Would you want to be in an offline Aspie social group?

Post Reply New Topic

I don't think I'd fit in, even with people who have AS (like me).

2 people is seldom enough to stay in touch with just one social interaction, it usually takes more. That's not an Aspie thing, that's a human behavior trait.

Oh, I believe you don't bite.....judging from your avatar, I'm more concerned about probes.

No, it's not a joke thread, see my response to Cyberdad above for one of my rare forays into humor. I indicated in the OP that there was a "light-hearted" piece to this, but I am serious in my questions.

Through this thread I've found out that the social anxiety level on WP is even higher than I thought, which honestly upsets me. We're between .005 and .03 of the population, and yet there is almost no offline cultural activity to speak of.

I think we might lose sight of the benefits of offline interaction. Social interaction skills are much like fine motor skills, they need to be used to be maintained. Aspie offline meetings can be a step in building up skills that would lead to success in other areas. It is difficult to imagine an entry-level job these days that would'nt benefit from offline-developed skills.

I attend aspie groups every weekend. I like wrong planet too, but I prefer live meetings. Our meeting place is in my building, we talk about current issues for 2 hours and then go to a local pub/bar. Sometimes me and my best aspie friends (who live close by) meet up on both friday and saturday

I find the idea interesting hypothetically. In person, you'd have to roll up to my driveway, roll out a red carpet, and lay on the horn to get me out of my door. I have way too much social anxiety, and get very overwhelmed with new places. Now that I think about it, it may do me some good.

Absolutely. That's why I kinda gave up on a few groups I was in- most of the attendants showed up with their game boys and pokemon things, and wouldn't bother to look up unless you had stuff like that too. But I think they were more on the autistic side, and not aspergers. Anyway, the people who'd like to meet in person should get organized and do so! The only real problem is the distance.

Ditto

Well, I must say I got useful information from this poll, even through I'm not happy about the result I got.

I expected more support for offline meetings, but It looks like I underestimated the impact of social exclusion and the resulting anxiety.

I'm sorry but this made me bust a gut laughing.

Hmmm... Let's see what happens if we put 10 people who don't like to socialize together.

Comedic gold I tell you!

Lattes, welcome to WP. I see that TimTex already gave you the new member welcome as well.

I'm going to treat your post as if it was serious, if you're making a sarcastic joke, I apologize in advance.

Aspies often were/are socially excluded on a daily if not hourly basis, particularly during formative years. That sort of treatment often leads to severe social anxiety disorders. Unfortunately, most WP posters don't have the resources to go through a large amount of therapy, and few if any insurance companies are willing to foot the bill either. In many cases, the perceived "safest" form of voluntary social interaction may be an offline Aspie social group.

As I mentioned above,

I can see the benefit to meeting offline, mainly because since quiting my job and having kids, I'm finding less and less reason to leave the house, and the longer I'm at home, the less I want to leave. Which makes it harder when I do have to leave.
I would both be interested and terrified of meeting a whole bunch of aspie strangers. I'm overly curious about it, but that stupid anxiety...

Why not take the kids out instead of an AS group? I think it would be better for your life.

*edit* Man, I love that avatar.

I keep trying to get the courage up to go to the library with the kids... Taking the older one to swim lessons at the public park was very difficult though and I was forced to go. I keep trying. I can at least go to the store with them. I'm going to give the library another shot this Monday.

(thanks, that's Sackhead bunny. I dreamt of him and so I made him)

Funny thing actually, I'm gonna be visiting one of these myself next tuesday.

I'm somewhere between, excited to actually try something out and try to be social irl for practically the first time since diagnosis, and extremely nervous at the whole idea of meeting new people outside the front door.

So will be a interesting experience to be sure.

Although i will point out i don't think there's any fees or costs involved in the one i'm going to next week.