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OlivG
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17 Mar 2013, 5:44 am

I noticed that a lot of the Autistic females are tomboyish, while the males tend to be more delicate. Why are the gender roles genetically reversed in Autism?

More interesting read:

http://keithsneuroblog.blogspot.fi/2012 ... order.html



nessa238
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17 Mar 2013, 6:00 am

Their findings definitely fit me as a female with an ASD - I look more androgynous than average and think my head
is larger than average too

Brett Anderson out of Suede isn't on the autistic spectrum though is he?

I've always thought there's usually a sign of the autism in a person's face and that if that isn't there their level of autism is negligible

That's just my personal theory

The variation in looks from the average explains a lot of the bullying that occurs as the person looks different enough from the norm for it to be picked up on



jk1
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17 Mar 2013, 6:00 am

I guess I certainly fit the delicate autistic male stereotype and don't like being expected to behave in a traditional male way though I have no problem with my biological sex. I don't know how I'm perceived by others. I also have never met anyone personally who is known to be autistic. From the posts that I have read here on WP, I tend to believe what you, the OP, are saying sounds rather true.



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17 Mar 2013, 6:17 am

Oh, I wouldn't say reversed. I'd say there's less likelihood of compliance or seeing a reason for compliance.



nessa238
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17 Mar 2013, 6:29 am

Verdandi wrote:
Oh, I wouldn't say reversed. I'd say there's less likelihood of compliance or seeing a reason for compliance.


To a certain extent it's impossible to comply anyway - you are how you were born



whirlingmind
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17 Mar 2013, 8:06 am

OlivG wrote:
I noticed that a lot of the Autistic females are tomboyish, while the males tend to be more delicate. Why are the gender roles genetically reversed in Autism?

More interesting read:

http://keithsneuroblog.blogspot.fi/2012 ... order.html


I'm a weird mix. I have a very male brain according to all the tests I've taken, but I look really feminine (and I am straight). I love dressing nicely and wearing make-up and doing my hair. My 2D:4D finger ratio fits neither male nor typical female results. I have some physical features of autism, such as posteriorly rotated ears, at least 3 hair whorls, clynodactyly and camptodactyly of fingers and relatively flat malar region of face. However, my head is actually quite small for an adult whereas autistic heads are said to sometimes be larger.


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CockneyRebel
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17 Mar 2013, 8:06 am

Despite my biological gender, I've always acted more male and had interests that were very masculine. I also have a male role model, because I feel it's easier for me that way. When I'm doing my Wii Fit +, I do the more male oriented games like boxing, the marching game, skateboarding and obstacle course. I never felt female and nor do I wish to.


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Cafeaulait
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17 Mar 2013, 8:18 am

If I have aspergrs, that surely doesn´t go for me. I´m a ´feminine´ girl.



aspiesandra27
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17 Mar 2013, 8:46 am

Being feminine per se doesn't come into it. I am feminine too at times, but I have a lot of what society perceives as "male interests". I was a tomboy for all of my childhood and teenage years and then discovered my femininity and now embrace it. But I am a huge mix. Some days I am more outwardly feminine than others. And no, not to please others, but to please myself. I have also had relationships with both genders, and I don't think too much about it. It's just the way it is.

Now let me go and watch Formula 1. Yes! :)



b00m3rang
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17 Mar 2013, 11:23 am

I have to say, I fairly accurately fit into that category. May be a reason I look as young as I do, as they mentioned in the article. I'm 35, and I've been carded recently.

OlivG wrote:
I noticed that a lot of the Autistic females are tomboyish, while the males tend to be more delicate. Why are the gender roles genetically reversed in Autism?

More interesting read:

http://keithsneuroblog.blogspot.fi/2012 ... order.html



Callista
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17 Mar 2013, 11:28 am

Verdandi wrote:
Oh, I wouldn't say reversed. I'd say there's less likelihood of compliance or seeing a reason for compliance.
I agree with you. I think we just don't soak up the gender role expectations the way most kids do. Even NT kids can be gender-atypical, even transgender. Autistic ones haven't even got the push of society to put us into the "proper" little boxes.


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kouzoku
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17 Mar 2013, 11:39 am

Callista wrote:
Verdandi wrote:
Oh, I wouldn't say reversed. I'd say there's less likelihood of compliance or seeing a reason for compliance.
I agree with you. I think we just don't soak up the gender role expectations the way most kids do. Even NT kids can be gender-atypical, even transgender. Autistic ones haven't even got the push of society to put us into the "proper" little boxes.


I think this is accurate.

I am extremely feminine and am mistaken for a girl all the time. That's because I never accepted that boys and girls should be a certain way and still don't. I do my hair, wear makeup, etc. My body is very androgynous, too. I feel neither male or female and my doctor suspects I am intersex and asked me if I want to look into it. I said no - I just want to be me without any justification.



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17 Mar 2013, 11:40 am

I'm definitely not delicate, but I have kind of an angelic face (in spite of lots of facial hair, it's invisible when I shave) that could likely pass as female if other features and my very masculine body shape changed. I once met an autistic girl who looked almost identical (face and hair-wise). I have big shoulders and biceps that make me look like I work them out even when I don't, so I'd say the feminine look ends with the face.

A lot of NT guys look and act far more feminine. I think I have a huge range of behaviors from rather masculine to much less so; my voice even ranges from Terminator-like to a valley girl gay voice. I definitely dress quite manly as well.

I'd say it's a mix. Probably not distinctively more feminine, overall, than average.



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17 Mar 2013, 12:06 pm

Quote:
I noticed that a lot of the Autistic females are tomboyish, while the males tend to be more delicate. Why are the gender roles genetically reversed in Autism?


They aren't reversed. Autistic girls and boys act more similar than NT girls and boys. It makes the autistic boys seem more feminine and autistic girls more masculine by comparison.



JeepGuy
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17 Mar 2013, 12:08 pm

I’ve wondered about some of my thoughts and behaviors related to gender from time to time. Most of the stuff I tend to do is highly masculine, but a lot of the things I like to do are traditionally considered more feminine (though I never thought they should all be thought of as gender-based, and I guess that thought could be because of some feminine part of my mind). First of all I’ve always enjoyed cleaning: I feel really good afterwards (and it’s nothing to do with the cleaning product fumes!). Most of the people who have ever become remotely close to being friends with me were women. I’ve often thought if I have kids I’d want to be a stay-at-home dad. I'd have no trouble seeing myself as the homemaker. And most importantly when it comes to the idea of dating and marriage I’ve always wanted the girl to be the assertive one as I don’t have an assertive cell in my body (hence why I’ve never even been on a date even though I long to). When looking at the planet as a whole, I’ve often thought maybe things would be slightly better if there were more matriarchal societies because the men in power certainly have not done a satisfactory job.


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whirlingmind
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17 Mar 2013, 12:20 pm

JeepGuy wrote:
First of all I’ve always enjoyed cleaning: I feel really good afterwards (and it’s nothing to do with the cleaning product fumes!).

I’d want to be a stay-at-home dad. I'd have no trouble seeing myself as the homemaker.


That's funny because I have a more male brain (I'm female) I hate cleaning (although I am meticulous when I actually do it), especially hoovering and ironing, and I'd rather be at work than at home looking after the children.


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