My first Asperger Society meeting

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I'm just back from a meeting of the local Asperger society, which I went to for the first time tonight.

Was shown around the place by the centre manager on arrival. As well as being where the society meets, it is a centre for AS and HFA people open 9 to 5. It has a library (where all of the books are about AS), computer room, pool room and lots of stuff.

The meeting took the form of a big group discussion (about 18 of us there) and the topic tonight was 'Asperger's and Age' - about what challenges Aspies face at various stages of life. It turned into a lively discussion about our difficulties in our working lives.

With the contributions I made in the discussion, I came to the attention of the manager of a local agency that helps/places people with AS in work, who was at the meeting. She seems very keen to meet with me some time else, as with my work experiences I obviously need help.

I soon got to know one guy and his very specific interests, about which he wouldn't stop talking to me, even during the discussion where he had to be stopped a couple of times. He went on and on about making models of trains and buildings out of rubbish from the streets, northern German cities which are regular holiday destinations of his, coastal erosion, as well as other interests. To be honest he was monopolising me, yet I found absolutely everything he said very interesting.

The society seems to be growing and attracting new people, there were at least 3 people new to this month's discussion. I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and hope to be at more events that will be going on in the next couple of weeks.

By lively do you mean informative in a constructive way?

It's good you enjoy the group keeno, do you ever find groups stressful as I do?

One thing I find is that I sometimes become attached to someone in a group then they disappear, leave or move on, do you find this?

It was certainly a constructive discussion. I think for other people there it was probably quite informative. But it didn't teach me anything I didn't know already. There was a lot of sharing of experiences which I like to think taught people.

Usually I find groups to be... not so much stressful, but certainly difficult. I'm a much more one-to-one person, like I guess you are. But this group was different. I was totally comfortable and totally felt at home. I spoke much more than anyone (except the guy I mentioned above) when usually I'm stuck for words.

As for being attached to particular people, I guess this is a hard one for me to answer though. Most of my social interaction is at church, but there I haven't had that thing where I cling to certain people because I get on with virtually everyone. In other group situations with NT's, yes I may well get attached to one person because I already know them better or they are a better listener. Then, it's not so much that they move away from me, but will of course interact more as a group. At the Aspie group I met a young lady, and suspected fellow Aspie, who seems attracted to me. Because of that I could easily develop an atachment to her, but only time will tell on that one.

I like how its called the society. Makes it sound like a Free Masons sect or something, secret handshake, password at the door.

Possibly, the greatest help from groups is to know that you are not alone, and to see others taking new steps so that you know that if they can overcome their own difficulties, you can overcome yours. It's very encouraging.

And, anyway, any improvement you make will be chiefly your own effort; any help given by a group or a therapist or a counselor is really just a resource you use to help get your thoughts organized, and to access a knowledge base which contains information useful to you in your quest.

As a "Yank", I must say that these AS Socities sound like good places to be. I wish something like that existed here in the land of the Hern-Hern (Goon Show term for the U.S. of A.), if something like that already doesn't.

Last edited by NYAspie on 10 Apr 2006, 8:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I am envious. There is nothing like that where I live.

Grass roots bud, make it yourself if it doesn't exist theres got to be a demand so clearly its worth looking into. If you want to progress things in the states you need these kind of groups to form and amalgamate together

Now he has the key to the executive washroom (which seems to be unisex, an added bonus).

I'm going to be attending one, hopefully, on the 23rd of this month. It's not a society, per se, more like a two hour meeting or so, but nonetheless it's something. It's called Asperger Friends, here in New Jersey.

- Ray M -

wow, where do you find these groups? online or something? i wud even go cause im gonna visit the uK soon, and i geuss i should find out exactly how these societies/groups are and how they work and stuff, to get tips for my own group...
???