autism support group

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so does the average autism support group attract
a wide range of aspie or certain small group of aspie.
Long time ago,the autism support groups I went to,
were mostly males,all nerds,and very hyper,few females,
all overweight,very quiet.

I've only been to one, and it seemed like a pretty diverse group of people.

im in one for Adolescents with Aspergers and High Functioning Autism, we all get along (except about 2 boys who arent the ineracting type), all males except for me and another girl (who is also named Emily) my behaviour isnt as bad as the others (except a few) but i feel like i fit in there.

Would be awkward and pointless IMO. I'd never go personally.

I attend 3 support groups month. A wide variety of people and traits and ASD knowledge. They are different from wrong planet.

Wrong Planet posters for the most part compare traits and rant. Comparing traits has value for validation and discovery of traits the scientists in formal settings might miss. Ranting to others who "get it" is valuable getting years of frustration and pain.

While there is some ranting and comparing traits in the support groups I have attended there are two main purposes. Suggesting solution/workarounds and questioning the person who has an issues to bring out a new perspective or identify other issues to think about for the purpose of eventual solutions/workarounds. They are really free therapy sessions.

Support group 1 I attend is GRASP Adult group. There is a meeting agenda and the facilitators tightly control the way the meetings are run.

Support Group 2 is a GRASP group for those over 50. There are only about 4 or 5 of us. It is more an informal social gathering. While Aspergers related issues of course are discussed peoples special interests are topics for discussion.

Support Group 3 is facilitated by a psychologists and a student who is getting her doctorate. The facilitators go round the room and we discuss whatever that persons issues are. Co morbid issues are a common topic.

Some people go together to an informal meal after the meetings.

It is a very small sample of aspies that attend. They are held on weekday evenings,some people people have jobs families etc. Of course the attendee has to travel to a place for the purpose of meeting people which is quite daunting

Last edited by ASPartOfMe on 20 Jan 2014, 2:47 pm, edited 2 times in total.

I learned from bitter experience that activities for autistic kids put together by a PhD student are purely designed to boost the career progression of the student rather than actually help the kids.

I once got forced into one of sorts by my high school. I didn't like attending it because some of the other kids in the group were more stereotypically "aspie" than me and were somewhat awkward to be around, and it cut into my math class. Granted, I don't enjoy math, but I was intently trying to do well in that particular class (which I somehow managed to achieve, by getting the highest mark in the whole class at the end of the semester!), and it just happened to be that that particular class had a really awesome laid-back teacher who would often show us cool science videos and just shoot the s**t with us.

But anyway, I think nowadays an AS support group would be something I'd be willing to try, though I would want it to be one where I could meet other aspies with "life experience" rather than just the stereotypical Sheldon-esque type.

This group is for adults and she is an assistant to a specialist and a good facilitator.

Call me a cynic but I've met a sufficient number of autism "experts" to know they are far more concerned about social climbing than giving a toss for the kids they see or the concerned and often desperate parents whom they milk to pay for their BMWs or triple story mansions....

"Experts" in Child and Teen Autism tend to be Ableist. GRASP from the President on down are people on The Spectrum. You can suggest or start you own Parents on The Spectrum support group. Some support groups are just online.