Published on 12, July, 2020
Has anyone ever tried to set up any local groups?
I live a bit out in the sticks and can't drive, but do work. This rather means that the scant support group resources there are are all beyond reach for me to participate. They are in the day when I'm working, or way beyond walking distance at night when there is no transport. It does leave me rather isolated from other autistic people. There must be others like me in the neighbourhood, I just don't know who they are, where they are or how we could help each other. Online communities like this are fantastic. I'd be lost without you guys. But we all need local chums for that cup of tea when we're down or a laugh over a shared interest, or a hand when you've got a practical problem - from someone face to face too.
With that I posted something on a local community forum, hoping someone will come forward wanting to set something up.
Just wondering if this has worked for anyone else?
Don't know yet. It's the Your Neighbours thing...
By my calculation at 1 to 2% of the population, 36 to 72 of my neighbours are autistic. We could be helping eachother.
If you get any success let me know.
Good luck
Perhaps invitations to meet via zoom would be an option until you can find a suitable venue?
Dawn said:way beyond walking distance at night when there is no transport. It does leave me rather isolated from other autistic people. There must be others like me in the neighbourhood
If you have a bike and are willing to invest in an appropriate number of leaflets, I suggest you blanket your village with these leaflets as an invitation to your ASD group. I took this kind of action when running my service business but be careful who you choose as a leaflet distributer. I preferred to also invest my own time in their distribution after having been let down by a rogue. Because ASD is rather a niche topic to advertise I would expect a quite small response --- if any---for a village, but you will never know if you don't try.
I want to do the same in my area Dawn. I have started the ball rolling today by emailing a community hub in the area.
My thoughts are for it to be for adults diagnosed or self diagnosed, waiting for diagnosis. As you say, come for a chat, share experiences and offer support. We have to start somewhere.
Did you get a response on the forum? X
Do you still have a post office? They have noticeboards. Sadly ours has gone.
Question is - how do you get the word out? and where do you promote it? And where do you meet? If you still have a library? or village hall? Maybe you could put posters up? Maybe you could print some flyers, around here in my village we often get flyers through the door for all sorts of stuff, people did that during the pandemic as well to start groups etc. Sounds like quite a big commitment though. Are you up for that?