If you think that your young or adult autistic child won’t like it, keep reading because I used to think so, too.
When my grandson received his diagnosis at age two, I began to read about autism. First, I read books written by Autistic teens and adults. Then, I attended every workshop about autism in my area. As a result, I developed some definite ideas about autism.
When I found information about a monthly drop-in meeting, I decided to check it out. The meeting was held at the biggest IHOP restaurant I’ve ever seen. The attendees were scattered on two levels of the restaurant. The parents sat together and talked with one another. Preteens and teens were seated in booths, hiding behind their books. Some played video games on their devices. Adults on the spectrum sat apart from the others in their separate groups and talked.
I joined a parents’ table. The parents shared experiences and resources. I asked the parents if their kids had to be cajoled into coming to the meeting. They said no. In fact, the kids reminded them that it was time for the meeting and got upset if they couldn’t attend.
Halfway through. I looked back at the section where the pre-teens and teens were seated; the books had come down, and they were talking. The gamers were sharing their games.
I returned to the meeting several times, but they were getting too crowded. One of the parents, a nurse, agreed to start our separate Meetup meeting at the other end of the county.
Setting Up a New Autism Support Group
This is a voluntary position, so expect to put in effort without pay. The nurse mom and I opted to Co-Lead the group, so if one of us couldn’t come, there would always be someone in charge to set up, welcome everyone, and help the new people get situated.
We picked an IHOP near our homes. I spoke to the restaurant manager about the best day for large meetings. He said Mondays are slow days for restaurants, so we picked the third Monday of every month as our schedule.
Next, we posted the meeting on Meetup, listing the group name, time, dates, and location of the meetings. On meeting evenings, I went to the restaurant early to set up. The managers and staff kept changing. Most days, they didn’t know our group was scheduled to come that evening, but they were accommodating, and it worked out.
Our group grew.
The parents exchanged information and bonded. The kids got along and interacted with each other. Some siblings attended and contributed to the interactions. The autistic adults had their own area in the restaurant. I could see them talking but didn’t hear the discussions.
I kept busy getting the new attendees acclimated to our group. It worked. The restaurant closed, and we moved the meeting to another restaurant, where we had our own room, away from all the noise and bright lights.
Eventually, professionals began to contact us to present to our group, but we said no, thank you. The group meetings were about interactions, and we didn’t want our time together to be interrupted by lectures.
We had sign-in sheets and collected email addresses just in case there was a cancellation or a change of venue.
You Can Do It!
There’s no reason why you can’t get your own Autism Support Group started. You can use my experience as a blueprint for starting your own group. If you have the time to be there once a month, please consider setting up your own group in your area. Your community needs you.
Online support groups are great, but in-person support groups are better.
If you have questions, please ask them in the comments.