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Support group experiences

haciaelvacio

I live in a smaller city, but there don't seem to be any general peer support groups around as far as I know.

I’ve toyed with the thought of eventually trying to set something up (in person, or perhaps online), but the reality is that I’ve never actually attended one myself, and I don't know what to expect. I certainly don’t have the energy to take on anything like that at the moment, so this is purely an exploratory thought for the future.

My only real reference point is what I've seen depicted on TV (like the social groups in Astrid or Patience), and I suspect the reality is rather different.

I would love to hear from anyone who has experience attending, belonging to, or facilitating an autistic or neurodivergent group. What format actually worked well (or didn't)? What were the main benefits, and where were the friction points?

If anyone would like to share your thoughts, please feel free to reply here or via private message if preferred or more appropriate. I'd really appreciate your insights.

PS I may be slow to reply, but I will read everything and respond when capacity allows.

Parents

  • I attended a local support group until it changed venue and time. It was a huge mixed bag, what I hated the most was how every week it was different people, and some people were "good crack" as they say, and some weren't good team players, and that's putting it nicely. It was set up by a local autism charity which for a very small and remote area I cannot criticise to be honest, they did well and the staff were kind and helpful.

    It started off fine, a bit dry, a big issue is "adults" is a really broad category. An 18 year old is technically an adult, so is a 30 year old, and a 50 year old, and a 65 year old. I was the baby of the group barring a woman just one year younger. I never ever bonded with any service user, but at times it was pleasant and light hearted fun. I'll never forget a very nice older man explaining how fraking works. There was another man about a decade older than me I occasionally see around town, we exchange hello sometimes. I wouldn't say my interests are that rare but no one there shared mine at all. 

    Sadly when things are free they're open to abuse, enter the "neighbours". Two people who, conveniently, lived about 5 doors from each other, and yet both didn't know they had autism until they saw each other at the group....aye...yeah right.

    They were awful. I know this sounds like hyperbole, it really does, but please believe me when I tell you this was what the group became.

    Craig : Ah you'd have loved Robot Wars then!

    Me : Ah yeah, I remember Robot Wars, I think the last season I saw was the one with Tornado and-

    Neighbour 1 : DO YOU REMEMBER COLIN MITCHELL WHO LIVED NEAR BRENDA STEPHENSON I HEARD HIS SON NOW LIVES IN AUSTRALIA

    Neighbour 2: YES COLIN HE USED TO WORK AT THE FACTORY OFF THE INDUSTRIAL ESTATE THAT'S ABANDONED NOW

    I quit the group, but somehow, someway down the line it did come out neither were autistic. I don't know what their motives were and I'd doubt the service would divulge. Anyway, here's a funny one, one day Neighbour 2 turned up on his own, now THAT was funny. Every single person ignored him, and after about 30 minutes he walked out in a huff without saying a word, he looked absolutely fuming. "Hey hey, goodbye" comes to mind, but I can't lie as I type this ELO's Mr Blue Sky comes to mind, like a  big, ugly cloud leaving a room to give us a gorgeous blue sky. 

    A week or so later, an email went out, "a group for ADULTS WITH AUTISM". lol.

Reply

  • I attended a local support group until it changed venue and time. It was a huge mixed bag, what I hated the most was how every week it was different people, and some people were "good crack" as they say, and some weren't good team players, and that's putting it nicely. It was set up by a local autism charity which for a very small and remote area I cannot criticise to be honest, they did well and the staff were kind and helpful.

    It started off fine, a bit dry, a big issue is "adults" is a really broad category. An 18 year old is technically an adult, so is a 30 year old, and a 50 year old, and a 65 year old. I was the baby of the group barring a woman just one year younger. I never ever bonded with any service user, but at times it was pleasant and light hearted fun. I'll never forget a very nice older man explaining how fraking works. There was another man about a decade older than me I occasionally see around town, we exchange hello sometimes. I wouldn't say my interests are that rare but no one there shared mine at all. 

    Sadly when things are free they're open to abuse, enter the "neighbours". Two people who, conveniently, lived about 5 doors from each other, and yet both didn't know they had autism until they saw each other at the group....aye...yeah right.

    They were awful. I know this sounds like hyperbole, it really does, but please believe me when I tell you this was what the group became.

    Craig : Ah you'd have loved Robot Wars then!

    Me : Ah yeah, I remember Robot Wars, I think the last season I saw was the one with Tornado and-

    Neighbour 1 : DO YOU REMEMBER COLIN MITCHELL WHO LIVED NEAR BRENDA STEPHENSON I HEARD HIS SON NOW LIVES IN AUSTRALIA

    Neighbour 2: YES COLIN HE USED TO WORK AT THE FACTORY OFF THE INDUSTRIAL ESTATE THAT'S ABANDONED NOW

    I quit the group, but somehow, someway down the line it did come out neither were autistic. I don't know what their motives were and I'd doubt the service would divulge. Anyway, here's a funny one, one day Neighbour 2 turned up on his own, now THAT was funny. Every single person ignored him, and after about 30 minutes he walked out in a huff without saying a word, he looked absolutely fuming. "Hey hey, goodbye" comes to mind, but I can't lie as I type this ELO's Mr Blue Sky comes to mind, like a  big, ugly cloud leaving a room to give us a gorgeous blue sky. 

    A week or so later, an email went out, "a group for ADULTS WITH AUTISM". lol.

Children
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