Anyone ever attend a local autism support group?

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I'm not sure if anyone here has ever attended a local support group for autism, but I've been thinking of maybe finding one. If nothing else, I feel it'd be a good way of meeting IRL friends on the spectrum.

We have a local support group for autistics and aspies here in Washington DC. Meets in a restaurant downtown, and the group members have meet ups for other activities. I used to go to it, and will try to go again if I can.

Nice. What's the experience like because I've never been to one at all?

I do, we do down to a local church and draw. I enjoy it and like the people who come.

If they offered one through my church, I would attend.

I am reluctant to attend autism groups in my town, because I am not officially diagnosed and many of these people go through things I couldn't even begin to imagine. Maybe they would be angry at me because they would think I was faking, but it took me a long time to get to my present level of functioning and I am far from where I ought to be at my age. I'm still working to attain the goals more appropriate for a person in the 25-35 age range, and I'm 54. I believe that these goals can still be attained, although in different ways than typical people might achieve them.

The main meetings are in a restaurant down town. Sometimes we have a guest speaker (we had a book author one time), but usually its just us taking turns speaking on particular issues. LIttle bit like alcholic anon meetings a friend would go to that I would tag along to observe. We have had as many as more than a couple dozen folks, of different ages, races, and both genders, and varying levels of "functioning" (one young adult guy had his NT mom come with him, and she and I had an interesting conversation).

They also have other activities and meet ups. I joined them for a little boat excursion on the Potomac in down town DC, and then we all went to restaurant in Georgetown. It was fun.

That's cool. I don't even know how I'd find out about any here. And @IstominFan I'm sure it shouldn't matter if you've been officially diagnosed.

I don't know if every state has an Autism Society, but I know mine does. You're info says you're in AZ. I googled and there is an autism society in greater Phoenix as well as southern AZ. Maybe those would be places to start. Check into it!

Before I stumbled upon WrongPlanet years ago I used to go to the "Aspie Hangout" (then it had a few hundred active members, now its the internet equivalent of a ghost town), and just asked if anyone knew of any aspie support groups in the Washington DC area. A couple weeks later someone said yes and posted a link to group I talked about above:called something like "the Washington dc something something for adults with autism and aspergers". So I went to that link and got on their internet mailing list .

You could just go to google and type in "aspergers/autism support group" and the name of your city and see what comes up. Or start a thread here on WP on the topic of "Does anyone know of any support group for autistics in Mytown USA?".

I think I'll do that actually. Thanks!

The ones I was at discussed particular issues people are having. Discussion of "Autism Politics" was minimal.

From my experiences, they differed from NT interactions in that no small talk or hugs. It was usually purely exchanging information.

People came late and took a break from the social interaction if they needed to, they just did it without saying excuse me or asking permission.

Presently, my best supports come from doing activities related to my interests: playing tennis, singing and Toastmasters.

I have gone to an adult autism support group in my city and will try a few times more. In part, it was an activity to do with my daughter who is also autistic.

I'd be interested, but the ones I've seen where I live seem to be for parents and young children more than adults.

Sadly, social outings with people I don't know aren't my thing (I did them at one time). I just picture these ones with people sitting quietly.

My smaller city doesn't have one though they do have a Bipolar group I might attend because I have that. What my town has is a "drop-in center" where anyone with a mental health dx can go and there have been aspies that go there but not many, and another place for adults with developmental disorders like severe autism and Downs.

My personal best friends all seem to have ADHD...