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SN children

Here are some suggested organisations that offer expert advice on special needs.

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Original poster

Girls with Aspergers????

13 replies

Blossomhill · 18/04/2006 16:01

My dd (7 in August) is in the process and I am almost 99% will be dx with Aspergers very shortly. She also has adhd and a language disorder.
There seems to be a real shortage of girls with it that I know. Would love to hear from other parents in similar situation.
Apparently the reason dd has been so hard to dx is that girls present differently and lots of girls walking around un-dx.
I actually feel the happiest I have in ages. Relieved that we are finally getting to bottom of it all :) xxx

OP posts:

jenk1 · 18/04/2006 18:14

Ah-ha, DS specialist has been round this afternoon(will put on another thread) and DS asked him "Why is it rare for girls to be Aspergers and not boys"?

Specialist said that girls brains are stronger and use their brains more than men,you can see AS virtually straightaway in a boy but its harder to spot in a girl.

Davros · 18/04/2006 20:15

My sister has AS (but I wouldn't introduce you to my mum for companionship and support BH!) and I think her AS traits are very obvious and always were. Mind you, I can't think of another girl with AS from my friends with children with ASD but then I don't know that many with AS, are there less than "core" ASD relatively?
TBH, I'm not surprised at any of this BH. If I'd been asked to give my amateur dx I might well have said AS.... hope you're not offended I sound like a smart arse (I am!).

Original poster

Blossomhill · 18/04/2006 22:13

Davros - if only I had come to you first. Could have saved all these years of confusion
Seriously though us parents know more than the professionals.
Although lady working dd has said just how hard it is to dx girls. Many go un-dx which is a shame as never get the help needed.

OP posts:

Original poster

Blossomhill · 19/04/2006 15:55

anyone else please :)

OP posts:

Passionflower · 19/04/2006 16:09

DD2 is only 4, but I have a sort of unacknowledged worry that she may have AS. Her half-brother DSS is dx AS and it is something that I have a nagging worry about.

Can I hi-jack and ask how it presents in girls if differently to boys?

rummum · 19/04/2006 16:16

Hi Blossomhill

My daughter is stilllllllllll being assessed,
so far she has the dx of dyspraxia but the SoCom team are going to observe her is school to see what is aspergers and what is dyspraxia.. so the way I understand it they want to see her interact with her friends to see what is most dominant.. she may end up with a dx of Aspergers with dyspraxic tendencies or Dyspraxia with aspergers tendences... (why they can't do both I'll never know)
The school didn't pick up on daughters problems at all, she has no behavioural problems and is very quiet and dreamy in the classroom, but had a lot of wobblers when she came home...
The EP was the first to mention Aspergers.

I don't want to appear nosy, but do you claim DLA for your DD?

Original poster

Blossomhill · 19/04/2006 17:46

Rummum - do you want to chat offline by email? Is that ok? I can tell you a lot more that way. Also have an article I can email you about girls with AS that was sent to me today. :)

OP posts:

rummum · 19/04/2006 17:50

great.. whats your addy... or do you CAT?
I haven't paid my fiver [tight emoticon]

Blossomhill · 19/04/2006 18:02

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted

rummum · 19/04/2006 18:09

Have emailed you

PeachyClair · 19/04/2006 18:42

There;'s a girl DS knows who is dx'd with AS (I know the Mum). She's much more obviously AS than my son actually, just how it manifests though.

shazzie · 19/04/2006 19:13

Hi Blossom,
My DD is 6, and was dx with ADHD this year, and is now on the waiting list to be assessed for Aspergers Syndrome. Her older brother has Autistic Spectrum Disorder, dyslexia and dyspraxia.
So far, I have been told that with a dual diagnosis (ADHD and AS)the AS can be masked by the ADHD, and it isn't until the ADHD is controlled, the AS can be picked up on .ie. the AS was always there, but not obvious because of being hyper.
My dd will have to have a trial of Ritalin, while they monitor her for AS.
She has been very difficult to get a dx for. Hopefully, soon I will hear from the hospital soon about what will happen next, because we have been left in limbo with no help for her in the meantime.

If you want a chat...we seem to have very similar dds, and I didn't think any one else had a daughter like mine.

monica2 · 19/04/2006 19:32

Hi BH have you still got my email address from last year? as you know dd was dx with AS aged 7, she is now nearly 11. We got dx very quickly but I think this was due to her age. She also has been dx recently with SID,sleep disorder, and ODD, and we are awaiting appt for OT for proprioceptive issues and hyperflexible joints etc. although these can all come under an AS dx anyway. I have friends, one with a classically autistic dd age 9 now, who is very similar to my dd but due to speech and language disorder had a dx of autism, and one with a dd 4 weeks younger than my dd (who lives down our road bizarrely!) who has AS and Anxiety panic disorder, so I have good comparisons for other girls too!

As far as dd is concerned she is able to mimic other kids social skills to a certain extent and is very keen to fit in and is motivated to try to socially interact. I also think if she were a boy her difficulties would not be as apparent, eg it is a lot more acceptable for boys her age to talk about a favourite subject ie football/aliens etc, and not express themselves emotionally, and poor self awareness etc where as girls tend to talk more about feelings/clothes/appearances etc which dd has no interest/struggles with. HTH :)

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