TASTY NOODLES CAMPOUT PRESENTS EST. 2024

CAMP AUTISM

A camp for people whose special interests have special interests.

Read the Lore Earn Merit Badges
“we’re not a regular camp”

CHAPTER ONE

The Lore

How a pot of noodles became an institution.

Camp Autism wasn’t founded. It accumulated.

It started as the Tasty Noodles campout — an annual trip into the woods by a crew of friends, centered on a big pot of noodles and a healthy disrespect for schedules.

  • Year one: someone brought a telescope “for reasons.”
  • Year two: a train went by and three separate people identified it — out loud, simultaneously, in Latin nomenclature.
  • Year three: the spoons appeared. Nobody knows who packed the spoons.
  • Year four: someone finally said it. “We’re not a regular camp. We’re Camp Autism.”

The name stuck like a burr on a wool sock. Est. 2024. Whatever year you’re reading this — the fire’s going.

— filed by the Camp Historian, who has definitely not been editing this page nightly

THE PROGRAM

Activities

Attendance mandatory. Participation flexible. Enthusiasm unhinged.

Infodump by the Campfire

Everyone gets the floor. Time limits are a suggestion. The fire listens politely.

Parallel Hiking

We hike together, separately. Regrouping point: snacks. Same as the starting point.

Train Identification Hour

There is a train. We will identify it. This is non-negotiable and honestly the highlight.

The Spoon Trade

The camp economy runs on spoons. Bring your best. Barter hard. Trust nobody with a spork.

Mandatory Quiet Hour

Glorious, sanctioned silence. Most popular event, four years running. By a landslide.

Show & Tell: Hyperfixation Edition

Bring the thing. You know the thing. The thing has its own bag at this point.

Tasty Noodles Night

The meal that started it all. Noodles: tasty. Portions: emotional. Attendance: mandatory.

Tent Setup Speedrun

Some people pitch a tent. Some people deliver a lecture on pole tension. Both are valid.

EVENING PROGRAM

Tonight’s Campfire Topic

One button. Zero small talk. Infinite depth.

PRESS THE BUTTON, RECEIVE WISDOM

??? ?? ?? ???? ?? ?????????

0 topics assigned. The night is young.

EARN THEM. CLICK THEM.

Merit Badges

Click a badge to claim it. Legally binding in the eyes of the camp. No badges are legally binding.

Badges earned: 0 / 12 — rank: Tadpole

FIELD MANUAL

The Camper Handbook

Rules of the camp. There are only a few. They are absolute.

  1. You WILL talk about your special interest. This is the opposite of Fight Club.
  2. Infodumps are love letters. Receive accordingly. Follow-up questions are foreplay for friendship.
  3. “No spoons” is a complete sentence and a valid RSVP. No explanation owed, no explanation given.
  4. The train stops for no one. Wave anyway. Always wave.
  5. If you see a cool bug, you are legally required to report it to the group. This is the law.
  6. Small talk budget: 90 seconds. After that we’re going straight to the deep end of the pool.
  7. Leaving a conversation to recharge is not rude. It’s maintenance. The campfire will still be here.
  8. What’s said at camp stays at camp — except the train facts. The train facts go on the wiki.

QUESTIONS FROM PROSPECTIVE CAMPERS

FAQ

Frequently Asked, Occasionally Answered.

Is this a real camp?

It’s a real campout with real friends and a very real amount of noodles. There are no counselors, no forms, and no waterfront safety test. There is a spreadsheet, but it’s a fun one.

Do I have to be autistic to come?

Camp is for the Tasty Noodles extended universe. Most of us are somewhere on the spectrum, all of us are neurodivergent, and every single one of us has at least one interest we will absolutely bring up unprompted. You’ll fit right in or not at all — there’s no in-between here.

Why spoons?

Spoon theory! Energy is a limited resource and we budget it like raccoons budget trash. Also: we keep finding actual spoons in the camp kitchen. Count them yourself. The number is never the same twice.

Why the infinity symbol?

It’s the neurodiversity symbol — infinite variation, infinite worth. Also it’s a sideways 8, and one of us has extremely strong opinions about sideways numbers. We don’t talk about it. (We talk about it constantly.)

Can I use the logo?

For personal stuff, sure — it’s our camp crest, be gentle with it. Just don’t put it on merchandise unless everyone’s getting matching socks. Especially the socks.

When is the next campout?

Once a year, like a comet — but with more snacks and significantly better conversation. Dates are announced in the group chat, which is the only notification system that has ever worked for us.