Calling parents of teenage children with hfasd/aspergers - can I ask for your views please?

[Iceflower]

My 15 year old dd (AS/PDA) has said she's "lonely" and would like to meet other children her age socially. Social groups/youth clubs/church groups/school stuff etc are not her thing.

I was discussing this today at my asd support group today, and there was a lot of interest and all agreed there was a need for "something", and there was nothing locally that would fit the bill.

We came up with an idea of setting up a webpage and children in the target group are invited to sign up. They suggest events and venues, how often meets would take place, and the chosen event is publicised on the page.

So for example, if a planetarium is chosen as a venue, children could sign up for the event and attend (perhaps at a group discount). There would be no pressure to join in with anything, or even to say anything. However the opportunity to meet and socialise would be there. The child could even decide when she got there to do her own thing!

They could provide feedback on line and perhaps chat online.

If there was something like this in your area, would you/your child be interested? Is this a good/bad idea? Obviously this is at its earliest stage and needs thinking about and fleshing out.

Thank you in advance for your help, and thanks for reading.

I have a 15 yr old with ASD and he would definitely be interested!
Especially if there were girls as in his own unique way he definitely full of hormones!!

Ds 14 with ASD might well be interested in online chat. Unlikely at the moment he'd agree to any face to face meetings but maybe with time. Certainly think it's a good idea. I have a cousin with an older son with AS who is involved in similar group.

DD is 14. She might not think she would be interested but I think I'd encourage her to be.

Yes we would be interested, and it is an excellent idea. DS1 attends a Base just for children with HFA / AS and being around kids like him has been the making of him, schoolwise.

Where are you based? I am studying ASD yet have not come across anything like this near us for the age group- the adults meet at the pub monthly via a NAS system but teens get forgotten. Yet often have it hardest.

It sounds like a good idea, the socialising my DS does is always based around a mutual interest. Only very recently has that become socialising in a more informal setting after an activity. He's 17.
Good luck with the concept, I hope it works!

Thank you everyone for taking the time to reply , it is very encouraging!

pinkorkid do you have any details of the group your cousin's son is involved in?

Great idea.
Ds ( 15) goes to a group for teens with aspergers. One week they have at a centre and the following week they have an outing (which they decide the week previously.)
Ds really likes it.. Likes the similar interests,intelligent conversation etc

Peachy I'm in Hampshire

troutpout that group sounds great!

Yes. Ds1 is desperate for some friends. He boards and there is no one that lives locally to us with whom he can just go and loaf around. He's 17. We are in the SE near a large airport!

The autism communication team (part of the LEA) in conjunction with the youth service run a weekly "chat n chill" youth group for 2 hours every week for children aged 13 to 19. My dd loves it. They have a variety of activities, like Lego, badminton, arts etc. they also took them to Chester zoo for the day in the summer. The local nas also run fortnightly ten pin bowling sessions.

The bowling is for the whole family and for children any age.

Sazale thanks for the info. I'm speaking to my local short breaks provider (part of the LA) to see if we can link in and get funding. It's good to know there's a precedence. Would you mind pm'ing me which LA?

precedent even

I tried to set up soemthing related- sibling club- and got nowhere with funding but I don;t think I went about it the right way: I woudl suggest linking with the NS just for advice, they often really help.

I've been struggling to find a name for such a venture.

What do you think of TeensMeet?

Iceflower, cousin's group are based in NI www.autismnetworkni.org.uk/membership.htm for anyone in this part of the world.

In our area (sounds like we may be near inaflap) National Autistic Society local branch do run social events/youth club type meetings but as far as I know not any kind of online support/chat service for teens themselves.

Think an asd teen version of mumsnet would be great. Certainly my ds can communicate online 10 times more effectively than face to face although dialogue usually admittedly limited to analysis of nintendo games - would like to see him expand his horizons and make some friendships.

Thanks pinkorkid that link looks great!

My local NAS branch does youth club thingies too, but dd would rather die than go to something like that :D. What we're thinking of is something along the lines of "ask what they are interested in, pick an activity/place, tell everyone where it is and when, they let us know if they are coming, and turn up if they want to. No pressure to do anything, meet or talk or socialise. It's enough just to know there will be likeminded people there.

Funny you mentioned a "teen version of mumsnet", if there was one, a teen snnet would be great!

Here is the link to the youth group
public.rgfl.org/Autism/Documents/Chat%20'n'%20Chill-Flyer.pdf
I'm in Rotherham and it is run as part of the short breaks provision. The Auism Communication Team also run a siblings scheme in the summer holidays. It's for a full week and they alternate days between trips out and just chilling and chatting about ASD and what it's like to have a sibling with ASD.

My dd ASD is 13 and only recently got a diagnosis. My DS 11 went to the siblings scheme for the first time this year and I thought he would hate the sharing feelings. At the end of the week he told me that was the best part!! They had chocolate eating competitions, outdoor adventure trip etc but he thought that was the best bit.

The contact number for them is on that link I'm sure if you rang they'd be happy to give info/advice. They've got some really nice staff.

sazale that looks absolutely amazing. Thank you so much for the info, I will look carefully into this!

Teen version of MN WOULD be great, I have AS and rely on internet social groups.

Ice wrt to the very casual nature, be aware that often you will end up with far more uptake than you expected- so some kind of register / waiting list will be necessary.

If you do want yet another place for advice, I used to run family groups for homestart and am close to completing an MA in Autism so feel free. Sounds like you have some fab links already though so good luck!