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2ukenkerl
Phoenix
Joined: Jul 20, 2007
Posts: 4286
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 Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2008 4:48 pm Post subject: My Experience with AANE |
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I went to "Asperger's Association
of New England" yesterday for "game and pizza night". It was interesting. The people DID range from seeming roughly "normal" to a bit off, and one seemed like he might have been on the lower end of HFA. Everyone was nice and accepting though.
My only regrets were getting there late because of dumb luck, and the games could have been a bit better. I think I might have liked one another group was playing better, though wikipedia said it requires "Social skills"! 
But I didn't know ANYTHING about it until I looked it up in wikipedia later.
Anyway, AANE is a little hard to get to, and I am seriously thinking about limiting such things, at least during the weekdays. Do any of you know other places near lexington MA? |
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archetype
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker
Joined: May 03, 2007
Age: 44
Posts: 74
Location: Connecticut, USA
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| Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2008 5:11 pm Post subject: |
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I looked at AANE, and all i saw was more humans making money for themselves. That is what they do, y'know.
i wrote them, and told them i was autistic, and that i was an autistic counselor for AS-Auts, and they wrote back, "Thanks for the information."
AANE is just another scam.
Next time you go, inquire about how much money the staff there makes, how much money the organizatin brings in, and how much money goes to Autistics.
Did you see how many people they have on their staff? Do we actually have to ask how many of the AANE staff are autistic?
They don't care about you anymore than they care about me; they're there to make easy money for themselves ... and they don't want to share it with me, or you, or anyone ... not even Autistics (for which they supposedly exist).
Enjoy your pizza ... while the director of AANE is dining on fine French cuisine.
If you want, my place is very cool, ad everyone can come over here and i have 9 rooms and 6 sofas and plenty of parking and free rides back and forth whenever and a big yard and a river (though it's too shallow to swim in). It's a big house with a lot of room i like people who speak the truth because there's nothing else to say, anyway, so no worries.
Or, i can come up yonder that-a-way, if there anyplace else but AANE, or someone/thing who wants money for 'my cause'.
Don't support AANE, don't go there; support ourselves, and leave them with the $$$nothing they deserve. If none of us go, they have no-one to make money off of, and maybe we can actually do something real for ourselves. The last thing i need is humans telling me who i am and how to socialize like them. The last thing i want is to be like them. They're the adults i swore i'd never become when i was a child; i never became them, after all.
So next time you go, have everyone leave with you and go somewhere else. I'll be here or meet you there.
- the Prince of Children and Elves
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- the Prince of Children and Elves |
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anbuend
Oak-Type Autie
Joined: Jul 06, 2004
Posts: 2982
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| Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2008 5:51 pm Post subject: |
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Let's see -- the board of directors is as follows:
Hank Miller, President
Phil Schwarz, Vice President
Jan Saglio, Treasurer
Elsa Abele, CCC-SLP
Gyasi Burks-Abbott, MLS
Bonnie Betters-Reed, Ph.D.
Eileen Costello, M.D.
William Flaherty
Judy Gooen, MS, OTR/L
Dave Harmon, President Emeritus
Dorothy Lucci, C.A.G.S.
Elizabeth McLaughlin, Esq.
Scott McLeod, Ph.D.
Jane Mildred, ACSW, Ph.D.
David Pauls, Ph.D.
Grace Peng
Barbara Rosenn, Psy.D.
Daniel Rosenn, M.D.
Nancy Schwartz, M.S.W.
Stephen Shore, M.A. Ph.D., President Emeritus
(Shelley Viles)
Michael Wilcox
I know Phil Schwarz (Vice President) relatively well (for approximately ten years) and have met Stephen Shore (President Emeritus). Both are autistic, Phil is also a parent of an autistic boy, and Stephen Shore is also an autism professional.
I am sure I saw lots of other autistic people at the meeting I attended, but I don't know their names and wouldn't recognize their faces. I'm not sure about any of the other people on the board, just because of lack of knowing their names.
I'm going to do a bit of googling and I'll bold any names that are autistic people. Their website says the board is made up of a combination of autistic people, non-autistic family members, and professionals. At any rate, I'll keep updating as I find more out. I'll also put parentheses around names that are clearly (at least from published information) not autistic people (such as if they're listed as parents but nothing's mentioned about whether they're autistic).
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"We may seem in the gutter from up there where you are but maybe you don't know we still see the same stars." -Donna Williams |
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vivreestesperer
Pileated woodpecker
Joined: Jun 26, 2004
Posts: 188
Location: Maine/Baltimore
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| Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2008 6:57 pm Post subject: |
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| I think AANE is a great org. I wish I lived there and could go go to their support groups. They do a great job offering support and services to people with AS. I went there once to meet with one of them. And I know Phil and Stephen, they are great guys. |
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Triangular_Trees
What is right is sometimes found on the left.
Joined: Jul 18, 2007
Posts: 1610
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| Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2008 7:40 pm Post subject: |
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Okay I'm going to be driven insane until I figure out which game you are talking about that requires social skills.
it doesn't appear to be any on the first page of google results |
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Silver_Meteor
Phoenix
Joined: Jul 11, 2007
Posts: 984
Location: North Kingstown, Rhode Island, USA
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| Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2008 8:03 pm Post subject: |
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I was thinking about whether to bring this topic up since I went to a meeting of the RI chapter of the AANE about 1 1/2 weeks ago. I felt a little bit strange though since this was the first Asperger support group in my life I have ever attended. The Rhode Island Chapter holds its regular meetings the first Tuesday of every month at Bradley Hospital in East Providence, RI.
I don't think the membership dues are all that unreasonable. It costs $30/year. The meeting itself (when I was there) is basically an informal discussion group with a moderator where you can talk about whatever is on your mind. It was a relatively small group but then again I was in the group for adults with Aspergers. You have to be a member in order to gain access to pizza night which is a separate event. Actually, they did have pizza and coca-cola at the regular meeting I went to. The only drawback is that they won't meet during July and August.
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Diagnosed with Autism/Childhood Schizophrenia early 60s. Today, I would have Asperger Syndrome |
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krex
Phoenix
Joined: Jun 21, 2006
Age: 44
Posts: 4972
Location: Village of the Damned
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| Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2008 8:58 pm Post subject: |
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Do any of thee place offer resources in employment. I need that a lot more then learning how to chat.
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2ukenkerl
Phoenix
Joined: Jul 20, 2007
Posts: 4286
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| Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2008 9:06 pm Post subject: |
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| Triangular_Trees wrote: | Okay I'm going to be driven insane until I figure out which game you are talking about that requires social skills.
it doesn't appear to be any on the first page of google results |
Gee, I don't want THAT!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apples_to_Apples
Look at the right sidebar!
I was not declaring support or hatred. As for what skills they help with, they have a support group. I am thinking about going THERE. They ALSO seem to help in some ways. There were two thankyou notes from kids regarding help and grants.
Anyway, I can only give you PRIMARY impressions. MAYBE I will go again, etc... I just have some problems with the area, etc... |
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Triangular_Trees
What is right is sometimes found on the left.
Joined: Jul 18, 2007
Posts: 1610
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| Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2008 9:13 pm Post subject: |
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| i don't see why you need social skills for that game - at least not beyond the ability to talk and not to get angry when your choice is looked down upon |
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anbuend
Oak-Type Autie
Joined: Jul 06, 2004
Posts: 2982
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| Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2008 9:17 pm Post subject: |
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And, yeah, I'm not particularly against them either, I was just intrigued by the question of how many autistic people were on the board, since I know a couple autistic board members.
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"We may seem in the gutter from up there where you are but maybe you don't know we still see the same stars." -Donna Williams |
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2ukenkerl
Phoenix
Joined: Jul 20, 2007
Posts: 4286
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| Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2008 11:33 pm Post subject: |
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| anbuend wrote: | | And, yeah, I'm not particularly against them either, I was just intrigued by the question of how many autistic people were on the board, since I know a couple autistic board members. |
I was referring to archetype, and not you. YOU answered archetype earlier.
Triangular Trees,
I agree. Go figure. |
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Belfast
Vast Ambivalence
Joined: Jul 18, 2005
Age: 35
Posts: 1568
Location: New England
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| Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2008 3:59 am Post subject: Re: My Experience with AANE |
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| 2ukenkerl wrote: | I went to "Asperger's Association
of New England" yesterday for "game and pizza night". It was interesting. The people DID range from seeming roughly "normal" to a bit off, and one seemed like he might have been on the lower end of HFA. Everyone was nice and accepting though.
My only regrets were getting there late because of dumb luck, and the games could have been a bit better. I think I might have liked one another group was playing better, though wikipedia said it requires "Social skills"! 8O
But I didn't know ANYTHING about it until I looked it up in wikipedia later.
Anyway, AANE is a little hard to get to, and I am seriously thinking about limiting such things, at least during the weekdays. Do any of you know other places near lexington MA? |
Thanks for sharing what it was like.
I signed up for year's membership last year, in order to go to a couple conferences (way too many people !) they held (and made the arduous commute to attend). I was so freaked-out with anxiety & discomfort (room full of people, and strangers at that) so I can't objectively describe how it was. Nor can I guess how it might have been for myself-were I able to have opportunity to get used to the situation (or for others, in absence of overwhelming anxiety).
I've never been to one of their regularly scheduled things for people with ASD's, in part because the locations are too far away from me. Isn't worth investment of time, effort, and money to go for just a couple hours when the travel time is couple hours each way (so I wouldn't be returning, thus no point in joining one of the smaller groups). Even though I live in New England, I'm not close enough to the places in Mass. that they meet.
My complaint is that AANE hasn't sufficient reach into my geographical region, but I don't bear the organization ill will-they've got some great articles (as I've mentioned & linked to here on WP before) on their website.
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