Support groups

I've found that although groups say they're for adults, what they seem to mean is people who've just come out of education or childrens services. Thats great but it dosen't fulfil my needs as an older person, I wonder how many people's needs are fulfilled?

I would like to meet people around my own age to do things with, or who would at least understand why I don't do things. It would be good to have some mutual support. But my guess is that because I don't do tech very well I would still struggle, but maybe there would be someone who would understand and be able to help me?

You've asked the right question as mine is a want not a need. I want to meet more autistic people, have engaging and effortless conversations without judgement, and learn more about the autistic experience to understand what are common experiences within our community, and what remain my own unique quirks. Not a difficult ask. 

Exactly the same in my area, there are a few things, but everything I have ever come across has been for children/teenagers. Autistic adults, absolutely nothing. Even my therapist was suprised how little there was after having a check for me a year or two ago

I have always found it quite puzzling how little [or rather no] support there seems to be out there for something which isn't what you would call rare

Very few in my area of the country.

There is one that meets once a month at a library but I didn't find it that useful. My autistic traits seemed more prominent for a few days after a meeting so I stopped going. It's not regular due to the person organising it having other work and personal commitments.

When I was under adult mental health services (or my region's excuse for it anyway,) they wanted me to go to group therapy. I declined as I don't do groups of strangers, and would find that kind of environment competitive as if it was an unspoken challenge of who can be the illest. 

If 1-2% of people are autistic, then in my local town 7 miles away, which is large by English town sizes, there should be over 3,500 autistic people, more if surrounding villages are considered. If 10% wanted to meet it should be easy. But there is nothing I can find.

In the surrounding 3 towns I am not sure there is anything either. The only thing I found was really for children and carers 

I wonder if there is scope to organise something, but I'm not sure how to do it and whether anyone would look. Also doing a thing publicly might be awkward if people take exception. I wonder if there are things but they are a bit underground and it is all a bit secret, and I am not in the club.

I wondered whether to give a talk in my local village hall and see if anyone came. I know there are a few children locally. Perhaps some adults might be interested. I've spoken at international technical meetings in the past, but doing this seems more scary.

I realised years ago that I am not a fan of support groups, whatever condition they might be supporting. 

I would like to be a member of a special interest group for older adults with low support needs. I’m thinking walking, archaeology, canines, horses, history, museums or Italian. The special interest groups near me attract younger people with mixed support needs. 

Its terrible that so many of you have not even had a response, it makes me wonder if the groups are still operational? 

My experience left me wondering what the group was for? They asked what I wanted help with and whatever I said they seemed unable to do it, even asking for help with tech wasn't something they could do, all I got was a list of organisations I could contact for help, which after weeks of phoning different organisations ended up with two women sitting in my kitchen with a lap, showing the cheapest two smart phones I could buy in the local shops! Like I didn't know that myself! They seemed mystified that as an autistic person I wasn't tech savy, it seems to be a trope that all autistic people must be better than average at tech. I spent 20 mins of the intitial phone call explaing to them how poor my skills are they seemed to understand, until they said they'd send me a link for a zoom type call which I had no means of doing.

If you were asked what you wanted help with, what would you aske for?

No luck so far.

There is one over here (Scotland). I was quite interested.

I have tried to contact (phone, email, facebook) them, but never got a reply.

My psychologist messaged them but no luck either.

I should drop in, but I am shy and feel odd doing that. So I am trying to just use this forum.

mp500 said:

it just says 'autism' and 'neurodiversity', so I don't know whether it includes things like Aspergers syndrome or not.

Aspergers is what is now called "high functioning autism" and autism is under the neurodiversity umbrella so it will be covered. I think it was replaced as a diagnosis in 2013 so you would now be diagnosed just as autistic (high or low functioning).

Nope.

I haven't tried any and I don't particularly want to. 

There is one in my area which is NHS funded but it just says 'autism' and 'neurodiversity', so I don't know whether it includes things like Aspergers syndrome or not.

I'm in the UK and contacted the NAS Gloucestershire Group on a few occasions but I've never heard anything back, which is disappointing as I'm keen to meet other autistic people. When the group specifically set up to help doesn't even respond you feel even more isolated. I've been wondering for a while about organising meet ups for walks in the countryside, but it's hard to find a platform where there are lots of autistic people and you're allowed to share personal details to organise in person meetings. The safety guard rails on platforms like this are also barriers to inclusion. There has to be a way to connect whilst also ensuring the platform aren't responsible for individual choices; we're at greater risk without any support networks than we are meeting other autistics.  

It seems the same here too in rural Wales, there is one that cover the whole of North Wales, but they're poor quality and I honestly don't know what they're for

I feel like here in the States the only ones I’ve heard of are in major metropolitan areas. And I DEFINITELY don’t want to go into a city for help lol

I get enough anxiety just driving on country roads.