Perhaps a support group for younger aspies by older aspies

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I note that many people have questions that seem related. Being 18 I stay in a few forums where most of the issues pertain to people my age and older.

But, I just posted in an intro by a 13 y/o female who just found out she had AS. I was thinking maybe it would be good to have a forum/section/group/etc that lets younger members who have even less social experience and such ask questions (up to pg-13) and get answered by others who have lived those questions already by a decent amount.

This would have to be a positive only feedback type. Nobody should ask about problems getting a date and be told by another member who is older and still has had no luck that "Aspies have basically no chance" or reply with comments based on bitterness.

I think this would be a good thing to have. Ask an Elder or something. Criteria for response is that you are over 18, remain positive, and have real advice to give.

This comes out of the fact that there are a seemingly decently large WP population from 8-17. I know I am too young you answer anyone older then 16 really, but others who have been around longer can do more. There are many cases on WP of many members who are doing well in many areas. Lets let this be a chance to help younger teens get through school and life and not end up as bitter and angry as most of us did.

There used to be an "Ask an Aspie" forum but that moderator is long gone from WP. Usually a young person that is making the transition from being an adolescent themselves into an adult is learning what is appropriate as well as what is legal in associating with the younger set.

Are you volunteering to moderate this forum?
How would you explain to another member that their advice did not meet the criteria for the forum? How would you handle the debate in the threads about what is appropriate to post?
Do you feel that having a PM conversation with an adolescent or a child is an appropriate way to communicate in an online forum?

just curious.

Merle

Isn't that kinda what WP is?
Minus the criteria for answering, because there's not really anybody who can judge whether someone else has anything to contribute or not. That's for the person reading the responses to decide, based on what they read and what other people reply to it. Why is age a criterion for answering a question at all? You can adjust how you think of an answer based on the age of the person giving that answer, but different people have different experiences at different times in their lives. And what defines a positive answer to a question? Is "positive" always to say "yea, you can do that!" or is it just as positive to suggest that someone examine whether or not that's what they really want, or whether something else might make them happier? What's the point of asking for advice if the advice available is constrained like that? (I mean, you have to somewhat, like make it legal.. but unnecessary arbitrary restrictions on offering advice and replies seems.. well, unnecessary.)

WP is all about asking questions like that.. asking if other people have experienced things or felt things or how they've handled things.. and when people answer, explaining why they answer how they do is just as important as what the answer is. I think that deciding on specific "credentials" like age or some particular person's idea of who has real advice to offer would be silly. Someone can always include that in their reply anyway, and posts can ask for responses from certain groups, like that they want to hear what other people who have been in the same place have to say about it.