freestyle wrote:
Hi UnfortunateAspie, LeagueGirl, everyone: there is F all out there on PDA and I suspect a huge number of people may have PDA and not realise.
Just as girls with autism have slipped through the diagnostic net because:
1) they have a tendency to try to seem normal
and,
2) many diagnosticians still haven't been updated that female-pattern autism exists,
Many PDAers are not being diagnosed because:
1) they don't behave as outwardly spectacularly as more violent/aggressive PDAers
and,
2) very, very few diagnosticians have heard of it
Plus there's a 3) for both female autism and PDA: the individuals affected have heard of these conditions either.
I haven't put a huge amount of detail about PDA into the description because I don't want to influence people before they answer the questions. As the majority chunk of the questions were traits scored an average of 70% plus by adults stating that they identify having PDA in the initial Google form, then reading completing the questionnaire suggests what PDA might be. Although some of the traits may be female autistic rather than PDA (more PDA women than men completed the first questionnaire). This is one thing I'm keen to shine light on: what is the connection between female-pattern autism and PDA? Both are thought to have the trait of being sociable compared to other autistic groups.
This questionnaire can – potentially – fill in a lot of gaps in PDA understanding. We're planning to update the Wikipedia listing and request organisations like the PDA Society publish the findings also.
Okay! Cool! I feel like how they say that female ASers are "better socially" <- I NEVER fit that profile EVER.
Other things like I liked animals & collected more normal things related to nature as opposed to mechanical things - like rocks, shells, stuffed animals, types of bugs. I actually would play with the little boys in the neighborhood (NT) and found their way of playing with cars/ trucks SUPER boring. I liked putting them on top of one of those toy sets (does anyone remember this??) where they move in a circle or loops and just setting it up over and over and over for hours
They always tried to get me to play with barbies too. They were ANGRY AS f**k about me not playing with barbies!
They threw out all of my stuff until I sat there "like a good girl" and played with the barbies "just like you are supposed to".
And I would ask for science kits and books, but they would buy me at least two barbies... instead. I found it horrifying lol.
I remember it so well because I would get INFRURIATED.
After about 5 yrs (3-8) I gave in and would (angrily) stack them on top of one another and then slowly line them up in a row (angrily) and then stack them again (angrily).
And then they said "that's not how you play with them."
and I would scream "WHAT DO YOU WANT!! !!"
and they showed me how other girls played with them and said "You need to do this."
and I made the physical motions, and made it pretend it was walking or talking, but didn't say anything- no social story.
So, they took me to the psych ward and asked them what was wrong "why can't she play barbies like the other girls. Even if they don't want to play with barbies you can get most kids to after a while. But she never does"
((why are playing with dolls so important?? Not sure- I still hate them...))
and they suggested "well, maybe don't give her barbies to play with?"
I hated playing house too as a kid:o