Speech Therapy

Understanding Asperger's Syndrome in Adults and Women

Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) is known to be very common in men than in women. Not many diagnosed cases of women suffering form AS are known. This could be due to a gender bias that leaves most women undiagnosed. There are many women with a problem of high functioning autism that either are singled out or left undiagnosed.

The challenges and traits of asperger’s syndrome in adults and women have to be identified and related in order to provide effective therapies.

Asperger’s Syndrome in Adults: Many professionals in the field of autism feel that women are left undiagnosed. So, attempts to understand the traits exhibited by women suffering from AS are still ongoing. Let us examine a few common traits exhibited by women.

  • Women tend to exhibit a certain pretension mechanism which can appear creative. Women who suffer from AS were discovered to suffer from fantasies about princesses, unicorns and fairytale kingdoms. But, quiet often these traits are not counted amongst the symptoms of AS and therapists can ignore these traits.
  • Also, men are known to be more aggressive when it comes to expressing their feelings. This is the reason autistic male children would exhibit their frustrations publicly. This usually leads to an easy diagnosis of AS in boys. But, women are known to suppress their aggression and feel it inherently often concealing their feelings. This could be another reason for the syndrome to remain undiagnosed.
  • Apart from these, more and more understanding the uniqueness of AS in women has become quintessential in order to help them overcome their challenges laid upon by both the syndrome and the society. The social responsibilities of a woman laid upon by the society can become really excruciating for women with AS.

Gender Bias: The main culprit for women with AS being left undiagnosed is gender bias.

  • Often, men who exhibit peculiar mannerisms and characteristics are termed to the class of typical male thinkers. While if the same traits were to be exhibited by a woman, she would be called odd or cold.
  • This bias expects more out of AS women than is expected out of the same men and most women have concurred that this is unfair, which is actually true.

Aspergers’s syndrome in adults and women has to be understood and equal respect for sufferers of both sexes has to be paid. Due to the gender bias, many women are left being undiagnosed in their childhood. Not until they are adults, they are either diagnosed are self-diagnosed.

1 response to Understanding Asperger's Syndrome in Adults and Women

  1. I read this and I wonder about myself. I am considered odd, cold, or harsh because I say what’s on my. At the same time I have a 15 year old son with Aspergers and 6 year old son with Autism. Too many sterotypes for everyone to be diagnosed correctly

Leave a reply
