Experiences with AS Support Groups

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I was just wondering what other peoples experiences were with AS support groups?

One support group I go to is mainly involved in doing social activities together, such as going to the cinema or a restaurant. The problem for me is that the other members don't seem to want to discuss AS, they'd rather talk about silly things like how to kill zombies or the Simpsons. I don't mind talking about special interests, but when they spend 2 hours talking about it I tend to get bored.

Another group that I've attended was more like a support group, where we discussed what it's like having AS and the problems it causes, etc. I felt like I really connected with the people there because we had a lot of experiences in common. It felt wonderful being able to talk to other people like me, as I though I was alone for so long. Unfortunately the psychologist who ran that group had some personal problems and had to stop. Its been a year from I've been to that group, but I still hope that it will start up again.

No one?

Why not start up the group again? I don't see how a psychologist being present is a necessity.

There is a support group for parents near where I used to live, and there is a similar group about 30 miles from where I live now. I attended one meeting there in Indiana before I moved, and that group typically has people come speak to parents and answer questions about how they (the parents) can help their children with all kinds of things related to being active (socializing and/or school), productive (working) and generally "successful" within society overall. For the kind of discussion and sharing I think you are asking about, right here on WP is the only place I have ever found any at all so far.

The groups I've been to were OK. We did a lot of exchange of information and tips. The groups that weren't headed by a psychologist have been more helpful, especially if they were headed by people who had autism themselves, or had a disability of some other kind.

I'm going to my first one in a week or so. I'm not sure what to expect, though.

There's a group near me that I've been to only once but plan to go again. It's lead by a person on the spectrum and the discussion is on a topic related to AS each time.

I have fairly mild AS so I felt a bit out of place, like I was intruding almost, because I appear to be NT on the surface. On the other hand, I was too scared to talk while many of the other people, mostly males, who were more stereotypically AS (scientists, engineers and other geeks -- and I mean that in a good way), seemed much more able to communicate in a friendly, bantering sort of way than I am.

I'm not a big fan.

The local group has two aspects: discussion/support group and social group. I enjoy the social groups when a limited number of people attend (maybe 5) and you can talk to people and learn about them and learn about autism. I enjoy doing the activities. The woman who runs it does a good job of making sure no one goes on forever about special interests and that everyone is engaged. A lot of parents (including mine) attend.

The discussion group tends to have about 30 people ranging in age and degrees of impairment in different areas. Due to auditory processing issues, I am unable to keep up with the conversations and find myself sitting in silence. The same 2-3 people talk absolutely incessantly about the most random subjects. They get off topic, and the group leader makes no effort to stop them. (This is because when she did, once, one of the men got extremely angry and scared everyone, I'm told). It works better when we break up into small groups, but whoever gets stuck with the "talkers" is miserable. I quit attending these groups as I just got frustrated... I found myself suffering through group just so that I could get ice cream across the street afterward!

i go to GRASP support group its a free group they have locations allover the country you should look into one near your area

http://www.grasp.org/

I go to three of them.

One of them is just a chit chat group and you can bring anyone, NT or ND or another aspie. It's always at IHOP and everyone just talks.

I go to the local ASAN group and it's more of a support group and we do show and tell there. One side of the room is lit up and the other side isn't. Sometimes we do other events like Autism Awareness day and protesting against the Autism Speaks walks and picnics.

I go to the Roger Meyers group and he has snacks there and it's also a support group. We always have to sign our names and wear name tags. he also has stim toys. Sometimes we do potlucks.

Someone on Wrongplanet told me about one here in Buffalo that I am thinking about going to for the first time. I have no idea how the people that attend these meetings will be like I am nervous that I will be the one weird guy that they ask not to come back. LoL

I have gone to 2 groups and they are very cool-it is hard to find support groups for adults and the one group has a wide array of ages although I end up being the oldest person it seems-as most are in their late teens 20's and early 30's and people keep saying I wont fit in-with AS I think time on this earth means nothing-I am in need of understanding and any help is helpful-the younger people relate their issues and I relate mine-the other younger people with AS are going to be my age eventually and I am doing ok so it kind of shows them you can succeed at many things and all is not lost and I can see that I am not alone and there are others out there like me-the one group I went to I was the second oldest person-the person running the group was older-I even asked her if it would be ok to return and she was quite emphatic in saying yes she wanted me to return and I was always welcome to come to the meetings-age means nothing to the person with AS it seems even though it seems to matter to some people.

i dont ever want to meet anyone at support groups, ive had very bad experiances with people here that went to them and turned out to be nasty so i guess i will saty this way and continue to be selective in any possible meeting