Aspergers Disorder Online Communities

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If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with Asperger's Disorder, you might be interested in learning that there are some wonderfully vibrant and active online communities for such individuals. Briefly, people with Asperger's Disorder typically display unusual behavior in childhood and often have significant struggles in the area of forming relationships and other aspects of social life. They may also be physically clumsy and struggle with sports. Many people with Asperger's Disorder become utterly fascinated by one particular subject (often one that is related to mechanics and/or engineering) to the exclusion of other subjects. For instance, some become absorbed by trains, others by cars, others by certain types of statistics.

Many people with Asperger's Disorder are skilled with computers and Internet Technology. Consequently, some wonderful online communities have sprung up. One of the most well known online forums is WrongPlanet.com. This is an online space where people with Asperger's can gather and talk about the challenges they face, treatments they have tried, successes they have had. It is probably the most prominent of all such communities, having been around for a while, and having gained the respect of the community.

There are also several regional online communities. What's great about regional online communities for people with Asperger's Disorder is that they can meet online at first, and then perhaps get together offline if they so desire. So, if you are interested in finding any local or regional meet up groups for people with Asperger's Disorder for yourself or someone you love, you might want to Google the name of your city and state along with the phrases "Asperger's Disorder" and "online community."

OASIS, which stands for Online Asperger Syndrome Information and Support is another online community and resource for people with Asperger's. This particular site features many different resources for children, teens and adults with this diagnosis, as well as information about specific schools and conferences, legal matters, social skills, books, and other issues of interest.

Speaking of books, one book you might be interested in reading is the bestselling memoir Look Me In The Eye by John Elder Robison, who writes with great courage, and unflinching honesty about his own youth, growing up with undiagnosed Asperger's Disorder. (He was not officially diagnosed until he was a grown man in his forties, and as you can well imagine, there was a great deal of emotional pain associated with not being officially diagnosed during all those long, confusing years of his youth and early adulthood.)