Autism planned community
Dear_one
Veteran
Joined: 2 Feb 2008
Age: 75
Gender: Male
Posts: 5,717
Location: Where the Great Plains meet the Northern Pines
I have been interested in intentional communities for a long time, and my priorities have a lot more to do with location and sustainability than the people. Finding a group in adequate accord seems quite improbable.
The last time I was involved in a nascent community, every time we raised money for land, the price had gone up, and then things started to get very lopsided when we tried to bring in larger contributors.
I am also sceptical of Aspie social planning. I think it would tend toward isolation. I used to be in a large organization of nerds, but the president was only interested in the people, and was just what we needed.
The last time I was involved in a nascent community, every time we raised money for land, the price had gone up, and then things started to get very lopsided when we tried to bring in larger contributors.
I am also sceptical of Aspie social planning. I think it would tend toward isolation. I used to be in a large organization of nerds, but the president was only interested in the people, and was just what we needed.
So back to the question:
Would you relocate to a co-op that had as a requirement for membership an AS diagnosis?
I feel the intentional community idea is so well meaning and radical that it becomes difficult to bring to fruition. Co-operative housing on the other hand has countless successful examples. I'm curious if others would feel as excited about the idea as myself.
Where intentional communities lose their steam is trying to essentially enforce community - there is often a notion of shared work for the greater good etc. Too many examples of this failing, but I'll point to the kibbutz movement in Israel.
An AS themed co-op is a shared ownership in the co-op, but this the extent of sharing usually. I would conceive of a co-op where everyone living there is high functioning and self-supporting but there wouldn't be shared labor or a rotation of communal duties etc. It's simply a co-ownership of the building and one of the requirements is an AS diagnosis. Rather than a shared kitchen with revolving kitchen duties like many IC's include in their design in order to ensure shared meals and community building - it would make sense to have some shared spaces for optional gathering but not to enforce this as a part of membership. A remote work station with tables for those who want to work in close proximity to others and isolated desks for those who want to be in a room with others but not as close, would be the most practical shared space given how most people are now on a remote work schedule. This would also be one of the selling featured and who this community is really designed for: if you are remote and can work from anywhere and you want to be part of a community of people more like yourself.
And by nature of proximity, community forms especially when it's not forced. I would love the idea of living in a building where I know everyone there is more like me than the general population. And then just allowing an organic unfolding of connections as a result of getting enough similar people together who generally feel preyed upon by a cruel outside world. Friendships would invariably result. There would be less loneliness for many.
Double Retired
Veteran
Joined: 31 Jul 2020
Age: 69
Gender: Male
Posts: 5,219
Location: U.S.A. (Mid-Atlantic)
I'm not inclined to look for shared-ownership living, though I suppose my opinion could change should I age into needing an assisted-living arrangement--but due to age, not autism.
But having an Aspie/HFAS "community" might merit an attempt. I'm thinking of a bunch of Aspies/HFAS that choose to move close together. Such a "community" might (a) become self-perpetuating by continuing to attract even more Aspie/HFAS folk, (b) be able to support community services tailored for that specific demographic, (c) provide a setting where local businesses might learn to cater to that demographic, and (d) develop new paradigms for social life.
Geography would remain more important to me, though. If I choose to move I will likely be looking to move to a specific region, not to an Aspie/HFAS "community"--and if that region happened to have an Aspie/HFAS community I would give it some thought.
Any Aspie/HFAS "community" should almost certainly not be exclusively for Aspie/HFAS. Families and surviving relatives would need to be comfy, too.
_________________
When diagnosed I bought champagne!
I finally knew why people were strange.
I keep imagining all of the members who post regularly on WrongPlanet as my next-door neighbors...
_________________
Double Retired
Veteran
Joined: 31 Jul 2020
Age: 69
Gender: Male
Posts: 5,219
Location: U.S.A. (Mid-Atlantic)
I keep imagining all of the members who post regularly on WrongPlanet as my next-door neighbors...
Don't worry. We won't TP your place until after the pandemic--when the stores are better stocked!
_________________
When diagnosed I bought champagne!
I finally knew why people were strange.
Dear_one
Veteran
Joined: 2 Feb 2008
Age: 75
Gender: Male
Posts: 5,717
Location: Where the Great Plains meet the Northern Pines
The last time I was involved in a nascent community, every time we raised money for land, the price had gone up, and then things started to get very lopsided when we tried to bring in larger contributors.
I am also sceptical of Aspie social planning. I think it would tend toward isolation. I used to be in a large organization of nerds, but the president was only interested in the people, and was just what we needed.
So back to the question:
Would you relocate to a co-op that had as a requirement for membership an AS diagnosis?
I feel the intentional community idea is so well meaning and radical that it becomes difficult to bring to fruition. Co-operative housing on the other hand has countless successful examples. I'm curious if others would feel as excited about the idea as myself.
Where intentional communities lose their steam is trying to essentially enforce community - there is often a notion of shared work for the greater good etc. Too many examples of this failing, but I'll point to the kibbutz movement in Israel.
An AS themed co-op is a shared ownership in the co-op, but this the extent of sharing usually. I would conceive of a co-op where everyone living there is high functioning and self-supporting but there wouldn't be shared labor or a rotation of communal duties etc. It's simply a co-ownership of the building and one of the requirements is an AS diagnosis. Rather than a shared kitchen with revolving kitchen duties like many IC's include in their design in order to ensure shared meals and community building - it would make sense to have some shared spaces for optional gathering but not to enforce this as a part of membership. A remote work station with tables for those who want to work in close proximity to others and isolated desks for those who want to be in a room with others but not as close, would be the most practical shared space given how most people are now on a remote work schedule. This would also be one of the selling featured and who this community is really designed for: if you are remote and can work from anywhere and you want to be part of a community of people more like yourself.
And by nature of proximity, community forms especially when it's not forced. I would love the idea of living in a building where I know everyone there is more like me than the general population. And then just allowing an organic unfolding of connections as a result of getting enough similar people together who generally feel preyed upon by a cruel outside world. Friendships would invariably result. There would be less loneliness for many.
I am considering relocation, but I'd have to see benefits worth a year or two of disruption. The "one building" concept probably ruins it for me, because I use power tools from time to time, and have moved to the boondocks to afford the space for a shop. I wouldn't want a noise-sensitive neighbour. Nor do I think that Aspies are people more like myself. There are a couple on this list I might visit if they were close, but many I'd avoid. "People like myself" are vegan, efficient, intellectual, and very public-spirited. If moving could make my work effective through community, it would be worth it, but I'd want to be moving to a place where I already had friends, not a place where I only had hopes for that. Also, I would not consider a US location.
_________________
Would. But not for social reasons.
I just could simply care less who would be my neighbors are.
But then I live in a different world, and dealing with a different sets of circumstances.
From where I came from, there are already few attempts of making a village or a whole physically manifested community that mainly caters autistics.
So far, it is all done by groups of families, caretakers and professionals -- capable of pooling their resources, planning, buying, building and filling the whole thing.
The range are either very inclusive to all cases and their families...
Or is mainly adequate for making 'level 2 supports' free roaming and independent as possible, yet level 1 support can take care of themselves and level 3 support cannot be well accommodated.
Likely all costly. Or takes years to pay for.
And the basis isn't simply just about autism or the respective autistic, but something closer to family-centric dynamics with a specific commonality in mind...
And I've yet to ever seen one that is done by autistic individuals themselves.
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Dear_one
Veteran
Joined: 2 Feb 2008
Age: 75
Gender: Male
Posts: 5,717
Location: Where the Great Plains meet the Northern Pines
One of the better communities I've been in was a rooming house with shared facilities. That's a format with good odds of success, but I think that the best communities start with a group of friends who then plan a physical situation for themselves. Filling a given space quickly is more problematic. An established group will have people wanting to move in, either to fill a vacancy or by adding to the facility. You might want to consider establishing a tiny home park.
Keep in mind the basic commonality between people living in a community like this is a shared general dislike for dealing with "normal" people and having a small circle of people they can relate to better than the general population
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