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Aspies are hard-core realists. Logic and proof reign supreme in their world. What makes it possible to influence the behavior of children with Asperger syndrome that you can never achieve with emotions, shouting, punishment or threats. Another thing is that it is very difficult for parents to always act through logic and not succumb to their own emotional reaction. In 2014 psychologist Thomas Frazier of the Cleveland Clinic and his colleagues assessed 2,418 autistic children, 304 of them girls. They, too, found that girls with the diagnosis were more likely to have low IQs and extreme behavior problems. The girls also had fewer (or perhaps less obvious) signs of “restricted interests”—intense fixations on a particular subject such as dinosaurs or Disney films. These interests are often a key diagnostic factor on the less severe end of the spectrum, but the examples used in diagnosis often involve stereotypically “male” interests, such as train timetables and numbers. In other words, Frazier had found further evidence that girls are being missed. And a 2013 study showed that, like Frances, girls typically receive their autism diagnoses later than boys do. She describes how both her sensory differences—she can be overwhelmed by crowds and is bothered by loud noise and certain textures—and her social awkwardness made her stand out. Her life was dominated by anxiety. Speaking broadly of people on the spectrum, O'Toole says, “There is really not a time when we're not feeling some level of anxiety, generally stemming from either sensory or social issues.” Title: Am I Autistic? Utility of the Girls Questionnaire for Autism Spectrum Condition as an Autism Assessment in Adult WomenFrom Kevin Pelphrey’s recent study, he found that Aspie girls’ brains looks like that of a typical boy of the same age, with reduced activity in regions normally associated with socializing. “They’re still reduced relative to typically developing girls,” Pelphrey said, but the brain-activity measures they show would not be considered “autistic” in a boy. “Everything we’re looking at, brain-wise, now seems to be following that pattern,” he adds. In short, the brain of a girl with autism may be more like the brain of a typical boy than that of a boy with autism.” Few scientists—including Baron-Cohen—think that the extreme male brain theory is the whole story. A second idea emerges when looking at the typical strengths of women. If having female hormones and a female-type brain structure increases the ability to read the emotions of others and makes social concerns more salient, it might take a greater number of genetic or environmental “hits” to alter this capacity to the level where autism would be diagnosed. This idea is known as the “female protective” hypothesis. Generally speaking, from Aspie’s point of view, these neurotypical people do not have the ability to empathize, because they are either bullied at school or turn a blind eye to it. As an adult, Aspies constantly watch how “normal” people pretend to be sympathetic and describe it in the right words, but do not really feel it and show their indifference with their deeds after five minutes. It is all the more offensive for Aspies, especially women, to read in articles over and over again how “insensitive and free of empathy” they are.

Numerous recent studies have supported Baron-Cohen’s idea. In 2010 he and his colleagues found that male fetuses exposed to higher levels of testosterone in amniotic fluid during pregnancy tend to grow up to have more autism traits. A 2013 study he co-authored, led by his Cambridge colleague MengChuan Lai, found that the brain-scan differences seen in children with autism occurred most often in regions that tend to vary by gender in typical children. Title: An investigation of the ‘female camouflage effect’ in autism using a computerized ADOS-2 and a test of sex/gender differences | SpringerLink In my own study that phenomenologically explored the Lived Experience of Mothers of Children with Asperger’s Syndrome, I support these statements. Mothers I interviewed generally indicated that the girls were less social, did not bond the same way socially with other girls, and were especially combative with other females in authority. Fantasy– the affected area for Aspies. An essay based on pictures can be successful if the picture is well interpreted and the topic is close for Aspie-pupil, but it can also be completely unsuccessful if the situation requires imagination, thinking out or is extremely unrealistic. Composing in general is difficult for Aspie, because he wants a perfect statement, but understands that he is not able – therefore it is easier to give up right away. Aspie’s typical writing is an endless tedious recount of who went where and what they did, or an extremely short description.Having lived this journey of trying to gain perpetual acceptance at work and from other women, I can share some insights that will be helpful for mothers of girls with Asperger’s in preparing them for employment. As an organizational researcher, and former Human Resources Director, I have gleaned additional insights that will be helpful, as well. Aspie Women are Different Many people still think autistic people are either non-verbal or have an exceptional skill, like in Rain Man. And, of course, that they’re almost all men, says Bargiela. “The idea that women can’t be autistic is really pervasive.” The idea that women can’t be autistic is really pervasive Title: Friend matters: sex differences in social language during autism diagnostic interviews | SpringerLink Title: Autism is still underdiagnosed in girls and women. That can compound the challenges they face

Title: Relationships with Healthcare Professionals (HCPs) during pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period Because of these expectations, there is less tolerance for unusual behavior—and not just in high school. Many of the women report having difficulty keeping—but not getting—jobs, despite excellent qualifications. “You can see that in a faculty meeting even at the high-level academic departments,” Yale's Pelphrey says. “The guys still get away with much, much more.” Their speech is pedantic. They strive for maximum precision in their expressions, so they often fail to recognize what is important and what is less important and should be skipped. Therefore, they can easily tire the interlocutor with the most detailed story about some of their interests, which the interlocutor is not at all interested in. At the same time, Aspi will not understand the hints that it would be necessary to change the subject – this must be said directly and openly. Along these lines, several studies have shown that in families with affected daughters, there are higher numbers of mutations known as copy-number variations than there are in families where only boys are affected. A 2014 study by geneticist Sbastien Jacquemont of the University of Lausanne in Switzerland and his colleagues found that there was a 300 percent increase in harmful copy-number variants in females with autism, compared with males. Title: Sense-making narratives of autistic women diagnosed in adulthood: a systematic review of the qualita (tandfonline.com)aspie girl, ashbie, apustaja, ashbie moon, aspie, asd, aspergers, autism acceptance, autism is my superpower, please be patient i have autism, wojak, neurodivergent, neurodiversity, neurodiverse, hello kitty, sanrio, vr, autism, r/aspiememes, introvert

The thing that probably helped me the most with my social awkwardness is working retail and being forced to talk to people. Oh it was so hard at first! But has paid off exponentially :-) You would have to spend more than a minute with me to "see" the autism.

Visual thinking relates to the concept that individuals with ASD are visual learners, thinking more in pictures than language. This enables some people with autism to conceptualize patterns in their minds and solve complex problems. Why is Aspie thought to be incapable of empathy? This follows directly from what has already been said. Title: Unique dynamic profiles of social attention in autistic females - Del Bianco - Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry - Wiley Online Library