My son is 19 and he has Aspergers. He desperately needs friends. How can I find them?

Question

He is 19 and has Aspergers Syndrome. He wants friends desperately. He is really interested in rock music / Alternative rock Jetjhro Tull / Rush/ etc. He would love to spend a little time with people who have the same interests but how do I find these? Any suggestions?

Answer 1

If he is out of a the high school level.  Have you thought about putting him in a day program.  (vocational program)  I did my college internship at a place with a variety of clients with all sorts of disabilities during the day.

They socialize, do activities & some of them go to work apart of their plan.

Answer 2

I agree with the support groups. Might want to check with adult services, Church groups, ect.

Answer 3

Ok... a really good website i know is wrongplanet.net, it's a forum and is run by people with asperger syndrome for people with it. If thats no luck then having a look for some asperger support groups in the area would be a good idea.

Answer 4

Contact the local chapters of the ARC, Easter Seals and any of the autism support/awareness groups.  Many of them have social groups organized for people on the spectrum and thier families.  If he is still in the school system, they may also have information on groups.  Another option is to look for social skills groups run by developmental psychologists.  Yes, there is a cost to this and it is not always covered by insurance BUT it will let your son meet other young adults with similiar issues, practice his social skills in a "safe" enviroment and give him the tools he needs to maintain these friendships outside of sessions.

Answer 5

I'm 19 and have Asperger's as well. Does he go to college? If so, he should look around for some clubs. Try Meetup.com for AS groups in your area (trying to get one started for my school), as well as Meetups for others. I am so bad at making friends and I'm constantly by myself, but the trick is to just be yourself (if you try to force him to be someone he isn't it'll backfire) and the people that like you will find you. So far I've gotten involved around campus this year (game tournaments, movie nights, etc) and I'm slowly starting to meet people. Going to college will really help him find people with his interests, and especially if he takes guitar classes/goes to shows (he'll meet people). They have things like Guitar Hero tournaments once a month here that a lot of people who like his style of music go to. There's really not much else you can do to "force" a friendship with an Aspie....nature of the beast.

Answer 6

search for groups in your area that have the same interests, or check local clubs/bars that showcase alternative rock music bands.

Answer 7

look and see if there are any support groups for people with Aspergers syndrome near you, if not perhaps he can start one.

Answer 8

I run a National Autistic Society help group in the north of the UK, we have groups for parents, siblings, young children, young adults and older people. My best advice is to telephone the NAS helpline and ask what groups or befriending schemes are available in your area for your son. All the groups we run are really popular and we have organised activities or you can do what you want to do. If the NAS cannot help you talk to parents of other children with Aspergers and ask them what is available. You should find there is quite a lot for your son to do.