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I see a fair number of women in my private practice who want to know if they fit the diagnostic criteria for Asperger’s Syndrome (AS), now under the Autism Spectrum Difference (ASD) umbrella in DSM-5. A lot of these women have multiple prior diagnoses such as depression, anxiety, ADHD, even OCD, and Borderline Personality Disorders. They stumble upon Asperger’s and autistic traits after years of feeling different, but not knowing why. Often their challenges are manifested in their work environment, and for many, in their relationships and marriages. The reason for un/misidentification of women with ASD is that they are complex people, yet the manifestations of their Asperger’s appear to be more subtle.
There’s research that indicates that girls and women with Asperger’s/autism learn social skills differently from men. Their Asperger’s or ASD might be harder to detect because they may mimic their non-ASD peers more successfully than men with AS can. Women also tend not to fit the geek-Asperger’s stereotype as much. Highly intelligent but somewhat quirky women may have more socially acceptable interests than men with AS, including animals, astrology, poetry, or even fashion. Also, clinicians aren’t trained or experienced in diagnosing AS in individuals that don’t appear stereotypically or obviously “Aspie.” In particular, individuals (men as well as women) who are highly accomplished and/or married and/or employed often don’t always receive the diagnosis.
– The Women’s End of the Spectrum
Clients often ask me for information on women with ASD. So, I’ve come up with a short list of books, movies and TV shows that provide a wide range of examples of how Asperger’s and autism can manifest in women. Watching just one movie or book may not often paint a clear picture of what ASD looks in every person, and it’s important to keep in mind that every person with ASD is unique with their own cluster of traits and how these traits may manifest. Here are some books written by women on the autism spectrum as well as some characters portrayed in movies and TV shows that represent female Asperger’s and autism.
Books:
Aspergirls by Rudy Simone
Pretending to be Normal by Liane Holliday Willey
Safety Skills for Asperger Women: How to Save a Perfectly Good Female Life by Liane Holliday Willey
22 Things a Woman With Asperger’s Syndrome Wants her Partner to Know by Rudy Simone
Nerdy Shy and Socially Inappropriate by Cynthia Kim
Sisterhood of the Spectrum by Jennifer Cooke O’Toole
Women and Girls with Autism Spectrum Disorder by Sarah Hendrickx
Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko (fiction)
Mockingbird by Caitlin Smith (fiction)
Movies:
Mozart and the Whale
Jane Wants a Boyfriend
Hansee Toh Phasee (Hindi Film)
Snow Cake
Temple Grandin (biopic)
Imagination
TV Shows:
Bones (Temperance Brennan)
Friends (Pheobe)
Bob’s Burgers (Tina)
The Big Bang Theory (Amy Farrah Fowler)
Waterloo Road (Jessica Baglow)
