Autism Support

[Casidei]

Contact Sam Firehawk (samry81) for more information on his Autism Support Group.

 

 

Background on me

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I have been around SL a very long time and I have suspected that I had a form of autism for a long time, but only recently got diagnosed. I have background as a DJ in SL and also enjoy building.

 

 

Origins of the group

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Second life is a most underused resource for autism support which I want to change. Second life removes all the social barriers that the real world puts in place for people on the spectrum and promotes communication. I am bringing people on the autism spectrum together, so we can help each other and also reach out and help others who have questions about autism like parents etc.

 

When I was officially diagnosed a year ago, I started looking more closely at the autism groups in SL, and I couldn't find the help I was hoping to find, but quickly became disappointed with how inefficient these groups were. This got me thinking: "What if we started a peer-to-peer support and social group?" And that's how 'Aspies Together' was born. It started out as just a group, but we were very lucky to get a kind land donation which is our current home.

 

The club house consists of 4 levels: Downstairs is the club for live DJ events; 2nd floor is the quiet meeting area for our group sessions; 3rd floor is our soon to open store, where we will sell autism related products; and the 4th floor is our roof terrace.

 

Current Events

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Monday - 8am - 10am - Live DJ Sam Firehawk

Thursday - 12pm - 1pm - Group session lead by Sam Firehawk with a different theme each week

Saturday - 12pm - 1pm - Group session lead by Kayla with a different theme each week

Sunday 12pm - 2pm Live DJ Yvette

 

 

Ideas for the future:

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In the future I would love to be able to offer free/cheap housing rentals for people on the autism spectrum, as having their own home and space is very important. I would like to offer tutoring on building, while also providing them free space to advertise and sell the goods they create. I would also like to offer tutoring in Dj'ing as any skills they develop will help their confidence and feeling of self worth.

 

We have had steady growth and recently took on more land so we can now start to offer free housing for group members within Second Life. I know we can do more, and with your help we can expand further, and start to transition our services to RL. Taking our group sessions into the real world, campaigning for acceptance for all on the spectrum. We are just about to launch an RL T-shirt campaign to raise funds, so exciting times are ahead.

 

What is Autism:

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First of all its a spectrum condition, meaning no two people with it are the same, as you can have elements from all over the spectrum. Autism is a mental condition, present from early childhood, and characterized by great difficulty in communicating and forming relationships with other people, and in using language and abstract concepts.

 

Asperger syndrome is an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) considered to be on the “high functioning” end of the spectrum. Affected children and adults have difficulty with social interactions and exhibit a restricted range of interests and/or repetitive behaviors.

 

 

Why does Second life help people with Autism

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Second Life removes so many of the obstacles to social interaction which get in the way in the real world. It gives people with autism freedom to express themselves as they wish, which may not be possible in the real world due to people's reactions. It's rather sad that the real world can be very harsh and critical of people on the spectrum, due the fact that anyone with autism doesn't fit neatly into the box that society considers "normal". I am fully aware of the TOS of second life and will never allow any member to break that while at the same time allowing them all to express themselves as they wish within the TOS.

 

 

Ways to contact us

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Website aspiestogether.com

Email: samfirehawk@aspiestogether.com

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Aspies-Together/1593876807530002?sk=likes&ref=page_internal