For every parent or caretaker who's been navigating this on their own

You don't have to keep doing this alone.

Maybe your kid is right there with their peers intellectually — it's the emotional stuff, the regulation, the big feelings, that make friendships hard to hold onto. You're not trying to fix them. You're trying to help them find their people. And yours.

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TTough

IIntelligent

NNeurospicy

OOutstanding

SSpecial

What is a TINO?

A word that measures what's there — not what's missing.

Within 24 hours of that first post, the messages started pouring in. Parents sharing about their own kid — a daughter who felt everything too deeply, a son who couldn't quite hold onto friendships no matter how hard he tried. Each message was different, but they all said the same thing underneath: I see your child in mine.

Reading every one of those messages, I could picture each of these kids so clearly. Their spark, their sensitivity, their big hearts. And I knew — they needed a place to find each other. Not a support group, not a diagnosis forum. Just a real community where they could belong.

The post that started it all

I'm stepping out of my comfort zone a little with this post, but I'm at a point where I'd rather be open than keep going at it alone.
My son is 12, he's sweet, social, and loves sports, especially soccer! Intellectually he's right there with his peers, socially, he's a bit immature. His challenges are emotional, focusing more on feelings and regulation than on anything externally visible. He can be impulsive and intense, but his heart is always in the right place and he genuinely wants connection!
You might not notice anything different at first, but I'm trying to be open because I want to find the right people: kids wired a little like him, and moms who get it (we need community)!
Right now, his family and family friends are his best friends. We love being that for him, but it's not the same, and he knows it. Watching him without a community of peers is one of the harder parts of this journey.
I'd love to put together something simple, maybe a park picnic, a nature walk, something low-key that gives the kids a chance to just be kids and hang out, and gives us mamas a chance to connect/breathe around people who understand.
If this resonates with you, please send me a DM!

Tino — the kid who started it all

Our story

One post. Dozens of families. A community that had to exist.

It started with a single post in a Facebook group. Within 24 hours, dozens of parents were reaching out — sharing about their own son or daughter, a kid on a similar journey as Tino. Every message said some version of the same thing: I thought we were the only ones.

That response is why ONIT exists. Maslow's hierarchy of needs puts belonging third — right after food and safety. Not a nice-to-have. A need. Every kid deserves to find their people, and every parent deserves to stop doing this alone. We're building the place where that happens.

The name came from Tino himself. He pointed out that his name spelled backwards is ON IT — and honestly, that's exactly what navigating life with these kids looks like. We're all ON IT, all the time. So let's do this together.

I'm stepping out of my comfort zone a little with this post, but I'm at a point where I'd rather be open than keep going at it alone. Watching him without a community of peers is one of the harder parts of this journey.

— The post that started it all

How it works

From one post asking for help to real friendships

Parents share the basics — a few lines about your kid, so we know who we're looking for.

Kids answer for themselves — a short form, in their own words, at their own pace.

We send the intros — a one-on-one connection with a family who gets it, or an invite to a bigger meetup: a park picnic, a nature walk, low-key hangs where kids can just be kids and moms can breathe.

Events & meetups

Low-key hangs. Real connection.

No pressure, no performance. Just kids being kids and mamas getting to breathe around people who actually get it.

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Park Picnic

Blankets, snacks, and open space. Kids can run, explore, and just exist without anyone watching too closely.

Outdoors · All ages

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Nature Walk

A slow, easy trail where curious kids can lead the way and parents can actually finish a sentence.

Outdoors · Low-key

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Mama Meetup

Coffee, conversation, and the relief of not having to explain your kid to anyone in the room.

Parents only · Recharge

Join to get invited

Fill out the survey and we'll reach out when something's happening near you.

Find their people

Two-minute surveys — one for parents, one for kids

Tell us a bit about your kid (or, kiddo, about yourself) and what they're into. As families join, we'll use this to make connections that feel right — the start of real friendships, not just a feed.