<p>Very timely article-
Last night my bookgroup met to discuss [Songs</a> of a Gorilla Nation](<a href=“http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/169530_njournal17.html]Songs”>http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/169530_njournal17.html) by a woman who was able to learn how to be “human” from her work with gorilla at the local zoo.
I had chosen the book to discuss, because my younger daughter has a great deal of aspergers characteristics although not ever “technically” diagnosed, and the rest of my family has many traits that are similar.</p>
<p>It is very hard for those who are NT ( neurotypical), to understand apparently.
One woman in particular in bookgroup, said she “hated the book, didn’t finish it & thought she was a fake”. While the book brought me, to tears, because there were so many similarities I could see, especially in my daughter, although at the time- I didn’t understand.</p>
<p>One of the other members of the group, found this article in the NYT today, about the difficulties and differences that girls with autism have, which sheds light on why it has been so difficult to get my D diagnosed accurately.</p>
<p>This doesnt have direct application to looking at colleges- but I hope the information might help someone.
<a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/05/magazine/05autism-t.html?pagewanted=1[/url]”>http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/05/magazine/05autism-t.html?pagewanted=1</a></p>
<p>In the NYTimes article, I didn’t see so much evidence that the girls were autistic, more that they were extremely anxious and shy. I can relate. I had trouble making friends as a youngster because no one seemed to be interested in books, music, or similar pursuits, and I wasn’t good at making small talk about boys, movie stars, TV shows, etc. As an adult I have no trouble making friends, but I still have to force myself to make small talk with some people. If I had to be around certain people all the time, as we make kids do in public school, I think I would be depressed too.</p>
<p>I actually read that book and found it very moving. Temple Grandin’s story, first discussed in ANTROPOLOGIST ON MARS by Oliver Sachs and then in her own writing is also very interesting as is the novel, THE MYSTERIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHTIME.</p>
<p>The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time was excellent.</p>
<p>Thanks for posting this article.</p>
<p>yes, nice article. I would definitely agree that there are gender differences and also that girls with high functioning autism/aspergers can more easily be overlooked or misdiagnosed because of these differences. Yet, as we are seeing a dramatic rise in incidents of autism and aspergers, and as we continue to develop better methods for diagnosing, treating and educating autistic children it will be important that the girls are not overlooked and that we try to understand these gender differences. </p>
<p>I come from a family with several members who fall on the spectrum (my 19-yr old S has mild aspergers as well as a 10-yr old nephew; and his younger sister has high functioning autism and is the lowest functioning of all of us–she finally started speaking about 2 years ago at age 4. Their father/my brother and I both fall on the spectrum as well, although neither of us are officially “diagnosed”). As a result I have been very interested in the general topic of autism but especially in gender differences.</p>
<p>I am also a big fan of Temple Grandin. She has made a huge contribution to our understanding of high functioning autism, in general. Another very good female writer/speaker is Liane Holliday Willey, author of “Pretending to be Normal” and a few other books; she was diagnosed with Aspergers after one her daughters was diagnosed and has written and spoken extensively about her experiences. I am in the middle of reading another book right now, called “Women From Another Planet? Our Lives in the Universe of Autism” edited by Jean Kearns Miller. It is a collection of several very short writings and conversations by a group of about 20 different women who are all on the autism spectrum or have autistic-like characteristics. They too show not only how very different the female experience can be from the male experience but also the wide range of differences even among females on the spectrum.</p>
<p>mommusic- while I will agree that one of the primary features of difficulties my daughter has is anxiety- it goes along with sensory differences and it is hard to seperate the two.</p>
<p>For example- when she was an infant- I could not hold her/or look at her while she nursed. she did not want to be touched and be stationary.I had to lean over her on the bed. Couldn’t wear cloth diapers, too bulky. Couldn’t put clothes on warm from the dryer- didn’t want me to wash them ever- as she wore the same clothes every day, I had to wash them when she was asleep- if she noticed that I had washed them, she went outside and rubbed dirt on them.
Way beyond normal anxiousness, but anxiety is a big symptom and she now is on a very low dose medication that helps that.</p>