Our beginnings
The vision to start a support group began in
the year 2000 when my own journey into awareness of Asperger's
Syndrome began. I first heard the words "Asperger's Syndrome" in
July of that year, and the description seemed to explain the behaviours
my own husband was manifesting. I had no idea it was related to
Autism, I didn't know what Autism really was anyway, and I had
no idea to contact the local Autism Association for information
or a referral. The urgency to find information and advice quickly
consumed me and I learned to use the internet. I launched several
distressed emails to several websites, one of these being in the
UK and the response came back to contact my local Autism Association.
Another website I contacted was the Asperger Syndrome Australian
Information Centre run by a wonderful guy named Mitch in South
Australia. Mitch conversed with me by email and provided some life-saving
answers and a priceless human connection for me. Mitch continues
to be a source of encouragement, support and inspiration for me,
and he is very supportive of our support group, listing it on his
website to help partners find us. I believe it was also during
this time that I was made aware of the FAAAS website where much
helpful information is provided.
The NSW Autism Association, now known as Autism
Spectrum Australia (ASPECT) was able to provide me with the names
of several psychologists in Sydney. In October 2000 we consulted
with one of these psychologists, and a very wonderful and supportive
connection began and has continued. It was through this psychologist
that I was given the opportunity early in 2001 to meet Lyn, whose
husband also had Asperger's Syndrome. Lyn and I became firm friends
instantly and experienced together those first amazing feelings of
validation and relief that come when you finally find someone who
knows what you're talking about, who lives through the same experiences
and you don't have to try and describe the context or behaviours
or suffer the knock-back or minimisation or skepticism or rejection.
Gradually, through an online mailing list and by leaving contact
details with the Autism Association, we began to build up a small
group which, by early 2003 had grown to around 6. We would meet from
time to time and have coffee or picnics and found these times to
be like a life-line for us. In May 2003 The Autism Association held
a Partner Forum at Macquarie University during Autism Awareness Week.
There were about 24 partners in attendance at this forum and we all
came away excited and inspired by having been together and shared
our experiences. It was at this forum that Anthony Warren of the
Autism Association allowed me to announce and launch GRASP, a support
group for spouses and partners (and ex-partners).
We commenced meetings on 7 June 2003 at Parramatta RSL Club, who
allowed us to use the Lachlan Room free of charge. In January 2006,
needing a new venue due to larger numbers, we moved our meetings
to the College of Nursing at Burwood (NSW).
The idea of a support group was born from those first feelings of
desperation at not being able to find someone nearby who understood
and could help. A passion began to grow within me to do something
to help others, to somehow be or provide a connecting point for others
at the beginning of their journeys.
Over the last two years our meetings have grown
from around 5 or 6 to our present attendances of 25 - 30. Our contact
list has grown to around 200. We have regular contributions from
three excellent Sydney-based psychologists who have spoken at our
meetings, provided us with helpful information sheets and are available
for professional consultations. We are also building up a list
of other very helpful contacts. We have been approached several
times now by journalists researching Asperger's Syndrome, with
a very exciting article called "A
Syndrome for Success" being published in the Sydney Morning
Herald on 9 June 2005 in which one of our couples was interviewed
and our contact details were listed. We received 40 enquiries as
a result of this article alone.
Incorporating as an Association has been a dream for
a long time, but as a group, and also as individuals, I don't believe
we were ready for this step until recently. There are many things
we would like to achieve from the springboard of now being a legal
entity. Our priority, as always, will be to continue to provide information
and support to those who enquire or attend our meetings, but other
priorities involve the need to increase awareness within our general
community and urgently among those in the help professions, particularly
counsellors, psychologists, doctors and psychiatrists who are often
the portal through which many couples and partners seek help and
Asperger's Syndrome is not being recognised or identified.
- Carol Grigg |
