Meeting more Autistic people my age.

Hello. I am 32. I recently came to understand I am autistic and I am still trying to figure it out. 

I don't have many friends, just one who is also autistic. But I have a therapist and a personal trainer who are autistic which has been a massive help. However I have to pay to see them and can't form a friendship with them outside of that. I also want to know more people my age too which is important for me. I have very little social experience and struggling getting to know new people. I also don't like groups of people, so I like one on one interactions. 

I do seem to find it much easier to connect with other autistic people too. I just want to make a proper friend who I feel I can just ring anytime and chat or whatever. I have never had that sort of friendship since I left school. 

So is there any resources or groups anyone knows which supports people in my situation. It would have been much easier in my early 20's I think to find stuff.  

Parents
  • Hi and welcome to the community! Wave

    Unfortunately, it's not uncommon for us to feel lonely and isolated. 

    You might find some of the advice in these articles helpful:

    NAS - Loneliness - includes links to other examples of autistic people's experiences of loneliness and how they cope.

    NAS - Making friends - a guide for autistic adults

    You might like to consider asking your GP to refer you to your local social prescriber. I've had a course of appointments with ours, which I found very helpful. 

    Their role is to develop a personalised care and support plan that meets your social needs, as well as your practical and emotional needs. This could definitely include helping you to find friends - including doing research on your behalf, if they're not yet aware of any socialising opportunities that would meet your goals.

    The article below explains more (it relates to England, but the same model operates throughout the UK):

    NHS England - Social prescribing

    You might also be able to find some socialising opportunities via the the NAS's directory, or through a local NAS branch:

    NAS - Autism Services Directory

    NAS - Branches

    As a final suggestion, you could search on Facebook and/or Google for any local groups that might fit with your interests and hobbies.

Reply
  • Hi and welcome to the community! Wave

    Unfortunately, it's not uncommon for us to feel lonely and isolated. 

    You might find some of the advice in these articles helpful:

    NAS - Loneliness - includes links to other examples of autistic people's experiences of loneliness and how they cope.

    NAS - Making friends - a guide for autistic adults

    You might like to consider asking your GP to refer you to your local social prescriber. I've had a course of appointments with ours, which I found very helpful. 

    Their role is to develop a personalised care and support plan that meets your social needs, as well as your practical and emotional needs. This could definitely include helping you to find friends - including doing research on your behalf, if they're not yet aware of any socialising opportunities that would meet your goals.

    The article below explains more (it relates to England, but the same model operates throughout the UK):

    NHS England - Social prescribing

    You might also be able to find some socialising opportunities via the the NAS's directory, or through a local NAS branch:

    NAS - Autism Services Directory

    NAS - Branches

    As a final suggestion, you could search on Facebook and/or Google for any local groups that might fit with your interests and hobbies.

Children
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