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New idea for a website just for people on the spectrum

spektral

I have been here for a few months now and although it's a great idea, the forum is seriously lacking in features, active members, and it seems to have a much bigger presents of parents seeking answers rather than a social enviroment for people with an ASD. NAS is an excellent source for information, just not so great so social interaction.

Obviously I can totally understand why all you parents are here looking for answers and support and thats cool. Who better to ask than adults with experience of what your child is going through.

I have really enjoyed coming here and talking to people that for the most part, totally understand where I am coming from. Which is a first for me I can tell you!

I have been working on a website idea aimed at people with an ASD and for parents. It is based on a facebook type model, so profiles, friends, walls, the ability to share links and pictures, forums, possibly live chat.

I have also looked at creating an events style aspect too. So for people looking to meet others in a non support group type enviroment this would allow you to setup a meeting at a place and time and then others can say if they want to come or not.

It seems like me, a lot of people dont get on with facebook. It's a mess of useless, trivial information and generally just stresses me out. On the flipside it is a big part of a modern social life.

Is their any interest in this? It would take me quite a while to put together but thats not an issue. If it is of interest I would like to do it properly from the start with it setup in a way that people find useful, friendly and also in a way that is safe for everyone to use. 

In the long term I would also need people to help monitor and admin the site but thats a long way off yet.

  • Odd...

    It didn't seem that way from breifly browsing the site previously.

    Though maybe the .com predisposed me to thinking it wasn't a UK based site.

  • The admins are both UK based, there are alot of UK based members but there are also members from US, Canada, Singapore, Australia and a few different countries in Europe. Alot of the info such as benefits/freebies etc available to those on the spectrum are geared towards UK members because the site owners are UK based.

    I just think it's better on that site socially, you can actually get to know people and interact on a more personal level, this site is overly sterile to me. It's a shame because most UK people will find this website and it's forum as a first port of call when diagnosed / their child is diagnosed / looking for diagnosis. Hopefully some day NAS will have a much more user friendly forum and some of the functions Spektral mentioned.

  • Azpie said:

    I'm a member of a forum that has alot of the features you mentioned spektral, you might want to check it out incase it's more or less what your thinking of setting up as it would save you alot of time and there are already alot of members who post regularly. 

    http://www.aspiescentral.com

    I considered signing up to AspieCentral a while back, but realised that it was a not-UK-based site, and I find with those kinds of sites that they become so dominated by, usually, Americans, that it's fairly pointless any non-americans being there.

    So, I would like to see something based in the UK, predominantly for UK based people.

  • ..... I might be alone, but I quite like the restrictions on this forum......

    ......I am not saying that I wouldn't go on something with more functions though....

    .....I am a bit nervous of being too social....

    Wink

  • I'm a member of a forum that has alot of the features you mentioned spektral, you might want to check it out incase it's more or less what your thinking of setting up as it would save you alot of time and there are already alot of members who post regularly. 

    http://www.aspiescentral.com

    I tend not to come on here because there isn't much point, it's a mix of parents with kids on the spectrum and people like ourselves on the spectrum who probably want to socialise with others but with the severe lack of functions on here (even basic PM's) and the ban on personal info it makes it almost impossible to get to know people on a social level. 

  • I think this is a great idea, spektral.

  • Some NAS local groups are or were like that. I was on my local group but nothing much ever happened and I've forgotten my log on/password since.

    But there may be a NAS local discussion group.

  • ok thanks for that Wink

    I had a look and its still just a basic forum really. Here is a simple demo of the kind of thing I want to do

    http://templates.joomlart.com/ja_social/jomsocial.html

    Its quite like facebook really. You can start groups, upload videos, photos, add friends, have a profile page etc. It will also feature a mobile version for your phone. That example is a very basic demo on the software providers website, I have seen some very nicely layed out version around the web. 

  • Hi True Colors,

    Could you point me in the direction of that forum, I cant seem to find it.

    Thanks,