Other Forums for SN or ASD Only - Recommendations?

[Davros]

Hi Everyone

I don't use any other sites like MN. I am a member of several EGroups which function in a different way as you are not usually anonymous and its not so conversational. I'd like to know if anyone can recommend any exclusively SN or ASD ones? This is partly because of the recent upset on here and I just wondered if using a less general site would work better for me (as well as MN). Any advice or ideas? THANKS.

Well I don't feel uncomfortable but just wondered if somewhere SN/ASD specific would give me more or if it wouldn't be worth making the effort to get to know another bunch. I'll probably just stay here. I don't use MN nearly as much as I have in the past simply because I don't make the time (not that I don't have the time) but who knows how things will go in the future? I'm not going to leave MN though. TBH, maybe one of the things that makes MN so good is that it isn't only SN I'd also hate to be in an ASD-only environment (get enough of that without trying!) as I'd miss the news and info about MNers whose children have other disabilities, that probably keeps my eyes open more than anything.

Actually I think I've answered my own question

You did, just a leeetle a bit..

And I'd miss the news about all the other MNers. MN has certainly given me a lot of laughs over the last 3 or so years (ah, the bat).

thank you davros for what you said about other disability
i have in the past joined groups which have been just for cp and found it very limiting. even the school one that i run has it's drawbacks as you only get the views of people in the same boat.
I have learnt so much from here about asd and other disabilities which makes me a better person(sorry if that sounds trite but you can get stuck in your own bubble.)

I have posted on here for about , must be coming up to 4 years

and the arguments between people have got worse

But Rarely on the SN section. I find most are on the other threads, which I did start reading not long ago rather than just this section.

I thought it was a step forward that I was reading them! But it does get a bit hard reading about people worrrying if their baby isn't sitting at 2 months, not pointing at 3months and not walking my 4 months!!!!!!!!!!!!

In the end I found I didn't post any of my views as I may have got shouted down (I'm a bit of a wimp!!)

But again, I have never found that on this section

I have always found everyone to be a fantastic support and very friendly

In the first 2 years after Ellie was ill, this section and some of you were my life savers and there are still a handful of names I could reel off now that particulary stick out (Thank you)

I think arguments on a special needs group will be few and far between as we all have an idea what one another is going through and will try to support one another rather than just shouting down one anothers views

Sorry, load of waffle!!!!!

Mumsnet, and specifically the SN section has give me some really valuable information and support since I joined, which must be coming up to 2 years But sadly there does seem to be a minority out there (rarely on SN section) who seem to purposely pick up on comments which they then twist, scrutinise and spit out, not giving a damn how hurtful they are, I didn't think I'd ever see it amongst grown women and I'd love to know what they're really like in RL. However, the SN section very rarely comes across any of this bitchiness, you're all such a friendly bunch that I can't see myself ever leaving for good, even though I do hang around on other sites now and again.

My take on this is similar. A large strength of mumsnet for me is that it isn't just an ASD support group, that it does encompass any SN. I find this particularly helpful as often I find in RL that my daily issues are more similar to those of people with children who have disabilities other than ASD. (Which was also why I found it ludicrous to be told I needed to "imagine" what it might be like to have a very severe life limiting disability- because of the school ds1 attends those are the social circles (for want of a better word) that we mix in).

Also I like the way that SN has always been a bit of a safe haven- a place where debates usually don't take place, but where support is offered.

The reason the thread freaked me out wasn't because of a difference of opinion (bloody hell I'm used to those I also like to understand why people think differently to me, I find the more similar the circumstances the more similarly people think- hi Davros ), it was because a brand new poster came on, managed to completely misinterpret what was being said and then - and this was the thing that really got to me personally- refer to things that had been said 6 weeks ago (and completely misinterpret them as well). That left me unsure as to whether we were talking to a genuine long term lurker, or a name changer. Either way left me feeling vulnerable- I have been very open on here about the boys- and if the person was a long term lurker, I was horrified to realise how completely they were misinterpreting what I was saying. I feel as if I have been very stupid, and given far too much away of my 3 boys, and opened them to - I don't know what- but something that I still feel very uncomfortable about.

And tbh I don't know what to do really, another strength of mumsnet is its openess and the fact that people without kids with SN can post, but I also think it makes it vulnerable, and at the moment I am feeling very uncomfortable about posting anything personal at all.

Anyway I'm going to go and congratulate HITC, and go back to skulking on the sidelines. Thank you for all your messages on the other thread- they really touched me.....

Hurray! You're all staying!

Ds2 is now about the same age that ds1 was when I joined. And dd is about the same age that ds2 was when I joined. Eeek!

Hi, Jimjams! Welcome back, even if it's only a flying visit. I missed the JJ-impersonator thread but it must've been horrible for you.

Oh that thread didn't bother me, once MNHQ had confirmed that it was a brand new troll! It looks as if it was troll city that day anyway.

and NOW will you believe throwing my toys out of the pram had nothing to do with you dino??? Please!

so glad to see your name jimjams do hope you stay.

Glad to see you back Jimjams, I can totally see where you're coming from, just good to see you didn't stay away for good.

Yes dinosaur, there's about 9 months difference between our ds's. I remember this time last year, I was having a particularly bad week, upset about how ds hadn't been invited to a certain birthday party, and you kindly invited my ds to your ds's 6th birthday party up in London, that was really sweet of you. Glad to hear his birthday ran more smoothly this year and wasn't so stressful for you and your ds, but can't believe a year has passed so quickly.

Jimjams.
Glad to see you back again, even if you are only lurking.

I sat and nodded all the way through your post, so you obviously still have the jimjams magic

take care

emma.

I think Jimjams has hit the nail on the head when she says she is feeling vulnerable. That's how I felt after the long forgotten "old cow" thread! That other people were discussing ME personally on another forum! I think its also how Fio felt when she was googled and then CATd by a total newcomer. The time it happened to me really freaked me out. You forget how accessible MN is and we all behave and feel like we're in a community, which we are, but it is not closed to tourists iyswim! That's fine, thems the rules, but its easy to forget, especially when we are often digging deep into our experiences and knowledge etc.

YAY JIMJAMS IS BACK !!!!!!!