What would it be like if you lived in an AS Community/Home?

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What would it be like to live in an AS Community/Home?
Party all the time & spewing hot AS trends, research, cookbooks 16%  16%  [ 10 ]
Intense video game tournaments, world gamer master race 13%  13%  [ 8 ]
People screaming all the time What's that smell? Who's playing that music? These colors clash! Someone misaligned my dairy products! 33%  33%  [ 21 ]
No one talking, for days at a time, not even saying hello or goodbye. 25%  25%  [ 16 ]
Just like "Survivor" - constant meetings about how everyone is doing, followed by kicking someone out. 13%  13%  [ 8 ]
Total votes : 63

ephemerella
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18 Dec 2008, 6:16 pm

"Merced teen starts home for Asperger's" By Scott Jason, Merced Sun-Star

"Dave Marsh told his mom last year that he'd like to start a support home for people who, like him, have Asperger's syndrome. She figured her 17-year-old son meant when he grew up. Marsh quietly continued to research similar programs, sketch plans and brainstorm ideas to establish a nonprofit group.

"He wanted to do it now. In the past year, Asperger's Supported Housing, or ASH, has gained momentum. Marsh registered the name, set up a checking account, raised enough money to apply for nonprofit status and found a vacant home that could be used for the program.

"Things just sort of happened and started falling into place," he said, standing in the room of the house that he hopes will be his office. The house is ready. He's just looking for those with the disorder who can afford $700 to $750 in rent, which includes utilities and food...."

EDITED TO ADD:

After reviewing the things that we posted in the thread (including myself), it seems to me that we may have focused on the disabled aspect, i.e. all the problems, of AS living in a shared house. But it seems like the idea is nevertheless kind of intriguing in some ways. There is so much we're-such-a-problem-to-live-with stuff we were programmed with by our families. Have we internalized that negative assessment of how difficult we are from an NT perspective? Some of those difficulties just aren't relevant to AS roommates. To try to focus on some positives, I made a top ten list:

A (hypothetical) "Top Ten Reasons Why An AS House Idea is Cool"

10. You are not alone, but in a group of people who generally try to help each other
9. No demands that you engage in constant bonding and stroking rituals you don't understand and don't want to make time for
8. Relationship rules are concrete (don't touch my bike or I will meltdown) and don't involve maintaining others' egos and delusions
7. People who will do things with you, with your own perspective, help you figure out how to do things
6. Finally, people who will not brush off your need to talk about, nitpick and analyze an encounter or conversation you didn't understand
5. Good chance house will have talented people, and a house with music, art, history, science and learning in it
4. Pool time and resources for group meals that are healthy and keep you on a mood-stabilizing AS diet (no gluten, etc)
3. Become instant focus for typically disconnected AS in your area, with a list of contacts, a network of friends and supportive families
2. Meet, in your roommates, other AS girls and men to be friends with and exchange info about coping with traits, issues
1. Roommates who get what you're going through and don't judge you, demonize you for your missteps and meltdowns.



Last edited by ephemerella on 20 Dec 2008, 5:57 am, edited 3 times in total.

Tim_Tex
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18 Dec 2008, 6:19 pm

I chose the first option.


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anna-banana
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18 Dec 2008, 6:22 pm

I couldn't really choose between the choices you've provided.

I remember a thread where me and a few other members agreed that if we wanted to have an aspie community we would have to buy an island where everyone could have enough isolation and never be forced to any kind of interaction outside designated areas.

I kind of liked the idea.

living in the same building with other humans is already a bad idea if you ask me ;p


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18 Dec 2008, 6:23 pm

I have done that type of thing but not as it specifically relates to being Autistic and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. From my perspective about the last thing you need in life is to be around others who are like youself. I understand the economy of scale thing but it is my personal prejudice to have some independence and a group house no matter how well intentioned will not provide that. Plus the 'rent' is way to high for anybody who is 'average' amoung us. Maybe $250 USD is more realistic. As a broad generalization I've found Aspies and Austistic to be very independent people and group housing just isn't an independent thing.
Don't mean to be negative just saying what I've experienced.


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ephemerella
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18 Dec 2008, 6:26 pm

I agree with all of the above. I've always gotten a lot out of having NT roommates -- learned a lot, met people, did new things, etc. So different is great, when it comes to roommates.

It's hard to imagine what it would be like being in an AS shared house, whether that would be cool or very stressful, tho.

Had to ask!

I have no clue.



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18 Dec 2008, 6:33 pm

None of you know me but I'm pretty strange but remarkably I've found the best environment for those like me is a communal thing with a mix of all types of people. You don't have to be anything to anybody if you don't want to but you can be something for those who see value in your existance. Hard to explain as it kind of goes against everything you might picture about such an arrangement.


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ephemerella
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18 Dec 2008, 6:39 pm

Wish I could edit the list to add something about rituals in there. My AS husband had OCD, there were all these rituals!



18 Dec 2008, 7:00 pm

I picked the video game option



Inventor
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18 Dec 2008, 7:00 pm

Too much of the same, and we are all different,

We need different. I clash with some, and get along with others, and can see no reason.

I do think we need housing, but not the same one.

we are at a disadvantage in this world, and everyone organizes around cash flow.

That takes a mix, a cluster of brains to see the whole.

Being part of something that values your existance.

Being the only aspie can be bad, all aspies would be worse,

An aspie weighted mix where we were more than one in a hundred, but we still need marketing, highly social people, those who know what will work in reality.

A well rounded tribe.



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18 Dec 2008, 7:05 pm

Where's the "Hell" option?


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anna-banana
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18 Dec 2008, 7:09 pm

Vexcalibur wrote:
Where's the "Hell" option?


lol yeah, NTs would probably be more understanding ;p


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buryuntime
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18 Dec 2008, 7:12 pm

Where's the place located at?

I think it's an interesting idea.



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18 Dec 2008, 7:18 pm

anna-banana wrote:
I couldn't really choose between the choices you've provided.

I remember a thread where me and a few other members agreed that if we wanted to have an aspie community we would have to buy an island where everyone could have enough isolation and never be forced to any kind of interaction outside designated areas.

I kind of liked the idea.

living in the same building with other humans is already a bad idea if you ask me ;p



i choose the screaming bit, but i agree with you miss banana....

i know of a few islands that Norway control, but i think they are mostly located in cold climate... otherwise it might have been cool...



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18 Dec 2008, 7:25 pm

I was in a hospital for a week, with other people with mental conditions, just so they could try and diagnose me... It was ok... at first... then it became hell..... Plus I got misdiagnosed with ODD, and tortured mentally for a couple of years after because of it.And because of them the only social worker I can speak to without wanting to tear a strip outa is this exprofootball player that played in... can't remember if it was cfl or nfl.... id have to ask... but only because he was approachable, and not working on me, but rather my brother.



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18 Dec 2008, 7:31 pm

Padium wrote:
I was in a hospital for a week, with other people with mental conditions, just so they could try and diagnose me... It was ok... at first... then it became hell..... Plus I got misdiagnosed with ODD, and tortured mentally for a couple of years after because of it.And because of them the only social worker I can speak to without wanting to tear a strip outa is this exprofootball player that played in... can't remember if it was cfl or nfl.... id have to ask... but only because he was approachable, and not working on me, but rather my brother.


why do I keep reading this here? is ODD some grave illness in the US...? :roll:


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ephemerella
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18 Dec 2008, 7:37 pm

anna-banana wrote:
Padium wrote:
I was in a hospital for a week, with other people with mental conditions, just so they could try and diagnose me... It was ok... at first... then it became hell..... Plus I got misdiagnosed with ODD, and tortured mentally for a couple of years after because of it.And because of them the only social worker I can speak to without wanting to tear a strip outa is this exprofootball player that played in... can't remember if it was cfl or nfl.... id have to ask... but only because he was approachable, and not working on me, but rather my brother.


why do I keep reading this here? is ODD some grave illness in the US...? :roll:


He's talking about ODD ("oppositional defiant disorder"), not OCD ("obsessive compulsive disorder").

I think you might be right about how people would dread an all-AS house. Apparently there are no takers yet for the rooms!