Those of you with Autistic girls, how did you know?

[wulves]

I’m in my 40s and late diagnosed autistic, no hope in hell of my parents noticing anything even if autism was known in girls back then. I was just wondering what signs you saw when they were still small that made you wonder or know your daughter is autistic?

@Anisty I will say though, a lot of my physical toys were collectibles. I definitely checked the typical collecting/special interests box.

I'm still creative now, I write fantasy novels and work as a graphic designer. I also acted a lot as a child/teen.

My daughter is 19 and awaiting an autism assessment.
Never spoke until she was 3. Walked on tip toes. Never smiles. Doesn't seem to have any empathy. Obsessed with germs. Only likes certain foods nd then goes onto another food. At school couldn't retain information. She has always had friends but it would be an obsession and then all of a sudden she wouldn't be friends with them anymore.
She appears to try and act like every friend that she gets obsessed with. Takes everything literally and I have to explain everything.

I feel so guilty that I never picked up on this. I asked when she was at senior school but they did a test and said that there was nothing wrong. She just wasn't academic at all and failed most exams. If it had bee picked up she would have gotten some help. . She had had depression and I feel through the autism. We recently got a dog and she has changed and seems much happier.
She works obsessively so is capable of going out to work.

Interestingly, my eldest dd (who has never been formally diagnosed but i would bet my life she is autistic) earns her living as an artist. Yet, she has no mind's eye! I just cannot fathom it. She has no visual representation at all.

In fact, she was in tears when she found other people can picture things in their heads; she never knew! And so wishes she could.

And yet, she draws well without copying anything.

So - she is creative too but she is very much into Dungeons and Dragons and designs a lot of that fantasy game type stuff.

My younger dd looked like she was playing when she was small. She loved dolls, prams and all that goes with that.

But - it wasn't proper imaginative play. She copied things that she would have seen - feed dolly, dress dolly, put dolly to bed.