This list of Asperger’s Syndrome traits outlines how Asperger’s presents in girls, which can be very different to how it presents in boys. It is broken down under the following categories: Appearance/Personal Habits, Intellectual/giftedness/education/vocation, Emotional/Physical and Social/Relationships.
I found it very useful when I got my Asperger’s diagnosis and I hope it can also help parents and those with undiagnosed Asperger’s peruse an official diagnosis.
Thanks for the link. I have never seen a “list” with autistic girls in mind.
Neither had I until I saw this list and then I identified so strongly with most of the things on it. It is a wonderful thing to be able to show people when trying to explain how AS affects us.
Tony Atwood has a lot to say on this
(please excuse my comment spam while I trawl the archives! yes, i’m a stalker!)
I really want to get some of Tony’s books, however, it is a matter of saving up for them and clearing the backlog of books I already have brought but haven’t read.
For a long time I have suspected that both myself and my husband have Asperger’s. This list only reconfirms that suspicion.
I’d be curious to know what made you seek a formal diagnosis, and if for you having an official diagnosis has had substantial benefits. Off to poke around your archives to see what I find!
I was suffering from depression & anxiety from my sudden inability to cope with my AS. It’s like all my coping mechanisms just fell apart. It was horrible. Thankfully, that is time has passed.
My diagnosis has substantial personal benefits, but that is all, as I’m able to live independently, hold down a full time job and move countries so I don’t need any support services. However, being able to understand why I do some of the things I do or react the way I do makes me less hard on myself and therefore more happier within myself.
AHHHH! I totally agree with you! (I have seen this list before) It amazes me how much of the stuff I agree with on this list and with the stuff you just mentioned thank you!
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I found this list very interesting, its like me all over! I have spent my whole life wondering why i am so different, i often wondered if i was bipolar but it just didnt make sense, when did u get a diagnosis? And how? X
I went to see a psychologist who specialised in autism in adults and was diagnosed in May 2010.
I can identify with most points on the list (either now as as issues overcome in the past) but those points are not criteria that an official diagnosis would go by? As I understand it, the criteria used for diagnosis are the same for males and females, and therefore based on ‘classic’ male AS traits.
(this is a question)
I’m not sure what is now used as the criteria for an official diagnosis. I would suggest seeking a professional opinion if you suspect you have AS.
My point is that there is a big difference between identifying with the points on the ‘female aspie’ list, and a professional diagnose… I think. Who has made the list?
The list was made by Tony Atwood one of the leading experts on Asperger’s Syndrome so I think he knows what he is talking about.
Thank you very much for the information, that is what I wanted to know. I wasn’t trying to disqualify the list, just to see if there is a big gap between the list and the criteria used to diagnose asperger by professionals. I have read the official criteria and find them hard to understand (= hard to answer, as everything is relative).