Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional aspergers / asd in women and girls

Please let me know if you have any good resources, even threads on this forum, for info on girls or women with aspergers, both for myself and my daughter. Neither of us have an official diagnosis, but as I read about this for my ds, lots of things ring a bit of a bell.
After reading about specifics online for **girls** with aspergers/asd, a whole lot MORE rings a bell.

I am just finishing up reading 'Aspergirls', not sure I love the word "aspergirls", and the book is fairly anecdotal, however it is interesting and does point out some areas for caution which I had not thought of previously. I have recently been assessed and will get results soon (pretty sure I at least failed the test of continuous performance which I guess is for identifying folks with add...sigh).

Maybe the word aspergirls is just about perfect, however...intending to be witty and funny, but just ends up somewhat awkward.

Have you seen this website?

https://taniaannmarshall.wordpress....omen-adult-women-with-asperger-syndrome/

I don't know how based on clinical knowledge it is. Much of it does seem to apply to my DD, who I consider sort of subclinical/"gray area" Aspie. Some also applies to me, and I would never consider myself an Aspie or on the spectrum, though I am sensory sensitive and quirky in other ways.

My 11-year-old daughter has been diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome, although she is about as close to the "normal" line as you can get and still be on the spectrum. She loved Aspergirls, and it is a pretty good fit for her.

Hi, thanks, ElizabethN. Yes, from what I've read, it sounds like a lot of women and girls with asd/aspergers are very good at hiding, even from themselves, the issues and stress they deal with due to sensitivities and other aspects of aspergers.
Social interaction is not terribly confusing to me, but it does seem like 'work'...also, I sometimes feel like I'm on two ends of a pendulum. Sharing about on the level of a 'guy', as in not much, but boy if a subject comes up that I'm interested in, it's hard to shut me up.

Ultramarina, yes I think I saw this person's site, but only checked out the page regarding young girls, preschool age, that was really interesting - https://taniaannmarshall.wordpress....rger-syndrome-in-young-girls-pre-school/

I will check out the rest of the site, for info on women. thank you.

One thing I find myself questioning about that aspiengirls site is the rather wide range of descriptions--"girls may like art, nature, sci-fi, anime, drawing, reading, fashion, animals" (this is from memory, not a direct qote, but I believe those are all mentioned)--this sounds like a list of things that many/most girls find interesting. So, yes, my DD likes some of those things, but it's hard for me to feel convinced by it.

ultramarina- I had the same thought. Her list is not specific enough for me. Could like coffee, could hate coffee, could drink tea instead of coffee…

Could be an introvert OR an extrovert. What? I fit a lot of characteristics on that list and know I do not have Aspergers.

Half of the population has social skills or other personality characteristics below the 50th percentile, and therefore would identify with a lot of the "traits", because they are technically in the minority compared to other people. Every person has strengths and weaknesses. You could probably fit people into rough groups based on their strengths and weaknesses. In every high school you will find a group of geeks or nerds or people who just do not conform very well. Do they all have Aspergers? It doesn't mean there is a disorder or syndrome.

That said, many of the descriptions really do sound like my DD, but they're so different from typical descriptions and diagnostic criteria for ASD (which it must be said, DD does not meet--no obsessions, no social issues that are noticeable to people other than...seemingly...her parents, no repetitive behaviors). In some ways the lists strike me as mostly describing...gifted, sensitive, creative, nonconformist girls? Which would be quite a few girls. I wonder how many parents of girls here who think their girls are NT would identify with some of the descriptions. Also, I have always bridled at the idea that "reading" can be an ASD "obsession." (How many of us and our kids have such an "obsession"??)

Also a bit turned off by the bits about "psychic powers," etc.

But this all could be because, as is often posited, we do not understand ASD girls. IDK. It's certainly an area in flux.

We cross-posted, blackcat. Yeah, it strikes a little bit as kind of like a horoscope...you know how you can make those apply to anyone if you try? I mean, not entirely.

yes, the psychic powers bit is rather odd, I liked the pre-school list a bit better, but it too tends towards the broad. I remember thinking 'collects a LOT of stuffed animals'...hm, isn't that every single little girl who can get stuffed animals? I know a little boy with this tendency, as well.

however, I do think it is important for science to begin to get a better handle on the differences in asd for women/girls vs men/boys because I do think it is going to result in a lot of amazing girls and women not getting side-lined by stress, depression, etc.