What is it like being around another aspie

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I think it does depend on how low/high functioning they are.

I went to a support group, but didn't actually go into the room where they were meeting that month because I saw the people going in were far lower-functioning than I am - the purpose of me going to such a group would be to make friends with others like me, and to see how higher-functioning autistic people act to see how I compare. As this group had been advertised as high-functioning it was disappointing.

I've met another person on the spectrum, but not interacted with him - well, generally speaking I've probably met a fair few others but not known and not interacted with them - this one guy seemed very much like an NT, I'd not have known he was an aspie if his wife hadn't mentioned that he was. So it may be different depending on how autism/asperger's effects them and how it effects you.

I've mostly had the same experience with support groups. I simply don't mix with lower functioning aspies. They'd probably feel the same about me, lots of them complain about how emotional I am. D:

I did meet a couple LFAs I did like though. Some of them have the potential to be great people, but the fear of change that pervaids people with AS simply makes it difficult.

One problem is that I'm not sure whether the person I meet is an Aspie or not. Heck, I'm not sure I'm one anyway... Diagnosis doesn't help, since it's rare even among children where I live.

I'd like very much to meet more people with AS or other ASD, just to see where I stand beneath the sun, and befriend them if I can. Perhaps I could find new friends among them. I have a vague hope to find a mate this way, too. Another question would be, do they know they are Aspies? If not, I can not talk openly about topics I'd like to, there is a limit to what extent I'm willing to disclose my Aspieness.

I don't know about support groups here at all, probably there are some, it's up to me to find out.

I've met people who seem to be on the spectrum, or at least have some traits, usually I'm instinctively try to form a relationship with them. This way I have a friend whom I suspect to be a HFA, and a nice colleague whom I suspect having other form of mild autism, say, PDD-NOS, too good social skills, otherwise I would say he's an Aspie.

I can talk to my HFA friend openly about everything, we discuss topics about shared interests, matters of life, listen to music a lot, talk about hi-fi and high-end audio. The other close friend of mine is Semi-Aspie at best, he's rather an NT with some traits, I can talk to him openly about everything either. I feel comfortable myself among them.

Most Aspies seem to be friendly by their nature, as I see it in general. I avoid those people who seem to be jerk, no matter if they are on the spectrum or not. There are other differences than that among people, and I seem to draw the ones I have similarities with, who are special by other means than AS also.

It's difficult for me to say anything for sure about this, because I don't know anybody who is an Aspie for sure, though I'd bet real money on them being Aspies in at least a couple of cases.

Anyway, notwithstanding that logical problem, they can be a pain in the butt when I want to talk about myself to them.......if they don't happen to be naturally interested in what's just happened to me, they can make me feel really ignored and lonely. One of them in particular just goes "mm, yeh" when I know perfectly damned well he doesn't give a s**t about what I'm telling him. It feels so unfair, I try so hard to avoid talking past the point, and I feel I can be trusted not to do that too much these days, but they'll never give me that chance. And they can completely miss the significance of what I say and do, so I'm sometimes thinking "how can you be so thoughtess?" Then there's my Aspie wife who still doesn't understand that desertion can be offensive, and who just went off into her own little parallel world the moment the relationship became in any way challenging, and confused sharing an interest with using me as a little helper for her own stuff.

But it's not all bad. I do feel a strong sense of comradeship with them because of the common problem and the common aspirations. And when all my life I've had problems with people who hate my bluntness, the other night an Aspie friend told me that my honesty is very refreshing and that it's great not to have to pretend anything with me........I think we can often trust each other pretty well, because we just don't lie that much, as a rule, and we know how if feels to be rejected because of harmless differences. And I can play with them almost like I was a little boy again, and they don't tell me to grow up, they just accept it, and we share things like shiny coloured lights. We dont cock each other around.