Separate forum/community for autistic adults ?

Although the debate keeps coming up, am a bit puzzled by its resurrection at this point in time.

You only have to read many forum postings to realise it is seen as a 'problem page' or 'agony aunt' site. It isn't being used as a forum much of the time, though a small group, mostly adults on the spectrum try to engage in topical discussions.

What has struck me is a lack of parents engaging in topical discussions. They consistently come on with a problem - any answers? Sometimes other parents respond, sometimes the adults feel they should try to help if the question goes unanswered. But I don't see much sign of parents engaging in topical discussions any more. They used to.

It has been suggested in the past that the adults on the spectrum 'put off' parents using the site, and if the adults were syphoned off into a separate forum, more parents would use the site again. Let's face it NAS is a big parents' group, and there is resentment of adults on the spectrum using the site. Lets shove the adults somewhere out the way.....

But there isn't a shortage of parents coming on, its just that the parents don't seem to want a chatty discussion group anymore, and I'm not convinced it is because the adult auties put them off. Maybe you can demonstrate it is the case, but this has been raised before and the proof hasn't been forthcoming.

The other major groups coming on here are adults who cannot get a diagnosis, parents of children who cannot get a diagnosis or statemeting, adults and parents of adults where PIP assessments are letting people down, and serious incidents arising in schools. These aren't discussion forum topics. They are people who cannot get answers from the Help Line, or anywhere else, and they come to the forum, often in desperation seeking that help. And NAS does nothing about it - apart from suggesting they use the help line or the website

In my view what kills the forum is not whether the adults need to be shoved off somewhere else so the parents can have the forum all to themselves (not that that isn't my suspicion that bubbles away below the surface).

The fact remains, and NAS can prevaricate all it likes, whatever the reasons, the Help Line isn't providing resolution and desperate people come on here instead.

If you want a solution sort out the Help Line. Don't blame the forum, and dont play the guilt trip/blame culture on the adults with autism!

Although the debate keeps coming up, am a bit puzzled by its resurrection at this point in time.

You only have to read many forum postings to realise it is seen as a 'problem page' or 'agony aunt' site. It isn't being used as a forum much of the time, though a small group, mostly adults on the spectrum try to engage in topical discussions.

What has struck me is a lack of parents engaging in topical discussions. They consistently come on with a problem - any answers? Sometimes other parents respond, sometimes the adults feel they should try to help if the question goes unanswered. But I don't see much sign of parents engaging in topical discussions any more. They used to.

It has been suggested in the past that the adults on the spectrum 'put off' parents using the site, and if the adults were syphoned off into a separate forum, more parents would use the site again. Let's face it NAS is a big parents' group, and there is resentment of adults on the spectrum using the site. Lets shove the adults somewhere out the way.....

But there isn't a shortage of parents coming on, its just that the parents don't seem to want a chatty discussion group anymore, and I'm not convinced it is because the adult auties put them off. Maybe you can demonstrate it is the case, but this has been raised before and the proof hasn't been forthcoming.

The other major groups coming on here are adults who cannot get a diagnosis, parents of children who cannot get a diagnosis or statemeting, adults and parents of adults where PIP assessments are letting people down, and serious incidents arising in schools. These aren't discussion forum topics. They are people who cannot get answers from the Help Line, or anywhere else, and they come to the forum, often in desperation seeking that help. And NAS does nothing about it - apart from suggesting they use the help line or the website

In my view what kills the forum is not whether the adults need to be shoved off somewhere else so the parents can have the forum all to themselves (not that that isn't my suspicion that bubbles away below the surface).

The fact remains, and NAS can prevaricate all it likes, whatever the reasons, the Help Line isn't providing resolution and desperate people come on here instead.

If you want a solution sort out the Help Line. Don't blame the forum, and dont play the guilt trip/blame culture on the adults with autism!