4th Oct 06  Autism2006 Login » Register »
Papers
Discussion
Foyer
Press
Pavilion
Home
Back
Papers
Discussion
Foyer
Press
Pavilion
About the conferenceAbout the conferenceHow it worksHow it worksGround rulesGround rulesFeedbackFeedbackCopyrightCopyrightPrivacyPrivacyT's& C'sT's& C's
You are in: Foyer
Moderator     Delegate List    Threaded Flat
Conference Discussion [Autism2006]
Moderator: System
  Poster     Thread  

Ian Ensum
Reg'd: 5th Oct 06
Posts: 1

User Profile
Women and girls with ASD. A much misunderstood group. (6th Oct 06 11:05:32 GMT)

Morning everyone. I'm a clinical psychologist working with adults with Asperger's Syndrome, who is starting to really think there is a hidden, largely invisible population of females with ASDs who end up misdiagnosed & misunderstood by services & society in general. For me, DSM/ICD describe a male stereotype which bears little relation to the people I see every day in my clinics - especially the women. does anyone else feel this way, or am I finally losing it?
  Subject     Poster     Posts     Last Post  
Females with ASD?
  Ladybug Ladybug   0   
Girls with asd
  Fairy's Mum   3  09-Oct-06 12:01:07 GMT 
Ian, Thank you. You are right on the button
  Sandy Kelleher   2  18-Oct-06 15:48:01 GMT 
Girls and ASD
  Janet Dudley   0   
Women with AS
  Jane Neil-MacLachlan   0   
...
  Sophist Gestalt   4  11-Oct-06 23:17:47 GMT 
How Girls Bully (Odd Girls Out by Rachel Simmons)
  Ladybug Ladybug   2  14-Oct-06 19:31:26 GMT 
How Women Bully
  Blanche McKenna   1  14-Oct-06 21:28:59 GMT 
How Women Bullly
  Ladybug Ladybug   0   
I agree
  Margaret Sharp   0   
...
  Sophist Gestalt   1  14-Oct-06 23:40:09 GMT 
Ignoring could also be not getting it...and of course there's a large group of AS-women that simply are ignored today
  Lotta Abrahamsson   0   
Possible connection with anorexia in young women with undiagnosed autism?
  Margaret Schofield   0   
Print IconPrint   User IconUser Profile   Contact Moderator IconContact Moderator
On the subject of girls withdrawing from situations where they feel confused or overloaded; as opposed to boys who tend to "act out" when overloaded - I wonder if any females have experienced increased tolerance of overwhelming situations through remaining hungry - a form of self-medication, leading to feeling more in control of oneself, and more distanced from stressors, and increasing one's sense of being able to cope with what is overloading/stressing one out?

Also connected with thread re. sleep deprivation - leading to clearer thinking patterns and feeling more logical, less sensorily overloaded, hence more productive?

Would it not be important for psychologists/psychiatrists and all "mental health" professionals to be made aware of these links, and address any possible underlying problems re. sensory overload, feeling that these undoubtedly unhealthy reactions are the only possible way of coping and keeping going in a very rapid, noisy and insensitive modern world?

Current treatment of anorexia focuses on "immaturity", "not wishing to grow up" - possible mistaken understanding of what the problem really is for the anorexic.

It also focuses on getting the anorexic to eat more as quickly as possible, "weight gain" - again (although undoubtedly important in terms of staying alive and reasonably healthy) - leads to harsh and unhelpful attitudes of medical staff.

Also wondering if anorexia could possibly be a mistaken reaction to food intolerances? Getting a "high" from lack of food, rather than "feeling sluggish and weighted down" from eating normally?

Has anyone else noticed any possible connections?
...
  Sophist Gestalt   0   
uadiagnosed asds in women(re autism2006 conferrence)
  Jane Whelan   0   

 

Powered by Nemisys