Girls' autism 'under-diagnosed'

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Some professionals need to start writing books on FEMALE autties, so other professionals will start believing we exist.

All this "textbook" stuff and research since 1943 has been based off AS + the male personality. But at the cognitive level, it's still the same.

Even at first, Asperger, himself, didn't believe it occured in females.

So maybe you should get a large group of HFA/AS females together and write a book.

It's not a bad article, interesting how they think AS may be underlying other conditions such as anorexia. I definitely agree it's underdiagnosed in females. They probably need supplementary dx criteria for females.

Somebody could probably do that just by copying and pasting back posts from female Wrongplanet members.

Actually there is one book done by female autistics/aspergers already but it's mainly a collection of poetry and stories from personal experiences, it's aptly named: "Women from Another Planet: Our Lives in the Universe of Autism", it's by Jean Kearns Miller

http://www.womenfromanotherplanet.com/

Of course, only thing that really doesn't impress me is a contributioin to the excerpt from Judy Singer of ASpar (http://www.klattu.com.au/~jsinger/) who has generously posted up horror stories from individuals with AS parents and how to win custody towards the NT parents.

The word disease has now been replaced with the word disorder.

LOL! *Slap*

I don't agree that AS is even a disorder - I would say it is a condition.

As the one professional (have had a few other say same) that essentially gave me and unofficial diagnosis of AS (not on the records due to fear of problems with custody and employment) said to me. She views AS as more of a 'temperament/disposition' than a disorder or a disability and that autism on the LFA side is often made a 'disorder' due to the comorbidities not simply just the autism.

In discussing AS with our son, we call it the "Asperger personality."

I think it's an excellent way of viewing it myself. I'm not diseased or disordered, I'm different and unique with my own set of challenges but everyone even NTs have challenges, just different ones.

When I saw the editor of that book at Autreat last year, she said that that section is going to be removed in the next edition. Apparently she and most of the contributors aren't that impressed either.

Yes, the killer on the LFA/MFA side is the Mental Retardation which accompanies it. Though the developmental delay (if the kid ends up being HFA) can be hard on the child and the family as well, just trying to learn to understand each other for those years.

I hate, hate, HATE it when people call AS/D a DISEASE!! !!

Guess it goes to show what they think of us. Fascist basards.