How much does it cost?

The cost is $30/person. If you register by June 10th, its only $25

How big is the bar?

2000 square feet.

Is there parking at the bar?

Parking is a little tricky, so if you are driving, please leave a bit of extra time.

Where do I register?

Right here! You are on the right site, registration is at the bottom of the main speed dating page (where you clicked this link.)

What if my friend wants to come and they don't have autism?If your friend is coming to participate, absolutely! They would need to register just like you, and pay the fee. If they want to come to help out or for support, and not to date, they are welcome as long as there are not too many people in the bar.

What if I don't get any matches?

No problem! While we hope people get lucky and match romantically with one another, we are more excited about new friendships, AND if you don't match, you can sign up for our dating social skills group and try again next time!

Can my staff come with me?

If you need staff with you, they absolutely have to come with you. If you have to have a staff next to you at the table because you need assistance communicating, please address this with us during screening.

Is it okay if my parent comes?

Do parents go on dates with their kids? Not usually. If you are a parent, and your human can communicate independently, and you still feel like you want to come, we will have a designated table where all of the parents can hang and mingle with one another.

I have a developmental disability, is that the same as autism?Developmental disabilities and autism are not the same thing. Autism does not come with a developmental delay, unless there is dual diagnosis. If you can communicate independently and would like to join us, register and we can talk during screening :)

What if I lose my piece of paper with my dating answers on it?Everyone loses things, but we do not want that to be a barrier, so we will be close by to help out if someone loses something important.

Do I have to stay seated and make eye contact?

If you would like to stay seated and make eye contact, thats awesome! If you do not, that is also totally fine! If you need to get up, get up. If you don't want to make eye contact, you don't have to!

What if I cannot find the check-in table?

The table will be clearly labeled! We know that does not always work, so we will have lots of humans to help out and make sure everyone gets checked in.

What if I get confused and don't know where to go when it is time to switch tables?

Not to worry, we will make sure everyone knows where to go.

What if I want to stop participating after one date? or even if I get there and just cannot do it?

If you start the process, we ask that you see it through, but understand that sometimes things feel okay in theory and then not okay when they begin, and that is totally fine. Please make sure you let us know if you do not want to participate and are already registered. 

Do I get a refund if I don't get any matches?

No refunds, because getting no matches is totally fine, we are just going to keep building friendships and having dating events. This way, you are part of a really cool group of people who will keep doing stuff together around Columbus!

Are you guys picking up the bar tab?

While we would LOVE to pick up the tab, we are not able to. Please bring money and ID if you plan to drink.

If it okay if I bring my stuffed animal or fidget toy or something else that makes me feel safer?

Totally! If you need a something, and it is not HUGE (ie- bring a small stuffed animal, cool. bring a backpack or a giant stuffed animal from the fair--not cool.), then go for it. Remember, be YOU. If YOU comes with a stuffed animal banana, then you come with a stuffed animal banana.

I am not queer and don't want to be matched with people who are, how do I make sure of this?

 We will ONLY match you with people who tell us you want to be matched with. If you are worried because you have not been around a lot of queer people before, this might be a nice, calm way to interact and realize that, even though we are all different, we have way more that is the same that we ever know. 

What if I don't want to be around Queer people? Is there a section I can go to where there aren't any?

Columbus on the Spectrum does not operate this way. While we understand that sometimes people are nervous about the unknown, we also will have a no tolerance policy for anyone singling out any minority group, whether it be queer, black, elderly, or any other unique thing about a human at any event Columbus on the Spectrum is a part of. If you do not want to be around queer people because you haven't taken the time to understand and love them, you are not welcome at this event. If you just really want to learn more about queer people and don't know how, let us know during your screening interview and we can help with that!