Published on 12, July, 2020
So, I managed to get along to the much anticipated monthly Aspergers/HFASD social group in my town this evening. The group itself was not really for me to be honest, largely due the the fact that I was the only female there. I don't of course have any issue with men it's just that men and women relate to each other in different ways and it would have been nice if the group had had a few other women that I could talk with. However, while I was there, one of the support workers who works there popped her head in the room an hour into the meeting and asked if she could have a chat with me in another room. She said that when woman do turn up to the group she had been asking them if they have considered starting up a facebook group for women with Aspergers/ASD in the local area with a view to facilitate social meet ups, as this was a much needed service as many women, like myself didn't feel that the 'official' social group was their cup of tea. She'd had no joy prior to me but I was happily able to say, well actually I have been planning to do exactly that and already have half of the planning for it done on my laptop. I'm so excited that I've decided to bite the bullet and get the group up and running tonight and tomorrow as not only will this create a useful resource for myself but it is clearly a much needed resource for other omen with Aspergers/ASD in my area. It was such a happy coincidence to have met that support worker this evening and it really gave me a lot more motivation and encouragement to just ignore my fears and just go for it with regards setting up the online group. A productive evening!
I've joined an Aspie group too. There's a huge variety of abilities and some have more difficulties than others with the whole social thing. I've never been to a group before where they are all 'like me'. There's a lot of phone-staring and eye-contact avoiding going on - but I suppose all being in the same room is a start..
It’s good isn’t it, not feeling like you have to hide yourself when you’re with your own kind?Yes lots of eye contact avoidance and conversation avoidance at the one I went to as well, though everyone livened up as the evening went on. I’m getting a female group up and running in my area but I’ll probably go to the ‘official’ local one again too. Are you going to keep going to the group you’ve joined?
I'm going again this afternoon. The thing that surprised me most was I thought Asperger's people were just like me - ultra-nerdy and high-functioning and mostly passing as 'normal' - but this group has a wide range of abilities so it's thrown me slightly - I'm having to work hard to communicate with everyone and I'm not sure where I stand with them. I suppose it must be how NTs feel when they get to know people like me.
I'm really pleased that you seem to be settling into the group a bit better. Hopefully it will transpire to be a valuable resource for you.
I seem to get on better with the older members - they seem to be more comfortable with who they are - the younger ones seem to be still trying to figure out who they want to be.
I feel more comfortable with knowlegdeable people are happy to chat about stuff, life, the universe and everything. If they're nerdy and into tech then more the better.
I'm really glad that you had a nice time at the club. It sounds like you made progress interacting with the other people there?
My Brain Injury was sudden too. I always think that an acute event is harder to come to terms with than an expected event, precisely because it is unexpected.
I know what you mean about not remembering names, I am absolutely terrible with names!