New Hypothesis of mine on why girls are diagnosed less

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I can be a ''drama queen'', and I'm prone to being anxious and/or depressed a lot of the time, and I lack self-esteem very severely. I don't know what being ''flaky'' means, but I have a feeling I am that too. I don't think I'm very manipulative though. In fact I never get taken seriously, and I nearly always lose when sharing ideas or plans, or having arguments with people. Although I can make up good lies on the spot (sometimes) and get believed, but I don't normally do that unless I really have to.

I've also read a lot here that some Aspies look suspicious or dangerous, and get checked at airports or interrogated by police, when innocently minding their own business. I've never actually had this before, I've never been suspected by those in authority, and I don't think I look dangerous (people are always putting their kids near me, which I hate). I think I look the opposite: nervous, got the face that clearly says that I wouldn't say boo to a goose, which is why I'm sometimes used as a target like being forced to get up off a bench when people want to sit down. I suppose people look at me and think they can treat me how they want and I will take s**t from anybody.

Not for me......

I'm not really saying those things might not be true, as far as they go, but that people tend to believe we are either not really trying or going through some passing emotional turmoil than that we are actually wired this way. It seems like people are quicker to believe, in a guy, that it's neurological, while they label the same behavior as either psychological or manipulative in us.
'Flaky': sort of disorganized, spaced-out, lacking self-discipline and focus, out of touch with reality.

EDIT: For example, if I have a meltdown, it's not because of some trauma in my childhood or recent past, nor is it because I'm using a childish ploy to get my way, but because I can't handle things at the time and my ability to think just shuts down, but people tend to assume it's one of the first two. If I have trouble talking to strangers at school or work, it's because I simply can't figure out how or understand what's happening in the conversation, but people tend to think it's because I'm afraid of people or because I'm a snob. That sort of thing.

Now, sometimes I am afraid of people, but that's because I don't understand them.

There could be a link between Aspergers Syndrome and Testosterone, but i doubt it.

I think its possible that girls are diagnosed less because some AS behaviours are normal to girls.

Girls are usually more emotional - the "Aspies have sensitive feelings" part gets washed away here.
It's easier to fit in with girls (i get on better with girls than with guys for some reason)

Also, girls who are quiet arent thought to have something wrong with them.

Also, some people are ignorant and think its a male only condition or whatever you want to class it as.


Theres any number of possible reasons.

I don't think that is true at all if you are female. I get along better with guys. Maybe it's just that people don't expect the same social skills, and aren't as competitive, with another gender as with their own.

I was a very shy, kind young girl who went undiagnosed. My elementary teachers pointed out my abnormal behavior to my mom and just said I needed to stop. So I grew up wondering why I felt so different from other people. I'm applying to school psychology graduate programs this semester. I'd like to contribute to the research regarding females with autism.

That's what I believe. This hypothesis is just considering if testosterone comes into account.

I think it's funny because I have actually read several times that ''all men have a touch of Asperger Syndrome''. It doesn't mean ''all men are on the spectrum'', but it's sort of a slight exaggeration. I do know more women who express emotions more than men. Also murderers and paedophiles are more able to be men than women, and I was told it's because men have more aggression built up because they don't express it like women do. I have far more rage in me than men do, but I still cannot murder someone or have sex with a child or do anything horrible things like that.

Also I remember when I done work experience at a preschool (working with 2 to 4-year-olds), more girls found it less hard to cope than boys. The girls took in more information, interacted well when playing together (for their age), and learnt rules more quicker. The boys seemed to interact less, were more prone to tantrums, and couldn't concentrate on reading or drawing like the girls did. Obviously I could not draw a line anywhere because every child is different and they weren't all like that, but because the work experience was about observing typical toddler behaviour, I gathered that the girls seemed more social than the boys. It was more common to see boys wanting a toy to themselves, where as the girls used to share more.

I have flown less than a dozen times, but I was pulled aside to be searched over 75% of the time. Some of these were even before 9/11. I wonder if the AS could have something to do with it.

My daughter has been diagnosed with AS. The school knew there was an issue almost as soon as she started kindergarten (she is in 3rd now). She had the outspoken in-your-face presentation of AS. On the other hand, I didn't get diagnosed until after she did. I guess no one knew what to make of me. I was fairly quiet in school, but I was a tomboy and rowdy outside of school. I was in a small farm town, though. I don't think anyone around there knew anything about AS or autism.

Two reasons I can think of that females are diagnosed less:

1) The same reason we (females) have historicly been less diagnosed with heart disease: Most research has been done on men. Gender differences have been overlooked.

2) Females are naturally more endowed with verbal capacity and we are better mimics. So we have an easier time faking normal, or kinda normal.

Make that three reasons:

3) The understanding of AS is very recent. It is an incomplete, emerging field. I was 35 years old before AS entered the DSM in 1992. We still have not come to a full understanding of how common it is. My guess is that in 20 years a whole bunch of other psycho diagnosis will come to be understood as manifestations of autism spectrum and we'll find out that it ocurrs at similar frequency in both sexes, but with differing expressions.

Oh yeah I was one of those girls. I was well-behaved and quiet but I rarely socialized or interacted with my peers. My mom just thought I was extremely shy. And yes, I did have a mental breakdown when I first started college. And that is when the diagnosis sunk in. When I first got my diagnosis a year earlier, my parents refused to believe it. Then I started college and pretty much messed up my 1st semester, got hospitalized and had a mental breakdown.

Here is a little secret about airplane security: The suspicious people aren't the ones who look threatening, they are the one's who look anxious. This is why: according to NT logic, if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to hide. If you are planning on attacking an airplane and are only hours away from doing it you are going to be pretty anxious, especially at security. This is how they catch most of the wannabe terrorists. Remember, psychopaths do not blow themselves up, they tell other people to blow themselves up.

However i respect for your all brilliant argument mr Ganondox

Well I can't go around looking that anxious then because it was only a couple of years ago when I went abroad and I didn't get checked no more than the other people I was with did. Also I never get stopped and asked questions by police. If I walk past one who is on gaurd, they either smile at me or look past me.

(Sorry, I don't think I worded that right, I mean I didn't get checked except for the times when the others who I was with did, you know, when you're supposed to, like putting your bags through the machine thing, and asked to look at your passports and boarding pass before boarding the plane).

I think I just look like a target for bullies more, so if somebody is insecure and they want to take their anger out on someone, it's normally me they feel they would love to see frightened or upset (like that little f****r in the library, humiliating me in front of everybody, I didn't even know the little f****r and he was, like, 10 years younger than me). Or if there are 3 benches all filled up with young people, and I'm innocently sitting on one next to a bunch of other young people, and somebody really wanted to sit down, I'd be the one they'll make to get up. So I get more so targetted in that way, not so much in the suspect way, if you know what I mean.

http://www.canada.com/health/Environment%20trumps%20genes%20testosterone%20levels%20study%20finds/6608820/story.html

A recent twin study linked above suggests that environment, including the prenatal environment, may be more responsible for testosterone levels than genetics in both males and females.

It's no wonder there is the full spectrum of gender differences and similarities that exist, as testosterone effects so many factors of development, ranging from language development to spatial abilities per cognitive abilities, and the more obvious physical differences.

There are many environmental factors during pregnancy that could impact this ranging from smoking to pesticides to chemicals associated with plastics, and prenatal stress.

Younger generations of men have lower testosterone levels on average for their age than older generations, so the impact is potentially specific to changing levels of environmental factors as time goes on.

More fuel to the fire, for issues associated with the spectrum, androgens, androgyny, and differences in brain structure.

While there is research specific to Aspergers syndrome associated with gender neutrality per brain scans and physical characteristics of androgyny, those two findings have yet to be researched in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The Jury is still out on sexual dimorphism per brain and body, for those diagnosed with Autism Disorder. My understanding is research is planned in that area.

Not only are there issues associated with brain development and testosterone, but there are socio/cultural stress factors associated with gender neutrality and expectations of sexual dimorphic gender molds.

Fairly soon one will not be diagnosed on the spectrum without RRB's, per revised DSM5 guidelines. The AQ test does not measure RRB's, so it loses some of it's predictive potential.

Restrictive Repetitive behaviors can result from chronic social stress in most anyone, also seen among social animals resulting in similar behavior, when under social stress. Social communication skills can be impacted from stress in general and potential difficulties in adapting to social communication skills per expectations of sexually dimorphic gender molds.

A question is how much does the social stress associated with gender neutrality impact the overall condition of Aspergers Syndrome, per the current research findings of the gender neutrality associations.

There could be an additional potential causal factor there for both genders resulting from the stress associated to adapting to perceived expectations of sexual dimorphic gender molds, in addition to potential factors associated with brain development.

Higher levels of prenatal testosterone have been associated with difficulties in language development among males, so it could be a significantly different issue among some individuals diagnosed with other Autism Spectrum Disorders with language development problems. Interestingly higher levels of prenatal testosterone in females have been associated with a protective factor of language development, per the research done by Whitehouse, in Australia.

The 1 in 88 statistic limited to classes for the developmentally disabled receiving support services in the US, is already criticized for potentially missing "milder" forms of Autism, but does not likely miss a significant number that are more severely impacted by symptoms and co-morbid conditions, including those with language development problems.

While the gender ratio determined from polls in this online community that is comprised mostly of individuals diagnosed with Aspergers is close to even, other online spectrum communities are dominated by those identifying themselves as female with a diagnosis of Aspergers, particularly on facebook sites where gender is more clearly identified. If one were to determine diagnostic ratio and gender ratio strictly from the internet of those identifying themselves both by diagnosis and gender, one would think that most individuals with "Autism" are both female and diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome.

However, judging from the school wide community scans done in South Korea which shows the actual higher ratio of males to females maintained in that scan, it appears factors associated among males like the potential association of higher levels of testosterone and language development problems vs. the potential protective factor among females on the spectrum, could make a difference, along with many other potential factors, including gender specific expectations associated with social communication skills. When the full population scan currently underway in the US is finished the male/female ratio may become clearer, as well as the ratio of those identified with "milder" forms of autism vs those identified as having more severe symptoms.

The Sun Rises Also point quoted above on females and protective factors associated with environmental onslaught, may potentially play a role in why the ratios among males vs females on the full spectrum are much higher, at least in respect to some of the environmental factors potentially impacting prenatal hormonal influence.

And of course, the hormonal issue and cultural stress issue associated with gender neutrality, are only two of thousands of potential causal factors associated with the full spectrum, that may have more impact among individuals on the spectrum communicating online, because they are comprised mostly of individuals diagnosed with Aspergers syndrome. And It also could be part of the reason why there is so much need for social acceptance expressed, in comparison for personal desires for remediation of symptoms directly associated with the diagnosis. The LGBT rights analogies that are often used, may have biologically similar underlying factors, that are not as evident in other forms of Autism. The results of research in that area of biology, per potential underlying factors associated with gender neutrality in other forms of Autism remain to be seen.

This is an extremely interesting topic, with many interesting potential implications associated with those diagnosed on the spectrum participating in online communities, discussing these type of issues.