How can I help my child find friends?

Q: My son has Asperger's, and he has a lot of trouble finding friends. What can I do to help?

A: It's always hard for Aspies to find friends. If possible, try to set up a social group with other Aspie kids in the area. The important thing to remember is that while most neurotypicals see aspies as being "weird", when you're an aspie, it's 99% of the population who's weird, and it can be incredibly liberating to finally meet a group of normal people. If that isn't possible, try finding groups in your area that focus on one of his special interests. Even if the only groups available are aimed at adults, by the time the average aspie is ten or twelve they can often get along alright in a relatively acedemic social setting, like a bird-watching or book club, with adults. Another social activity popular amoung aspies is Dungeons & Dragons, which is a tabletop roleplaying game usually played in a group. It's popular among teenagers, and it's a good way to find aspie-compatible groups of kids. Don't worry too much if these sorts of groups consist mostly of older people. A lot of aspies do better with older people than with kids their own age.