Tried one of those Aspie groups long ago, didn't work for me

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Wow. That's harsh. At least the "handlers" at my provincial organization aren't THAT patronizing. Then again, the only middle-aged man with "Asperger's" there is actually a MFA-HFA who had his diagnosis 'switched' once he reached the social level of a pre-teen with AS. The rest of the people with AS there are under 30, and it's typically only the people under 25 who have their parents involved in the org.

What's extra iffy is when parents come there, and their kids aren't. It's just really uncomfortable.

But I see a lot of the same mentality, a lot of parents who just can't help but think that they should be there. Had a few awkward conversations with some of them.

Me: "Yes, I did have my own radio show on campus a few years back."
Them: "Oh..."
Me: "Yes, I did work for Canada Revenue Agency over the summer."
Them: "Oh..."
Me: "Well, I don't know if I'll be able to make the next meeting, I usually have a couple of student group meetings per week."
Them: "Oh..."

At least it gets them to speak to me more like an equal. But for some reason, I get the feeling that after that, they think I'm either a faker, or a snob. Or both. Their NT politeness prevents them from saying that, though.

[rant]
But what I saw one day just made me want to bang my head against the wall.

So I walk into the meeting, and there is one of the women who runs the social group (known as "the grandmother"). She greets me, and tells me that her daughter (known as "the mother", the second woman who runs the group) is running late. She says "Her other son, not the AS one, but another one; has gotten into trouble". So I'm thinking to myself "Okay. Disobeying his mother? Arrested?" When this woman says "You see, he has Spina Bifida, and he's having a medical emergency. She's rushing him to the hospital, but then she's coming right over."

Now, let me get this straight. This woman is going to take care of his immediate medical needs, and then come to a social group...for a disorder that her OTHER son has...and this other son ISN'T EVEN THERE. He lives on his own, and would rather take care of his new cat then come to the meeting.

I'm sorry, but something like that is when the line of "Maybe they have nothing better to worry about" and "This person has issues" has officially been crossed. [/rant]