 

When Kim Reyes, mother of two, set out to find social spaces for her son on the autism spectrum, she discovered a long-overlooked gap in the neighborhood – and she wasn’t alone. In recent weeks, a few parents have voiced their frustrations in a Riverdale Facebook group, pointing to a lack of programming for neurodivergent individuals in the area.

Coined by sociologist Judy Singer in 1997, the term neurodivergent refers to developmental or cognitive functioning that differs from what is considered “normal,” or neurotypical, like autism or Down syndrome.

“There was nothing,” Reyes expressed. “I actually was quite shocked to find out that there was nothing here for him. My son poured his heart out to me and his dad about really wanting friends in the neighborhood to hang out with. That was my inspiration and push.”

Collet Reyes, 20, who attends the Rebecca School, a therapeutic day school in Manhattan for students with neurodevelopmental delays, affectionately calls himself a “textbook social butterfly.” He’s among nearly 150 students at the school, which serves children and young adults from ages 3 to 21.

He spends his days immersed in poetry club and other afterschool activities. But the sense of friendship and belonging he felt at school was missing in his own neighborhood.

When Kim started reaching out to other parents in Riverdale, many told her they were shuttling their kids to programs as far as downtown Manhattan because the neighborhood simply didn’t have anything for neurodivergent teens and young adults nearby.

She set out to bring programming to Riverdale herself and found a community space to host it.

“When people come to me and say, ‘hey, there’s a void in the community,’ and I see there’s a void in the community, I do the best in my power to make it happen,” Laura Levine-Pinedo said, executive director of KRVC at 505 W 236th St. “And Kim saw a need. She felt an absence in the community.”

In the U.S., one in 45 adults are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, according to the National Library of Medicine. 

As a public community space, KRVC helped Kim facilitate her mission for the neighborhood’s first Neurodivergent Mixer and Meet-up.

Inside, tables were scattered with painting supplies, board games and snacks aimed to provide a welcoming, low-pressure environment where adults could relax, talk and most importantly, be themselves.

Kim had worried that interest would be minimal. But within minutes of the start time, guests began piling in — some a little shy, some immediately engaged, but all eager for connection.

The mixer was open to individuals ages 15 and up, though most participants ranged from their late teens to late 20s. Among them was Collett, who beamed with joy as he moved between activity tables and chatted with new acquaintances.

“I love pretty much everything,” he said, flashing a grin as he spoke to The Press at the event. “I hope I’ll get a chance to just be independent and hang out with them on my own. Just get a chance to be with all these wonderful people again.”

Seated nearby, 20-year-old Isaac Rivera was socializing with three others. He admitted he was hesitant at first, attending mostly at his mother’s urging.

“I was kind of nervous,” he said. “But maybe I’ll get one of these new friends’ numbers so we can keep in touch. That would be really good.”

Others echoed that mix of nerves and hope. Parents, too, stuck around, and not just to supervise. They swapped stories and ideas, imagining what ongoing support in their neighborhood might look like.

The bigger goal, Kim said, is to foster autonomy and lasting friendship among participants –  to create a world in which her son and others like him can reach out to peers on their own, without needing their parents to organize outings.

“Maybe after this, maybe they won’t need us to go with them,” she said. “Maybe they can just meet up at a coffee shop or head to the park. That’s what this is. That’s what I’m hoping for.”

As the event came to a close, the room still hummed with chatter. Some lingered to exchange contact info, others paused for a final chat. 

“I’ve been receiving quite a few emails of parents with younger children who want to have a meet-up,” Levine-Pinedo said, clarifying that Kim’s event was not a KRVC event. “So this could be the catalyst to other age groups as well.”

As for Kim – she’s already racking her brain for organizing future meet-ups, and hoping local organizations will follow suit with more resources for people like her son.