Support thread for women who suspect or know they have ASD traits or are on the spectrum

[OxfordBags]

Hello, all! As the title says, I hope this can be a support thread for those of us who suspect or know we have some (or many) Aspergic traits; where we can share experiences, stories, problems, worries, knowledge and info, and hopefully benefit and help each other too.

I found a great link a while ago that is very comprehensive in its description of how Asperger's presents in women and how women experience it. Some of it is strikingly different from the male model and how most people perceive Asperger's. Here: ASD in women

I truly believe two things: 1) that ASD in females is woefully misunderstood and under-diagnosed and 2) that our current understanding and the definition of the AS Spectrum is, in itself, rather ASD in its rigidity, and that there is an actual spectrum of traits much broader and more nuanced than the current model, and that there are a hell of a lot of people struggling with some very typical ASD traits, who nevertheless do not have all the traits required to fulfil a formal diagnosis of having Asperger's or High-Functioning Autism.

So, with that rather typically ASD-style long-winded and unnecessarily detailed intro out of the way, let's chat!

Hi all, I didn't realise that today is Autism Sunday! I have started a thread in Chat!

My 7yo DS has recently received a private dx of ASD (PDA) - like Polter, it was reading up about it in the context of his assessments that made me recognise some of it in myself.

DS was dx in December with ASD (with marked demand avoidance) and ADHD.

Morning. Not sure if I am undxed AS or just BAP/bags of AS traits. My child is similarly undxed (only dx was language delay with asd traits).

I am also a lot more organised at work than home. I love my spreadsheets, and turn as much as I can list wise into an excel spreadsheet at work.

Marking place for when I have time, so many things chime with me, sensitivity to noise and pain especially.

Hello. I am 31 and I think I am most likely to have Aspergers. I'm currently in a pretty tough place in life at the moment, having left an abusive relationship and being homeless right now, so if I read and don't post that is why. I find it pretty difficult to keep up with things when I am pretty preoccupied in my life, so I will try to keep up, but sorry if I don't.

I am going into a refuge Holey, hopefully pretty quickly. And I have done a homelessness application at the council, so hopefully I'll be awarded priority band and be able to bid on properties pretty quickly. Thank you though, I am often in Birmingham to collect my DD for contact, I love the city.

I've just found out our NHS trust have said I can have a second opinion after my bonkers ASD assessment last July. Fingers crossed it will be ok this time.

Thanks PolterGoose. I may have questions at some point. Right now I am just waiting to find out what is going on. The only thing I am stuck on right now is I am considering making a second homelessness application in a different area, is that something you can do when you are at risk?

Good luck Meglet, I am hoping to settle long enough to actually get to an ASD assessment, I had been referred, but then I was made homeless, then I moved in with my now ex and it took yonks to even get seen by the CMHT never mind get referred for an assessment. Now I am waiting again to see the CMHT, and again it's taking ages.

I saw this guy a few years ago for my ADHD and he thought I might be autistic too.......

They've been talking about putting me somewhere that has a disabled room, so I will suggest the other area (which would be better for travelling to both my kids and my mum) and see if their refuge has room. I'll call the other council in the meantime and ask if I can do the application over the phone, and get my domestic violence officer at this council to contact them as well maybe, to confirm the situation.

thoughtcatalog.com/penelope-trunk/2013/07/4-clues-you-are-a-woman-with-aspergers/

Just found this. Reason number 2 is so typically me. Every single word of it.

That's really good Rafa! I can't decide which details are important and which are not! It's caused me big problems in the past especially when studying. I used to study so hard!

Hi, I have a 7yo son dx'd with Asperger Syndrome, and I'm pretty sure some other close relatives have/had undiagnosed ASD.

I never suspected I may have ASD myself until fairly recently... I've always been the one to keep things together and promote family harmony at all costs... My dad's difficulties always eclipsed everything else, and now my son's do obviously. So I'm only just getting round to understanding my own issues and things I've struggled with all my life...

I definitely agree that the current understanding / descriptions of ASD are very male-centric!

I score 43 on the AQ. I have 4 DC's, two dxd with 'Autistic traits', but that was when our service was frankly shite. One would possibly get an Aspergers (or whatever they call it now) dx, youngest dxd ASD (service been reorganised).

I was a typical Aspergers teen, and even now I still show lots of traits. It's hard enough to keep pushing for dx and educational he'll for the DC's though, so any dx for me would have to wait.

That has a NAME?! I'm forever being called 'odd' for doing that, taking on the accent of whoever I'm talking to. I put it down to having moved a lot, but it's not, really. If I talk on the phone to my Scottish Ex, I start yo sound more Scottish, if I'm talking to my MCfriends, I talk in the same way they do, if I talk to my more 'estuary accent' friends, I find myself talking like that too.

I just thought I was odd for that! I can't help it, either, it happens even when I'm trying NOT to let it happen.

Um, I just did that online RAAD-R test thing. I got 199. That's somewhat concerning!