list of female AS traits

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LOL I agree with Bethie, why isn't this stickied? xD

I found a interesting interview about the different traits between AS girls and boys: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/aspergerwomen/

Here are the ones that apply to me:

Appearance/Personal Habits:

* Dresses comfortably due to sensory issues and practicality.
* Usually a little more expressive in face and gesture than male counterparts.
* Enjoys reading and films as a retreat, often sci-fi, fantasy, children’s; can have favourites which are a refuge.
* Uses control as a stress management technique: rules, discipline, rigid in certain habits, which will contradict her seeming unconventionality.
* Usually happiest at home or in other controlled environment.

Intellectual/Giftedness/Education/Vocation:

* May be a self-taught reader or have been hyperlexic as a child, and will possess a wide variety of other self-taught skills as well.
* Can be very passionate about a course of study or job, and then change direction or go completely cold on it very quickly.
* Will often have trouble holding onto a job and may find employment daunting.
* Will have obsessions but they are not as unusual as her male counterpart’s.

Emotional/Physical:

* Emotionally immature and emotionally sensitive.
* Anxiety and fear are predominant emotions.
* More open to talking about feelings and emotional issues than males with AS.
* Strong sensory issues – sounds, sights, smells, touch - and prone to overload.
* Moody and prone to bouts of depression. May have been diagnosed as bipolar or manic-depressive while the AS diagnosis was missed.
* Stims to soothe when sad or agitated.
* Prone to temper or crying meltdowns, even in public, sometimes over seemingly small things due to sensory or emotional overload.

Social/Relationships:

* Is very outspoken at times; may get very fired up when talking about passions/obsessive interests.
* Like her male counterpart, will shut down in social situations once overloaded, but is generally better at socialising in small doses. May even give the appearance of being skilled, but it is a ‘performance’.
* Doesn’t go out much. Will prefer to go out with partner only, or children if she has them.
* Will not have many girlfriends and will not do ‘girly’ things like shopping with them or having get-togethers to ‘hang out’.
* May or may not want to have a relationship. If she is in a relationship, she probably takes it very seriously, but she may choose to remain celibate or alone.
* If she likes a male, she can be extremely, noticeably awkward in her attempts to let him know, e.g. she may stare when she sees him or call him repeatedly. This is because she fixates and doesn’t understand societal gender roles. This will change with maturity.

IS THIS SUBJECT DONE?...

Alepmm wrote:
So, I need some girl advice here. My friends do not believe i have aspergers even though i got diagnosed by a freakin psychiatristbecause"you're not autistic*. I have (according to diagnosed) very mild aspergers... I´´m getting quite annoyed at people doubting it. Has anyone had this problem??? (im 26, just got diagnosed)

I run into the exact same problem. I was diagnosed at 20 (~1.5 years ago) and most people I tell (friends, family, etc) are shocked and say something like, "Really? I never would have guessed!" or "But you have social skills!".
It is really quite frustrating. Somehow everyone knows better than my psychiatrist (including my 24 year old sister who is a b***h to me about it).
When my mom tells people that she is diabetic they don't go, "Really?! Are you sure??? I don't believe you!!" or sh** like that.
Id est, I totally feel your frustration and you are very much not alone here

I JUST WANTED TO SAY I'VE GOTTEN SOME OF THIS, TOO...LIKE A FEMALE CAN'T MAKE SUCH A CLAIM AS HAVING ASPERGER'S. BUT THEN, FEMALES DO OFTEN GET QUESTIONED MUCH MORE THAN THEIR MALE COUNTERPARTS (ABOUT ANY LITTLE OLD THING), IN MY EXPERIENCE. ALSO, NOW THAT ASPERGER'S IS ENTERING U.S.' MAINSTREAM CONSCIOUSNESS, I'M STARTING TO HEAR REACTIONS FROM OTHERS (WHEN i DISCLOSE) THAT 'OH, YOU'RE JUST EXPERIENCING INADEQUATE AMOUNTS OF ONE OR MORE OF THE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS...TRY INCREASING YOUR POTASSIUM AND MAGNESIUM' AND THEN THEY RECOMMEND I GO TO A CORPORATE-CHAIN 'HEALTH FOOD' STORE. WOW......

well that sure does sound like me!
well some parts don't exactly, like shopping, i love to shop but i have more of a high fashion taste & most the people i know think it's weird lol so i have to go shopping with people to understand what i should get, because it might be something i saw & thought was ugly but then once i buy it & wear it then i start to like it.... most of the time

that table freaks me out

So, Since I have found out I am an aspie I have read lots of descriptions that say how aspies bore the people they are talking to! I always assumed that I was fascinating - now I know the truth.

Count me among those who say that the table fits them to a 'T' except for a few points.

Yeah, this is incredibly accurate for me. Thanks for posting it! Really pins down some of the female-specific traits for Aspies, especially the ones that are different then male Aspies. Especially the social, emotional portions. ("appears more adept" and "may even give the appearance of 'skilled'")

Numerous people have been skeptical about my diagnosis because I do seem more "ordinary" "normal" and "functioning" then the male Aspies I have met. One teacher who I told did not believe me! I think she didn't really know the difference between Autism and Asperger's though.

This was almost surreal to read, down to the misdiagnoses and sensitive to medicine due to a history of being over medicated. There aren't really any that don't fit me at least a little, but most of them...to a "T".

My brother read this for me and said it sounds like me, but then backtracked and said it could apply to anyone and he is right. So I do not know what to think of this.

That chart, with the exception of three or four facts, fits me to a T

Thanks for the chart Its hard to find anything about female asperger traits on the web when most deal with the traits more about men or children. I share the chart with my husband because he see a lot the traits more than I do because its been but my head growing up that I am just naturally like the way I am and just plain weird.

..

Pretty much all of this describes me except I'm not into reading fantasy or sci-fi. I'm also not really into video games nor am I a computer, math, or science genius. I also don't have any gastrointestinal problems.

I've always believed AS symptoms are much different in girls than in boys. AS tends to go undiagnosed a lot more in girls because our symptoms aren't as noticeable as they are in boys.

This is creepy. Too accurate, not one think I was like, ehhhh.

If she likes a male, she can be extremely, noticeably awkward. Doesn't understand societal gender roles. Laughed so much. Too true.

This will change with maturity. =) (I hope, when will I learn...)