Support group experiences

I've done a couple of different support groups style things. One was highly structured and had a few (autistic and non autistic) facilitators. One of the things that really struck me was how easy things were that I'd struggled with at 'mixed' mental health support groups. The autistic peers also all always sat in the same seat, so I didn't need to worry about someone taking mine. We didn't look at each other while talking, that was fine. We also had a lot of developed coping methods in common (e.g. the vast majority of us used whiteboards, or flip charts or notebooks to have large visual lists of tasks).

I also did a less structured 'problem solving' peer support thing a few times. These were for people who had autism related challenges occurring or coming up to basically get together and brainstorm. That was online which I found more difficult but it seemed to be okay. I got some useful tips from people, a bit like this forum really. 

I personally felt that the main benefit was that we could relax a bit more, after a few sessions people stopped necessarily playing the neurotypical as much. What worked well was having a structured activity or structured topics that we were talking about, even if we brought those topics. Either specific talking points or a craft or puzzle or board games to do while socialising can happen around it.

I did also try a 'neurodiversity group' (not impressed with the name for a start) at university but it wasn't structured and it felt like there were much more clashes of needs. It was mostly people with ADHD, the two times I went there was one other autistic person there, and some of the needs run in common but some of the others seemed totally alien to everyone around me or I felt uncomfortable saying that actually no the things they were struggling with wasn't something I did. I also really struggled with working out when to speak as people were going faster than I could keep up with whereas in the autism groups I'd done we deliberately left gaps to give people a moment to process.  I'm sure some more general neurodivergent groups do work or they wouldn't exist, but that one really didn't, and I didn't go back after the second week. 

I've done a couple of different support groups style things. One was highly structured and had a few (autistic and non autistic) facilitators. One of the things that really struck me was how easy things were that I'd struggled with at 'mixed' mental health support groups. The autistic peers also all always sat in the same seat, so I didn't need to worry about someone taking mine. We didn't look at each other while talking, that was fine. We also had a lot of developed coping methods in common (e.g. the vast majority of us used whiteboards, or flip charts or notebooks to have large visual lists of tasks).

I also did a less structured 'problem solving' peer support thing a few times. These were for people who had autism related challenges occurring or coming up to basically get together and brainstorm. That was online which I found more difficult but it seemed to be okay. I got some useful tips from people, a bit like this forum really. 

I personally felt that the main benefit was that we could relax a bit more, after a few sessions people stopped necessarily playing the neurotypical as much. What worked well was having a structured activity or structured topics that we were talking about, even if we brought those topics. Either specific talking points or a craft or puzzle or board games to do while socialising can happen around it.

I did also try a 'neurodiversity group' (not impressed with the name for a start) at university but it wasn't structured and it felt like there were much more clashes of needs. It was mostly people with ADHD, the two times I went there was one other autistic person there, and some of the needs run in common but some of the others seemed totally alien to everyone around me or I felt uncomfortable saying that actually no the things they were struggling with wasn't something I did. I also really struggled with working out when to speak as people were going faster than I could keep up with whereas in the autism groups I'd done we deliberately left gaps to give people a moment to process.  I'm sure some more general neurodivergent groups do work or they wouldn't exist, but that one really didn't, and I didn't go back after the second week. 

This is invaluable information, thank you so much!

I'm heading out to work now, but I would like to read through what you’ve shared more closely later and perhaps ask a couple of follow up questions, if you don't mind. Absolutely no pressure to reply, of course.

Thanks again!