I’ve only just started exploring this as a diagnosis because of my sensory overload issues, but if this list is an accurate representation, then I may have my answer. Everyone was stunned and suffice it to say he finally shut up. When I saw the original comment I interpreted it to be an intellectually honest question seeking to understand the contect of the article. You made me feel conforted. me too! just why. Thank you for what you do. I cannot re-live these experiences in any comprehensible way, but I know that they have happened to me. Was called a “man” in my twenties, “unfeminine” in a disgusting tone of voice by the man who kept using physical force on me to have sex with him (absolutely no one in my camp to offer support, so he took that and ran with it …so sickening)….didn’t develop a lot of secondary sex characteristics and got really bullied by a lot of coworkers/supervisors at the local telephone company)….I could go on and on …thank you….every time a memory is jogged a little more stuffed hurt finds its way to the surface to get processed…. 0. She has created this list in an effort to assist health professionals in recognizing Asperger’s Syndrome in females—for in-depth information regarding females with AS refer to Craft’s book Everyday Aspergers. I have consistently been profound and philosophical, since as ahead of schedule as age 4, and I am so awful at connections and the tension I get. Now, I’m finishing my doctorate, teaching at a research 1 university, and on the job market. It changed my life. My daughter doesn’t just identify with them, she been diagnosed with, medicated for, and hospitalized for them. How ignorant can so many of you be? People on the spectrum have gifts and limitations just like people who are not on it, and peple on and off are deserving of the same respect and consideration. Taking the test has affirmed to myself that this might be the explanation I have had countless challenges. And some days, more often than I will admit to, will think about “leaving something behind” for my loved ones. I have long thought similarly until this year, when I finally hit a wall at every turn; all the coping skills exhausted. Got pimples really young, picked my skin, didn’t comb my hair or wash properly and wore my moms hand me down 90s clothes. So, sitting alone, I took a breathe and did my best to imitate the chirpy girls in my class, randomly sitting down next to one and abruptly asking: DO YOU LIKE GREEN DAY? Pinhole Photography with an Autistic Perception, Why autistic adults struggle with employment, Autism and mental health – strategies for those with dual diagnoses, Tiago: thoughtful, kind, creative, great sense of humor with #Autism, Sees things at multiple levels, including her own thinking processes, Analyzes existence, the meaning of life, and everything, continually, Often gets lost in own thoughts and “checks out” (blank stare), Finds it difficult to understand manipulation and disloyalty, Finds it difficult to understand vindictive behavior and retaliation, Feelings of confusion and being overwhelmed, Feelings of being misplaced and/or from another planet, Abused or taken advantage of as a child but didn’t think to tell anyone, Survives overwhelming emotions and senses by escaping in thought or action, Escapes regularly through fixations, obsessions, and over-interest in subjects, Escapes routinely through imagination, fantasy, and daydreaming, Imitates people on television or in movies, Treated friends as “pawns” in youth; e.g., friends were “students” “consumers” “members”, Makes friends with older or younger females more so than friends her age (often in young adulthood), Imitates friends or peers in style, dress, attitude, interests, and manner (sometimes speech), Obsessively collects and organizes objects, Escapes by playing the same music over and over, Escapes through a relationship (imagined or real), Numbers bring ease (could be numbers associated with patterns, calculations, lists, time and/or personification), Escapes through counting, categorizing, organizing, rearranging, Cannot relax or rest without many thoughts, Sensory Issues (sight, sound, texture, smells, taste) (might have Synthesia), Feelings of polar extremes (depressed/over-joyed; inconsiderate/over-sensitive), Poor muscle tone, double-jointed, and/or lack in coordination (may have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and/or Hypotonia and/or POTS syndrome), Eating disorders, food obsessions, and/or worry about what is eaten, Misdiagnosed or diagnosed with a mental illness, Experiences multiple physical symptoms, perhaps labeled “hypochondriac”, Wonders who she is and what is expected of her, Since puberty has had bouts of depression (may have PMDD), Flicks/rubs fingernails, picks scalp/skin, flaps hands, rubs hands together, tucks hands under or between legs, keeps closed fists, paces in circles, and/or clears throat often, Friends have ended friendship suddenly (without female with AS understanding why) and/or difficult time making friends, Raised hand too much in class or didn’t participate in class, Little impulse control with speaking when younger, Comes across at times as narcissistic and controlling (is not narcissistic), Often sounds eager and over-zealous or apathetic and disinterested, Holds a lot of thoughts, ideas, and feelings inside, Feels as if she is attempting to communicate “correctly”, Obsesses about the potentiality of a relationship with someone, particularly a love interest or feasible new friendship, Confused by the rules of accurate eye contact, tone of voice, proximity of body, body stance, and posture in conversation, Questions the actions and behaviors of self and others, continually, Feels as if missing a conversation “gene” or thought-filter, Trained self in social interactions through readings and studying of other people, Visualizes and practices how she will act around others, Practices/rehearses in mind what she will say to another before entering the room, Difficulty filtering out background noise when talking to others, Has a continuous dialogue in mind that tells her what to say and how to act when in a social situation, Sense of humor sometimes seems quirky, odd, inappropriate, or different from others, As a child it was hard to know when it was her turn to talk, Finds unwritten and unspoken rules difficult to grasp, remember, and apply, Feels extreme relief when she doesn’t have to go anywhere, talk to anyone, answer calls, or leave the house but at the same time will often harbor guilt for “hibernating” and not doing “what everyone else is doing”, One visitor at the home may be perceived as a threat (this can even be a familiar family member), Knowing logically a house visitor is not a threat, but that doesn’t relieve the anxiety, Feelings of dread about upcoming events and appointments on the calendar, Knowing she has to leave the house causes anxiety from the moment she wakes up, All the steps involved in leaving the house are overwhelming and exhausting to think about, She prepares herself mentally for outings, excursions, meetings, and appointments, often days before a scheduled event, OCD tendencies when it comes to concepts of time, being on time, tracking time, recording time, and managing time (could be carried over to money, as well), Questions next steps and movements, continually, Sometimes feels as if she is on stage being watched and/or a sense of always having to act out the “right” steps, even when she is home alone. I live in your area and I thought I might recommend some local resources. I want to make sure I get everything right as I don’t believe I have the stamina to see more than one psychologist. That makes sense.” , What led me here? In every clinic I see the devastation caused to mothers who have not been diagnosed or receive toxic diagnoses such as BPD when understanding it is actually ASD can be life changing. There’s no such thing, scientifically, as a Highly Sensitive Person. I tried to discus the possibility that im autistic with a therapist who dismissed it, i think i need to find a different one. An Effective Diagnosis Tool Exists for Females with Aspergers There is no blood or DNA test for Aspergers. I would love to write a blog for Art of Autism, more information about this would be welcome! I’m a male with Asperger’s, more commonly referred to now as ASD. We seek diverse viewpoints including those from autistic people, parents, siblings, therapists, and others. I have Depression and Anxiety and OCD, but those are their own things. Great in that I understood why…. No, that is not the best one. I tried to take SSRI pills but doesn’t do any good only harm (because I know perfectly what’s wrong with me cognitively and just can’t change my neuro system.) I rember the first time I came across an article on the condition and the same day I had come across a guy who had obviously some issues but at the same time had a huge interest in rugby and appeared to be able to read the paper so I thought perhaps that might be his condition. She didn’t get the struggle part. But nobody wants to read them… :..(, It’s been about three mouth I’ve found to identify most to pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA for short) profile of autism. I just wanted to add a comment here in case other people who can see parts – or all – of themselves in the above list were interested in another tool that can help with overcoming mental health problems. Thank you, this gave me a lot to think about. I am very grateful for these points – I was signposted to them as a starting point for diagnosis, so I am about to write everything down and take it from there. It’s heavily swayed towards lack of empathy, lack of eye contact and obsessive collecting and lining up of toys. The only problem is that I do not know what my parents would say if I showed them this. However, after reading stories much like mine, I feel less alone. I know there are a lot of people on here who will fuss at me, but that’s just how I see it. She will be modifying and/or updating this list from time to time. And so I looked up female Aspies. So, I’m in the clear, right? I’m in remission, without drugs, as long as I behave myself. I’ve been seriously practicing Vipassana meditation over the past 2-3 years (and also during my early to mid-20s), and it’s helped with stabilising my moods, reducing anxiety to the point where I’m almost symptom free, and I can sleep a lot better; all of the above improvements mean I can also deal with stress and people more effectively. I am also a friend, a sister, a daughter, an artist, a writer, an athlete, a business owner, a support for so many others who are trying to find their way. I don’t believe Rachel intended her question to be trivializing. 30 years experience Psychiatry. The Problem about all that is anyway that we are told to be better than we “are”, everyone. Going through this list, I relate strongly to 96% of the characteristics mentioned. As an introverted woman with depression and anxiety, there are certainly many of these characteristics that I identify with. It is not about being an introvert, and needing time to “recharge”, it’s having a hard time all together with social interactions. Once I gather enough evidence to make my case I’m going to pay her a visit. So yeah I have very mixed feelings a combination of relief and deep mourning. I don’t know, I really don’t. And I’ve read up on symptoms and personal accounts which all indicate the same thing. Thank you. Aspergers symptoms in girls can be more difficult to spot than those in boys. I’m also having a hard time seeing how this very specific version of autism relates to ASD overall. I actually was very empathic and hypersensitive, crazy about horses, drawn to the arts and science fiction, lived in my head, and always struggled to figure out what was wrong with me. There are a couple of popular online quizzes which will give you an indication if you are on the spectrum: thanks to Sam! Im not diagnosed but i have family members who are (male ones). Bei einem Asperger-Syndrom weisen die Betroffenen in der Regel keine sprachlichen oder kognitiven Entwicklungsstörungen auf. I think this is brilliant! Since the major ongoing problems are social and communication issues and anxiety this is both for the person and their social circle, parents for my patients. I’ve always wondered why I felt so different, like I was such a deep thinker and everyone else was so shallow. I bookmarked it. I can relate to so much! Awful in that I realize my life could have been so much different, and unexpected hostility when trying to explain. Leslie here are a couple others I have found to be very helpful as well. Catch-22. It takes forever for me to make the changes that need to be made. She compiled this list after working with many women on the spectrum. I was diagnosed at age 20 yet answered no to almost all of these questions. The reason is that the Aspergers symptoms manifest differently in males than females, namely they are far more pronounced and obvious in boys and men. She had participed in several research studies while an undergrad and as a master’s student dealing with ASD symptoms yet was unable to apply this knowledge to how differently women present. I am now diagnosed with HFA (previously called Apsergers Syndrome) as a direct result of reading this post and realising I might be Autistic.