What wording would help attract you to attend an AS group?

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Hello Wrong Planet,

I am hoping that some people here would be able to help me, with input for a poster I need to help make to advertise to start an Aspie, HFA, Autism Adult and Young Adult meeting group in my small town.

The age group I guess is really anyone high school, college or older.

I know the idea of Aspies meeting up is difficult, it was difficult for me to even get myself to attend the first local group meeting for families of autistic people. I somehow survived that, and have somehow been drafted to help start a meeting for the autistic young adults and adults in our community. We are here, it is just hard to find each other due to privacy restrictions that the people who offer services to us have to follow. But they can offer a poster for a group that individuals can voluntarily attend so we can meet each other.

In any case. The wording! I thought something like "Asperger's, HFA, Autism Meetup for Adults and Young Adults" would sound ok. "Support Group" sounds too, I don't know, whiny? Is Meet up an appropriate word to use?

Bullet points I would like to include are things like:

Come as You Are
All Are Welcome
Share Interests, Movies, Books and Ideas
Meet new friends
Bring a stress toy, or friend for support
Be Yourself


I would also like it to say something like, you won't have to talk or introduce yourself to the group unless you want to (because I know for myself, just that one point could be a barrier to my attending if I were having a bad anxiety day). How could I say that without sounding patronizing?

I have no idea what I am doing, and if I end up having to lead this group in any respect I almost assuredly am going to be bringing my Lambchop puppet so no one will look at me. hehe Seriously. I appreciate any thoughtful input, thank you in advance.

Also- my idea is to have a very specific map on the poster on a scale that can be a "tear off" at the bottom of the poster because I know another obstacle to aspie attendance is feeling like I don't know where to go, and I don't want to show up at the wrong place.

I think your idea is a good one. Include the map, but also date, time on the tear-off thingie, so it's all on one piece of paper maybe?

Maybe put in some surrealist humor on the advertisements as well. I like many on here love that and goofy humor with wit.

I'm actually attending an Asperger's social group for the very first time next week!

I know it's not really relevant or helpful to the OP, but I thought I'd bung this in there.

Your approach is very straightforward and to the point and should work. I think the word meetup is appropriate. How about: "Be as involved (or uninvolved) as you like" to convey the fact that people don't have to participate actively if they don't want to.

Another possible approach is less straightforward, but might be more intriguing and I would need help with flushing out the general concept because I can do concepts, but not details. But what about starting with an opening question like "Feel like no matter where you turn, you never quite fit?" (Or something like that) followed by, something like "join us for an informal gathering to meet others who might share common interests and experiences. All adults/young adults with Aspergers, HFA, autism, or any other social difficulty are welcome. What to expect: (bullets) Low pressure, high acceptance, participate as much or as little as you like, opportunity to meet others like you, find people with similar passions, a chance to unwind and be yourself in a nonjudgmental environment"

Or perhaps I am being too NT with this and your straightforward idea is better?

Maybe a statement such as, "Self-diagnosed persons are welcome, and so are persons who feel they might share some aspects of the Autism Spectrum but not other aspects."

Maybe a follow-up web site (could be something like a google group) at least at the beginning. A web site needs kind of gentle, low-key leadership in response to occasional flame wars, which do happen.

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Now, the emphasis on "young adults and adults," I'm not sure I'd feel completely, totally welcome as a guy who's 49 years old.

Also, I'm interested in political activism, such as sending a delegation of three persons for scheduled meetings with an HR department of local big companies, to the effect saying, Hey, you guys are missing quite an opportunity by not actively recruiting persons on the Spectrum. And six months later, politely visit them again, and in that way, keep after them.

Make sure that anybody who needs an aide brings one, unless you have the resources to provide one. Under-18s need to have parents' permission.

Consider activities that everybody can take part in, even if they don't/don't want to talk. Try to keep the sensory stuff down--no loud noise, bright light, confusing environments, strong smells. What you'd want to do together depends heavily on who you get--you could go hiking, start a crafts group, go for coffee, watch a movie, or even play with Legos and crayons. Personally, I think that even NT businessmen would benefit from playing with Legos and crayons once in a while.

Masked, Anonymous (or Anonymous-Masked) Legion of AS Geeks
Perhaps it would look like this (minus the anti-Scientology signs):

"OVER 28 WELCOME"

Thank you so much for the delightful responses, I really do appreciate your input!

So far, it is only going to be an initial meeting, and we will see what we get. I live in a very small rural area, but the service providers know that we exist, and we just need the community of being able to meet each other and then see what our needs are. The Family group asked me what my needs as an adult were, and of course I was simply ineloquent at the time and said something along the lines of "uh, dunno but I am excited to find out!" ha!

Also the Family Group is organized by a service provider who knows all the legal rules so she is willing to provide the space and make sure everyone has whatever aide or parent they would need. The room we met in for that was way too brightly lit, and the glare of the lights onto the white plastic table tops made my head spin, but these are things I will bring up to her for this meeting. I was thinking we could sit on the floor without tables and chairs so everyone could be more comfortable and not necessarily have to face each other eye to eye when speaking like at a formal table/chairs setting.


I love the lego and crayons idea! Maybe we could all draw or sign our names on a big posterboard with stickers and colors instead of those horrible "introduce yourself and say one thing about you" ice breakers that I so dread.

Why does "HFA" need to be specified in addition to autism? It makes it sound like those who aren't "high functioning" are unwelcome.

"Come to our gathering! We promise to shut up the verbose aspies once in a while AND WE DELIVER!"

"Free." "Refreshments provided." "No mental health professionals on site to bother you."

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In all honesty, tell me I couldn't go.

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FREE: Wine, women and song!

Good point. In an email I was sent by someone who runs a group is that this is not a substitute for counselling. The idea of the group is to provide information and share stuff.