Aspergirls: Empowering Females with Asperger Syndrome

I am 35. I was self diagnosed until recently (with doctors) and this book helped me on my way to understand my adult autism discovery and quest for diagnosis. I was lucky and had a friend talk to me about her diagnosis and we discovered that I have so much in common with her. She suggested I get this book and I am so grateful I did. I can see how if people were looking for a "how to deal with autism guide" this might not have all the information desired. For me, new to learning about female autism, it was perfect. I was able to see my traits in this book and many things in the book were like reading snippets from my own life. It was so beneficial for me to feel less alone in my symptoms, which until now, I had no idea was Asperger's. I also have sensory processing (disorder). I dislike that it is called a disorder and personally refer to it as my spidey senses. It can be hard for a lot of autistics and even non-autistics to agree on a full symptom list I think, because the spectrum is so varied and diverse and I have seen some reviews saying this book did not relate to their experience with autism, but for me it was spot on. It gave me a far deeper understanding of not only my present but my past. I also got to understand my Mother better who I know now is on the spectrum as well. It you are a female seeking diagnosis I highly recommend reading this and Samantha Craft's work. Keep reading and keep discovering and you will find the tools to better understand where you or someone you know fit on the spectrum. There are helpful recommendations at the end of each chapter, but as I said, if you are looking for a more in depth how to, you might need an additional book. If you are looking for understanding and want to feel less along this book really helped me there. Discovering you are autistic later in life can be so much to handle. Don't hesitate to self advocate and reach out to those that can hold space for this intense discovery. There is a lot of excitement in understanding, but there can also be a lot of grief. Just keep learning more and you can figure it all out. The grief will pass. Autism doesn't mean we are broken. It means we are different, special, and unique, and that is so exciting!

As a female aspie who didn't find out until I was 40-something, this book was a REVELATION. All the other books I read painted a rather bleak outlook for "sufferers" of AS, treating them as clinical studies and lifeless statistics. Others were from the view of an exasperated, sometimes 'holier than thou' or condescending relative of a child with AS. Rudy Simone offers neither. She has AS herself, is professional, successful, and leads a life of fulfillment. She shines a beacon of hope from within and helps shine a light on many misconceptions about AS behavior... and how AS presents itself in females.I love that the book is broken into different aspects of AS, with section for the girl with AS, as well as for the parents of a girl with AS. It creates a positive bridge between them, encouraging support and understanding, rather than treating the AS girl like a hopeless case or pathology study. Rudy breathes life and joy into this misunderstood neurological difference, and even points out some very desirable aspects of AS.This book was a joy to read. AS girls can expect not every little aspect to apply, because AS is a grouping of characteristics -- not a personality type. You will see from the quotes from others with AS, we all have our own unique view of the world, and unique way of expressing ourselves. There is not only help... but there is lots of hope.. and even more JOY. A little understanding (and encouragement) can go a LONG way. Sigh... Where was this book when I was growing up??

I’m an adult woman who was recently diagnosed ASD-level 1, and I really enjoyed this book.While I didn’t relate to every symptom discussed (for example, I don’t struggle with mutism), most of the topics were relevant to understanding my own ASD profileThis book helped to increase my understanding of how Aspergirls’ minds work in many different areas.I found the author’s writing easy to follow and I think it's fair to say this book is empowering for women with level 1 autism spectrum disorder.Glad I followed the advice to check this book out.

I'm so thankful that people like the author are willing to take the time to share their experiences with the rest of us. Although we had learned a lot about Asperger's with a male member of our family years ago, and knew that females could go undiagnosed, we had missed some of the markers with our 17yo daughter. I read this book in one sitting, underlining so many passages that were ah-ha moments, and explained so much. I especially love at the beginning she encouraged pursuing things even without a formal diagnosis. We had recently had our daughter tested, and was diagnosed with anxiety disorder, which was no surprise. But she had a deep depression about 3 years ago and his constantly been trying to battle out of it. There was always this underlying fog of why don't I fit in. After I read it, I had her read it and it's almost like a new confidence has come because she now has understanding.

Never ever have I felt so validated.Never ever have I felt like finally there were people - aliens - like me.People who felt like me. Thought like me. Liked to do the same things as I like to do.All of my problems and all of my greatness was here, totally out in the open.Aspergirls: We're different. And that's all there is to it. It'll make people feel insecure around you, instinctively not feel like they get you and thus not like you. You however, have a great well of 'differentness' that you can pour out into the world IF YOU JUST LEARN TO NOT GET RUINED BY SOCIAL DISAPPROVAL, the kind of disapproval that simply only comes from being different.

This book pretty much described my life. Recently diagnosed in my late 30s and it’s both sad and upsetting that this wasn’t picked up earlier. Great read for anyone wanting to understand how being ASD has affected them in the past and how it does now.Also, I don’t understand the negative reviews about this book. Not every book is going to speak about queer/LGBTQ issues and that’s ok. There are several heteronormative people who believe in traditional gender roles (like myself) who need books like this, and have had a hard time finding them. I am very thankful for a book that speaks to my experience. Doesn’t justify leaving a 2 star review just because they didn’t speak to a persons sexuality/preference.

An accessible and humane book. So helpful to have verbatim accounts from different women with Asperger’s. They are women who are managing in life, their jobs, relationships, children and so on but with the added burden of Asperger’s. The accounts are organised for each stage of life which is helpful. I thoroughly recommend this book.

Writing from the inside perspective Simone attracts reader with her well organized and entertaining style. Every Asperger’s, parent and partner should read this book!

Consigliato

This book is okay if you want to know what 1 person feels. Sure she’s interviewed women with AS but you really miss a neutral point of view. The author contradicts herself on a lot of things and as a reader I start wondering how she interviewed them. Some interviewees are self diagnosed. This of course might be accurate but doesn’t make for a reliable point of view to depend on as a reader. Some interviewees also suffer from other things related to terrible personal trauma which is so personal that you can’t ascribe behaviour to AS alone.The author lost me at saying she predicted 9/11 and the tsunami. And also at when she advised parents to explain your period as”your uterus fills with blood for 3 weeks and the 4th it empties itself” Perhaps she wasn’t educated on the subject at the time of writing. The author also gives out diet advice and hints that AS starts with a bad diet of the mom and points to the lack of breastfeeding as a source. (In another chapter she also points to genetics thankfully) She even mentions a pill and promotes it. In her advice to young girls she warns us men only care for looks and singles out mechanics and plumbers as people who might take advantage of us. I love facts too much, so I can’t recommend this book unfortunately.