Would Aspie social groups reduce social anxiety?

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Would Aspie social groups reduce social anxiety?
Poll ended at 02 Apr 2013, 7:22 pm
Yes. Where do I sign up? 38%  38%  [ 15 ]
Yes, but I don't live near one. 25%  25%  [ 10 ]
No, but I hope you have fun anyway 15%  15%  [ 6 ]
No, I don't want to meet Aspies offline 8%  8%  [ 3 ]
I'm just stopping by for the Tesla Fries (other/please explain) 3%  3%  [ 1 ]
Do you have ice cream? 13%  13%  [ 5 ]
Total votes : 40

AgentPalpatine
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07 Mar 2013, 10:43 pm

Ettina wrote:
Have you heard of Wing's social subtypes? She describes three distinct styles of social impairment:

Active-but-odd - these people have normal sociability or may even be hypersocial, but approach social interaction in an atypical way. Monologues, poor nonverbal communication, difficulty with unwritten social rules, etc. This type is at the highest risk of bullying, because they attract attention while not having the skills to fit in.

Passive - won't initiate interaction, but will go along with it if others initiate. If left alone, they won't seek out interaction, and often don't seem interested in it, but they don't actively avoid it. (In some cases they are interested, but can't initiate, often due to executive dysfunction.) They often are very easily led, and easily manipulated. This group, however, tends to be the most popular of autistics, because other kids can readily boss them around and they don't tend to unintentionally annoy people.

Aloof - actively avoids interaction. Might like certain, very limited kinds of interaction (eg being spun by another person), but most attempts by others to start an interaction results in rejection by the child. They have little desire to interact and find interaction aversive. Often ignored by other children, but may be bullied.

Of course, with age, people often cover up their social subtype with learnt behavior (eg an active-but-odd type becoming fearful of interaction due to bullying, or an aloof type learning that others will force interaction and if they cooperate they can get it over with quickly), so this tends to apply most clearly to younger and lower functioning autistics. But it shows that you can be autistic and like interaction, if you're the active-but-odd type or maybe the passive type.

Also, on average, the aloof type tend to be lower functioning and the active-but-odd type higher functioning. Though individuals may be exceptions. (I knew a nonverbal active-but-odd kid, for example.)


Am I correct in my understanding that the above refers to pre-adult development? Most of our membership is over the local age of majority, and it appears that social anxiety is more of the issue on this forum. Then again, by the very nature of posting on a message board, we are getting a self-selecting sample.


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chlov
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08 Mar 2013, 8:27 am

First of all, I don't even have social anxiety.
Second, socializing with people with Asperger's makes no difference than socializing with neurotypical people to me.
I'm not willing to socialize with people just because they have Asperger's.
Someone with Asperger's is not different from an NT to me.



AgentPalpatine
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08 Mar 2013, 9:11 pm

chlov wrote:
First of all, I don't even have social anxiety.
Second, socializing with people with Asperger's makes no difference than socializing with neurotypical people to me.
I'm not willing to socialize with people just because they have Asperger's.
Someone with Asperger's is not different from an NT to me.


I'm not sure that anyone on this board is suggesting that you must socialize with other Aspies, I for one was asking if Aspie (offline) social groups might be a good way to reduce social anxiety. The above post's first sentence would suggest that issue is not relevant in your particular circumstances.


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Chloe33
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02 Apr 2013, 1:58 am

It would probably be helpful for those requiring or wanting to socialize.
If it's all Aspies then no NTs to read or figure out, just each other.



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02 Apr 2013, 10:02 pm

Chloe33 wrote:
It would probably be helpful for those requiring or wanting to socialize.
If it's all Aspies then no NTs to read or figure out, just each other.


If one goes by the arguement that there are nuerotype differences in processing and non-verbal communication, it would be a massive difference in social intereaction.


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11 Nov 2013, 8:09 pm

I guess I've thought about meeting other Aspies as I have never met one IRL before but it would only be out of curiosity - not the desire for friendship (which I have none!)

Given my general lack of interest in socialising with ANYONE and the fact that Aspies vary a great deal, I don't think it is something I would be interested in partaking in on a regular basis.

As for NTs, I just don't get them!! ! Superficial socialites who are too concerned about stuff that doesn't matter!


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