One observation I would make is that many of the people who are crucial to the organisation of social events are themselves socially awkward.
The instigator often is not, but they will be surrounded by people who are, and who need a little thing to do at the event so they can take part at all.
I found ways to be involved at a music festival for more than a decade -- the photography, the website, running general errands etc.
Going to social events as a photographer was an explicit tactic; camera as prop.
Find a way to help other people be social and they will find a way to include you that doesn't make you feel awkward.
Keep at it though -- merely getting to this stage where you're looking for techniques is a very positive step.
Also, a thing I learned from a kid who wrote a book on Aspergers that is basically true: if you need to hold eye contact longer than a brief moment, it takes most people a long time to spot that you're looking at the bridge of their nose, not their eyes.
The instigator often is not, but they will be surrounded by people who are, and who need a little thing to do at the event so they can take part at all.
I found ways to be involved at a music festival for more than a decade -- the photography, the website, running general errands etc.
Going to social events as a photographer was an explicit tactic; camera as prop.
Find a way to help other people be social and they will find a way to include you that doesn't make you feel awkward.
Keep at it though -- merely getting to this stage where you're looking for techniques is a very positive step.
Also, a thing I learned from a kid who wrote a book on Aspergers that is basically true: if you need to hold eye contact longer than a brief moment, it takes most people a long time to spot that you're looking at the bridge of their nose, not their eyes.