Adult Autism Social Group is Fun

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Well I attended my first adult asperger's/autism social group two days ago. At first I was cynical and thought the people were weird, because I am self-hating and I saw traits I hate in myself in the other participants. After awhile I grew to have a more pleasant view of the people there and enjoyed socializing with them. Overall, it was a very positive and rewarding experience.

Though I am introverted and tend to grow isolated, I thrive on social interaction. Like almost everyone I need social interaction to keep me motivated and happy.

It was fun.

I'm glad you enjoyed it. I don't have a social autism group near me unfortunately.

as fun as wrongplanet or better?

Don't get me wrong, wrongplanet is a great resource, but it's no substitute for face to face interaction.

Damn, Tell me what its like.

You wouldn't be introverted if you thrive on social interaction.

Face to face is a horror movie in my experience.

*The social butterfly comes out from behind the drapes and...*
"HELLO!
I am pleased to meet you, what is your fav colour. LOL!"

*victim*
"OH GOD NOOOOOO!"

My Adult Asperger's Social Group proves that autistics do like to be around to people like them and to socialize with accepting individuals. The guy who runs the group said that I give back to the group a lot, that aspies there have little experience with empathy and compassion and that I model that behavior by including low functioning autistic guys in the game and in the conversation and by graciously and respectfully helping them manage the situation when they do something inappropriate.

The group made me feel very normal!

My problem is that I have an autism spectrum disorder, a processing disorder which affects one's ability to understand social situations. Therefore my problem is in understanding social skills, it's not that I don't like people. A person with ASD is frustrated because although they desire deeply to be close to others, they cannot do it easily.

It's not always that way.

People with an ASD can be as asocial as anyone else; there's asocial and social people, whether they have an ASD or not (introverted and extroverted). Throw in difficulties with human relatedness and empathy with an ASD (the more severe the ASD, the greater these are), and you have individuals who may not desire interaction, rather they'd prefer to obsess over their interest.

For me, I desire the comfort of a hug, but not your standard social interaction, as your standard social interaction does nothing for me.

its best to exclude including everyone, some of the diagnosed dont want interaction with others, they are usually classed as "recluse" and "loner"

OH MY DOG! you said "Asocial" and not "Anti-social", Not many do that anymore...

Ha, yeah. As far as I'm aware, anti-social generally involves cutting up the neighbours' pets for fun as a kid and doing things when you're older that oftentimes warrants arrest. Whereas asocial means you kinda sit in the corner and stare out the window hoping that you'd be outside with the butterflies, rather than interacting with the social and human kind inside the room.

I'm sure you know this, however.

Yes, but it has become quite the oddity to find many who know the difference

I see what your saying, some people with ASD are more social than others. No two people with ASD with present in exactly the same way. A person with an ASD can be social, asocial, or antisocial.

Also, the concept that "people with ASD have poor social skills" is a narrow and generalized concept. The way our brain works is a complicated thing, and in psychology general statements are sometimes the best we can do to easily describe our set of strengths and weaknesses. In other words, although most of a ASD person's social skills are bad, they may have some strengths in this area as well.

I have a few strengths in the area of social skills. It's inappropriate to say one knows they are good-looking, but as an example, I know how to smile and use my looks to get women to be nice to me. I do not have true empathy, but I have learned about it and understand it in a purely intellectual sense, and I know how to fake it when it is called for in interaction with others.

And DONT constantly smile, its more creepy than never smiling.