Aspergers Symptoms In Girls
Aspergers symptoms in girls can be more difficult to spot than those in boys. 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. It is almost certainly true to say that although four out of every five formal diagnoses of Aspergers are in males, this is not a true representation of how many females are affected. The reason is that 'diagnosis' for females often fails to happen because the Aspergers symptoms are either overlooked, misunderstood or as is often the case the sufferer is given an entirely different diagnosis.
Perhaps the most common reason for misdiagnosis is that doctors and mental health workers tend to look for Aspergers in males but because of the relative rarity of female diagnosis statistics it is far less likely to be considered for girls and women. Unfortunately this seems to be a self-perpetuating cycle meaning that many females with Aspergers are not being correctly diagnosed.
On this page we will discuss the specifics of Aspergers symptoms in girls, why they are more difficult to spot, what to look out for and the best course of action to take in terms of managing and overcoming the difficulties associated with being a female Aspie. If you are or suspect you may be an Aspie (or if you are a concerned parent) and would like to discuss your case and recovery options, you can contact us on 01782 855585, 11am to 9pm, seven days a week.
An Overview Of Aspergers Symptoms In Girls...
The first Aspergers symptom prevalent in girls is that of highly charged emotions, particularly stress and anxiety. Although any child can suffer with highly charged emotions an Aspergers sufferer will tend to react inappropriately and will often fail to respond to calming measures such as affection and distraction. Essentially the emotional process will be extreme and will need to run its course regardless of what happens externally.
Another Aspergers symptom in girls is rigidity of thoughts and behaviours. This means that the sufferer does not cope well with variations or change. The outcome of external changes which challenge the rigidity of thoughts and behaviours often results in inappropriate highly charged emotional states. (See above)
Acute sensory awareness is another key symptom of Aspergers in girls, where the senses (touch, taste, smell, hearing, visual) can become rapidly overloaded through stimulation. For example, a pungent odor or the humming of a fan can be acutely perceived by the sufferer which quickly overwhelms their senses and results in intense emotional responses and/or the urge to escape.
Language and speech can seem 'out of character' with others in their peer group. Typical examples include speaking more like an adult than a child, noticeable eccentricities in word selection, difficulties in modulating volume or tonality and a lack of adaptation between social situations such as speaking to classmates in the same way as speaking to a head teacher.
Interests and play tend to set an Asperger sufferer apart from their peers. Often there are struggles with understanding the dynamic of give and take or 'turn taking' meaning an Aspie can become confused or decide to withdraw from playing group games. It is typical for a female Aspie to be tomboyish, preferring the company of boys and their activities - although rarely an Aspie may adopt the other extreme of being almost princess-like. Using animals for companionship is also common in female Aspies as are imaginary or fantasy friends. Animals and imaginary friends avoid the social complications Aspies struggle with and allows them to dictate the scope and direction of 'play'. Aspies tend to develop one or more quirky specialised areas of interest which are out of proportion with that of their peers.
Social interaction difficulty is a key symptom of Aspergers in girls. What comes naturally to neuro-typicals and becomes second nature seems to be a constant up-hill learning struggle for Aspies. Unfortunately using logic and rationalisation to unpick the complexities of body language, facial expressions and social interaction doesn't work that well. A shortcut many Aspies use is to mimic body language, facial expressions and certain phrases used by other people. This is an attempt to fit in and be 'normal' but unfortunately such behaviours can come across as incongruent, false or odd.
This is by no means an exhaustive list, although it offers enough pointers for a parent to decide whether further investigation and/or professional help should be sought. For a more definitive list, see our page on Aspergers Symptoms.
Why Aspergers Is More Difficult To Spot In Girls...
In a nutshell Aspergers tends to be more difficult to spot in girls because of the differences in neuro-processing and also social dynamics when compared to boys. For example, females are naturally more intuitive than males, they are more aware of subtle signals, have greater natural empathy, are more nurturing and are more likely to accept help from their peers. It is also true to say that (generally speaking) females are more likely to make allowances for others that feel distressed or are struggling to cope. Thus socially speaking, females are more likely to take action to unburden an Aspie in their social group by making allowances, sharing their time and understanding and also offering protection from 'outsiders'. It is also true to say that females tend to be more likely to ask for (and accept) help.
In stark contrast to this males will rarely ask for help, instead insisting on using their own coping strategies which in turn tend to result in failure, confrontation and inappropriate emotional outbursts. It is the confrontation and inappropriate emotional outbursts that flag up the potential problem of Aspergers within males - whereas relatively speaking in females such behaviours are far less common. The more obvious the symptoms of Aspergers, the more likely it will be formally diagnosed. Thus, this is the reason (a lack of 'obvious' Aspergers symptoms) girls tend to be far more difficult to diagnose by anyone other than the most observant specialists.
How To Manage And Overcome Aspergers Symptoms In Girls...
The truth is that much can be done to improve the quality of life of female Aspies, particularly in view of the fact that they seem far more open to outside help than males. The underlying issue behind many Aspergers symptoms is that of poor intuitive strategies for dealing with certain things. When these inappropriate strategies are considered alongside the average Aspie's rigid patterns of thinking and desire for consistency - it is clear to see why improvements rarely occur without professional help. Essentially, for the vast majority of Aspies - if their intuitive strategy is ineffective, they simply try harder at doing the same thing... which in turn creates more problems, frustration and emotional duress.
However, as Aspies tend to be naturally intelligent they can learn new ways to do things provided the methodology makes sense to them. At the Anxiety Clinic we have specialised in changing entrenched emotionally driven behaviours for over seventeen years. Here is a testimonial from the mother of a sixteen year old client thanking us for the work we did with her daughter. The daughter was suspected of having Aspergers but had not received a formal diagnosis at the time:
"I would like to write this to thank you for the work you have done with Charlotte over the last few weeks.
When I first called you to make an appointment, Charlotte was a few weeks away from her GCSE exams and having panic attacks every time she tried to go into school or thought about preparing for exams. She had been through a couple of years of NHS therapies including various anti-anxiety and anti-depressant drugs which she hated, and had been discharged from all NHS counselling as she 'was not sufficiently motivated to help herself', and she just had no faith at all in anyone's ability to help.
She has found the sessions with you to be positive from the first meeting, and the turnaround has been nothing short of amazing ... this week she has eight final GCSE exams and has been able to study, and take herself to school unsupported to complete her exams, and is looking forward to the future,
Thank you so much for your help." - Leah
This is a story we hear over and over, where concerned parents and Aspies themselves tell us how they have been passed around from one therapy to another, given drugs that don't help and are fed up with box ticking assessments and being asked the same monotonous questions over and over. Charlotte (above) was extremely bright and motivated to help herself, but simply didn't know how. The 'help' she was given by the NHS was bureaucratic, outdated and made no sense to her which was why even after over two years of their treatment - there was no improvement. What she really needed was a specialised, up to date approach that she understood and felt comfortable with - which is precisely what we provide for all our clients.
Whether you are a concerned parent or an Aspie (diagnosed or not), if you are interested in getting help with understanding Aspergers, managing the tough stuff, overcoming many of the difficulties and living life to the full - have a read of our page on Aspergers Treatment.
Alternatively, if you'd like a chat with a Consultant or would like any questions answered, feel free to call us for an informal chat on 01782 855585, 11am to 9pm, seven days a week. We are happy to discuss your case and requirements free and without any obligation. If you would like further information on how we work, our very affordable fixed rate (pay as you go) fees, our zero risk guarantee and just how quickly we can start work with you - choose from the following links:
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