A community work and play place for mid to HF individuals

[I love roses]

There is a place called www.thistlefarms.org. They provide nice housing and let prostitutes get off the street and work there. They own a bistro cafe’ and coffee and tea bar and they manufacture beauty products and get their Moranga tea from indigenous countries and argan oil from Africa to also help the third world poor. The prostutites get to rehab and and have a nice savings account to get back into society. Another one is Meraki Roasting Company but it is for people who live off site in their own homes. I like their business model. I’m not into rehabbing people.

But my actual question is.... Would HF Autistics or Aspies want to live in a working community where everyone was on the spectrum, perhaps higher end of it. Would they get along any better being with their own, or would the mix of the spectrum in so many people make it far worse.

I’m sure most people just want to live a regular life but would it be a draw for some people? What is the likelihood of that. It would be communal but everyone would have their own private room or little houses and private money. It wouldn’t be egalitarian and they could leave any time and not be tied to it.

Would it provide acceptance and a family feeling for some people? Could it be positive? Could it be a farm to table, a business, a craft, restaurant, art, music, a school of the arts, or a combination of any? Any thoughts on this?

I thought about monastic life but I’m not sure I’d want a vowed life. I would want it to be modern and not like the old hippie stereotype commune. I get these ideas but I don’t see how I could really start it up alone. But I have access to a lot of art and business grants in my state because of economic depression. So businesses like this have been thriving and they tie well into tourism here. If it did well it would bring awareness to those that did business with us that they are doing all business with only Autistics and help remove the stigma and it might be beneficial to us but I don’t know.

 

[Judge]

Interesting question. Though the matter of coexisting with other people on the spectrum might ultimately be secondary to the basic question of people wanting to exist and work in a truly communal environment.

IMO my most productive and satisfying moments as a working adult involved the least amount of human interactions.

 

[I love roses]

I’m not even sure i’d want to be truly communal. Maybe just a common place to work or do artsie stuff and people just live somewhere in town where we could visit if we chose to.

I don’t want to be tied down to where it is a severe burden but at the same time I don’t have a lot of people in my life. A lot of family has died, one i was always close to became ill and on pain meds and I had to go no contact with that one.

Then my son was disappointed when i declined babysitting foster kids with behavior issues and so he went no contact cause he didn’t get what he wanted and I had a melt down because one kid was doing some pretty bad stuff and my son wasn’t up front with me about how bad he was.

So sometimes I want community but don’t know how to get it. When I belonged to a biker ministry that was family. But I let go of Harley riding and all that. Once I ran a boarding house with people from my church, we were single and that was awesome so we did lots of things together and with others from other group houses. We just grouped up because rent was so high where we all were.

I thought i’d being a Franciscan or or Benedictine but they would mostly be on line contacts and they demand a monthly donation based on income and at least 25 hours a week of study as a novice to be approved. It is a lot of work that I don’t know what my yield of return is for my life.

While I like meditation, I don’t like five times a day set prayers and to read through all 150 psalms every three weeks with the tons of other readings. It doesn’t allow time to think.

But some of their work on the side in the more communal ones together as opposed to the dispersed groups is really cool. Some make furniture. Some make handmade coffins. .some make food items. Some make icons as religious art, some farm, some teach meditation and offer hospitality, some run restaurants. It looks fairy tale on the outside though they will tell you they have issues like anyone.

But then I think I’d get bored with it all. So I think there would have to be a draw to include the public and change up activities and have music entertainment or something like a coffee house. Before I did anything like that I’d probably need to go stay and at place like that a while that already exists.

 

[Progster]

But my actual question is.... Would HF Autistics or Aspies want to live in a working community where everyone was on the spectrum, perhaps higher end of it. Would they get along any better being with their own, or would the mix of the spectrum in so many people make it far worse.

People on the spectrum value their individuality and independence, and generally like to have control over their environment, freedom to express themselves as they wish and be who they are without judgement. They generally prefer working on their own over working with other people. They like to do things of their own choice, not out of obligation, and need to have their own space - sharing accommodation or living too close to others probably wouldn't work. They may or may not seek out interaction with others. Given these factors, I think that a loosly connected community of houses where everyone does their own thing and there aren't too many rules or other obligations to the community might work. However, it doesn't follow that people on the spectrum would necessarily get on well with each other, given the range of personalities and sensory issues - some would, some wouldn't, just as it is in society as a whole.

 

[I love roses]

I haven’t tried such a thing so I’m not even sure I could. I just seem to desire a family feeling at times. Back before psychology came along my real family was half crazy but we thought it was normal and accepted each other. However, I had seven room mates at once and for some reason we all got along. But we had few rules and didn’t boss people around. No one had assigned chores. It just worked. But we worked all day and went to church a few times a week. We were all single so we were gone a lot seeking boyfriends. We weren’t like passing ships except when we had our church come over. We just had a rule that no one could enter anyone’s bedroom uninvited. If the doors were closed that meant no one wanted to visit or neede alone down time.. We all went to the same church. We tried to let outsiders not affiliated with our church move in and they just didn’t fit in. One was selfish and amorale and complained about the quality of the building, and the other one was a strange elderly lady that showed up in response to my rooming ad and she refused to leave even though I didn’t let her stay.She was more into the church thing even than us and watched televangelists all day, liked to clean, so we didn’t want to throw her out. But she was into religion in an extreme way that didn’t seem normal so her adults children came one day and picked her up. None of us ever had melt downs. We didn’t expect anything much from each other and everyone showed respect. Each person paid $200 and no one wanted to lose such a cheap deal. No bills. But I have them with husband and certain personality types.

 

[I love roses]

What if it people were to work at things they like, wood working, pottery, blending cosmetics and essential oils, iconography, calligraphy, farming, food prep, baking, and all work was done in silence like at a monestary. Each person has a tiny stand alone one room house with kitchen (also a monastic model), religious meetings optional no coercion or proselytizing, recreation time and other certain times conversation allowed, two days off a week free time, quit program any time you want to move on, work paid and set up savings for nest egg when leave.

 

[I love roses]

If a person had issues in a department, just move them to doing something else that works for them.

 

[I love roses]

People on the spectrum value their individuality and independence, and generally like to have control over their environment, freedom to express themselves as they wish and be who they are without judgement. They generally prefer working on their own over working with other people. They like to do things of their own choice, not out of obligation, and need to have their own space - sharing accommodation or living too close to others probably wouldn't work. They may or may not seek out interaction with others. Given these factors, I think that a loosly connected community of houses where everyone does their own thing and there aren't too many rules or other obligations to the community might work. However, it doesn't follow that people on the spectrum would necessarily get on well with each other, given the range of personalities and sensory issues - some would, some wouldn't, just as it is in society as a whole.

They wouldn’t have to get along with others i’d say one person ran a wood working shop by himself on the place. I think these things could be worked out. It would also be a great place for those stuck living with their parents who might want to move toward more independence by trying new things. then after gaining confidence, leave. It would not be some life long commitment by any means unless someone just wanted to stay.

Also, if we built tiny houses on travel trailer frames they could take their tiny house with them and move it wherever they want and they have a free house to use to place at a trailer camp or private land.

The only purpose of the place is to offer trades, guide toward independence, offer fellowship as wanted. I might could even test this out at a place I know that might let me use their place for short term to test. They have goats and chickens, Buildings to do things in and private rooms with kitchenettes. It is a retreat place that isn’t used all the time.

 

[Bolletje]

I wouldn’t want that. I like my life fine just the way it is, surrounded by people of all types of neurodevelopmental makeup.

 

[I love roses]

I wouldn’t want that. I like my life fine just the way it is, surrounded by people of all types of neurodevelopmental makeup.

Do you think it should be for anyone, period then? Provided that they are functional enough to be able to join? I like all types as well. What I had thought was to have music entertainment as well and a cafe or coffee house for everyone to mingle with the public that could handle that. Do you have some better ideas? I know you are not personally interested for yourself but I thought you might have some ideas you might like to share. I like my life just fine, too except I want more friends in a family close kind of way. I used to be in a biker community and I loved my brothers and sisters but they disbanded, and unfortunately I get lonely. I am also aging and do not know what will become of me as well. Community can be of help to others.

 

[I love roses]

So far we have 2 for and 2 against. That is normal for any group because all things are not for all people. Keep comments coming.