It’s Never Too Late For a Diagnosis ASCEND Conference 2016 11/12/2016 Karen E. Myers, Advocate

Book

Females with Aspergers Recommendations Non-Official Checklist    By Samantha Craft Asperger’s and Girls, by Tony Attwood This is an unofficial checklist created by an adult , by Rudy Simone female with Asperger’s Pretending to be Normal, by Syndrome (AS) who has a Liane Holliday Willey son with Asperger’s Women from Another Planet: Our Lives in the Universe of Autism, by Jean Kearns Miller “Feels extreme relief when she doesn’t have 22 Things a Woman with to go anywhere, talk to anyone, answer calls, Asperger’s Syndrome Wants or leave the house but at the same time will her Partner to Know, by Rudy Simone often harbor guilt for “hibernating” and not Asperger’s On the Job: Must- doing “what everyone else is doing” have Advice for People with Asperger’s or High Functioning Autism, and their Syndrome. Samantha Craft has a Master’s Degree in Employers, Educators, and Education. Samantha Craft Advocates, by Rudy Simone does not hold a doctorate in Everyday Aspergers, by Psychiatry or Psychology. Samantha Craft She has a life-credential as a I am AspienWoman: The result of being a female Unique Characteristics, Traits, with Asperger’s Syndrome and Gifts of Adult Females on and being a parent of a child the , by with Asperger’s Syndrome. Tania Marshall She has created this list in an effort to assist health professionals in recognizing Asperger’s Syndrome in females.

Section C: Escape and Friendship 5. Feelings of polar extremes (depressed/over-joyed; inconsiderate/over-sensitive) 6. Poor muscle tone, double-jointed, Suggested Use: Check off all areas 1. Survives overwhelming emotions and/or lack in coordination (may that strongly apply to the person. If and senses by escaping in thought have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome each area has 75%-80% of the or action and/or Hypotonia and/or POTS statements checked, or more, then 2. Escapes regularly through syndrome) you may want to consider that the fixations, obsessions, and over- 7. Eating disorders, food obsessions, female may have Asperger’s interest in subjects and/or worry about what is eaten Syndrome. 3. Escapes routinely through 8. Irritable bowel and/or intestinal imagination, fantasy, and issues daydreaming 9. Chronic fatigue and/or immune 4. Escapes through mental processing Section A: Deep Thinkers challenges 5. Escapes through the rhythm of 10. Misdiagnosed or diagnosed with a words mental illness 6. Philosophizes, continually 11. Experiences multiple physical 1. A deep thinker 7. Had imaginary friends in youth symptoms, perhaps labeled 2. A prolific writer drawn to poetry 8. Imitates people on television or in “hypochondriac” 3. *Highly intelligent movies 12. Questions place in the world 4. Sees things at multiple levels, 9. Treated friends as “pawns” in 13. Often drops small objects including her own thinking youth, e.g., friends were “students” 14. Wonders who she is and what is processes “consumers” “members” expected of her 5. Analyzes existence, the meaning 10. Makes friends with older or 15. Searches for right and wrong of life, and everything, continually younger females more so than 16. Since puberty has had bouts of 6. Serious and matter-of-fact in friends her age (often in young depression (may have PMDD) nature adulthood) 17. Flicks/rubs fingernails, picks 7. Doesn’t take things for granted 11. Imitates friends or peers in style, scalp/skin, flaps hands, rubs hands 8. Doesn’t simplify dress, attitude, interests, and together, tucks hands under or 9. Everything is complex manner (sometimes speech) between legs, keeps closed fists, 10. Often gets lost in own thoughts 12. Obsessively collects and organizes paces in circles, and/or clears and “checks out” (blank stare) objects throat often 13. Mastered imitation 14. Escapes by playing the same Section B: Innocent music over and over Section E: Social Interaction 15. Escapes through a relationship (imagined or real) 1. Naïve 16. Numbers bring ease (could be 1. Friends have ended friendship 2. Honest numbers associated with patterns, suddenly (without female with AS 3. Experiences trouble with lying calculations, lists, time and/or understanding why) and/or 4. Finds it difficult to understand personification) difficult time making friends manipulation and disloyalty 17. Escapes through counting, 2. Tendency to overshare 5. Finds it difficult to understand categorizing, organizing, 3. Spills intimate details to strangers vindictive behavior and retaliation rearranging 4. Raised hand too much in class or 6. Easily fooled and conned 18. Escapes into other rooms at parties didn’t participate in class 7. Feelings of confusion and being 19. Cannot relax or rest without many 5. Little impulse control with overwhelmed thoughts speaking when younger 8. Feelings of being misplaced and/or 20. Everything has a purpose 6. Monopolizes conversation at times from another planet 7. Brings subject back to self 9. Feelings of isolation Section D: Comorbid Attributes 8. Comes across at times as 10. Abused or taken advantage of as a narcissistic and controlling (is not child but didn’t think to tell narcissistic) anyone 9. Shares in order to reach out 1. OCD (Obsessive Compulsive 10. Often sounds eager and over- Disorder) zealous or apathetic and 2. Sensory Issues (sight, sound, disinterested texture, smells, taste) (might have 11. Holds a lot of thoughts, ideas, and Synthesia) feelings inside 3. Generalized Anxiety 12. Feels as if she is attempting to 4. Sense of pending danger or doom communicate “correctly”

13. Obsesses about the potentiality of 5. Knowing she has to leave the 8. Questions if she is a “normal” a relationship with someone, house causes anxiety from the person particularly a love interest or moment she wakes up 9. Highly susceptible to outsiders’ feasible new friendship 6. All the steps involved in leaving viewpoints and opinions 14. Confused by the of accurate the house are overwhelming and 10. At times adapts her view of life or eye contact, tone of voice, exhausting to think about actions based on others’ opinions proximity of body, body stance, 7. She prepares herself mentally for or words and posture in conversation outings, excursions, meetings, and 11. Recognizes own limitations in 15. Conversation are often exhausting appointments, often days before a many areas daily, if not hourly 16. Questions the actions and scheduled event 12. Becomes hurt when others behaviors of self and others, 8. OCD tendencies when it comes to question or doubt her work continually concepts of time, being on time, 13. Views many things as an extension 17. Feels as if missing a conversation tracking time, recording time, and of self “gene” or thought-filter managing time (could be carried 14. Fears others opinions, criticism, 18. Trained self in social interactions over to money, as well) and judgment through readings and studying of 9. Questions next steps and 15. Dislikes words and events that hurt other people movements, continually animals and people 19. Visualizes and practices how she 10. Sometimes feels as if she is on 16. Collects or rescues animals (often will act around others stage being watched and/or a sense in childhood) 20. Practices/rehearses in mind what of always having to act out the 17. Huge compassion for suffering she will say to another before “right” steps, even when she is (sometimes for inanimate entering the room home alone objects/personification) 21. Difficulty filtering out background 11. Telling self the “right” words 18. Sensitive to substances noise when talking to others and/or positive self-talk (CBT) (environmental toxins, foods, 22. Has a continuous dialogue in mind doesn’t typically alleviate anxiety. alcohol, medication, hormones, that tells her what to say and how CBT may cause increased feelings etc.) to act when in a social situation of inadequacy. 19. Tries to help, offers unsolicited 23. Sense of humor sometimes seems 12. Knowing she is staying home all advice, or formalizes plans of quirky, odd, inappropriate, or day brings great peace of mind action different from others 13. Requires a large amount of down 20. Questions life purpose and how to 24. As a child it was hard to know time or alone time be a “better” person when it was her turn to talk 14. Feels guilty after spending a lot of 21. Seeks to understand abilities, skills, 25. Finds norms of conversation time on a special interest and/or gifts confusing 15. Uncomfortable in public locker 26. Finds unwritten and rooms, bathrooms, and/or dressing Section H: Sense of Self unspoken rules difficult to grasp, rooms remember, and apply 16. Dislikes being in a crowded mall, crowded gym, and/or crowded Section F: Finds Refuge when theater 1. Feels trapped between wanting to Alone be herself and wanting to fit in Section G: Sensitive 2. Imitates others without realizing it 3. Suppresses true wishes (often in young adulthood) 1. Feels extreme relief when she 4. Exhibits codependent behaviors doesn’t have to go anywhere, talk 1. Sensitive to sounds, textures, (often in young adulthood) to anyone, answer calls, or leave temperature, and/or smells when 5. Adapts self in order to avoid the house but at the same time will trying to sleep ridicule often harbor guilt for “hibernating” 2. Adjusts bedclothes, bedding, 6. Rejects social norms and/or and not doing “what everyone else and/or environment in an attempt questions social norms is doing” to find comfort 7. Feelings of extreme isolation 2. One visitor at the home may be 3. Dreams are anxiety-ridden, vivid, 8. Feeling good about self takes a lot perceived as a threat (this can even complex, and/or precognitive in of effort and work be a familiar family member) nature 9. Switches preferences based on 3. Knowing logically a house visitor 4. Highly intuitive to others’ feelings environment and other people is not a threat, doesn’t relieve the 5. Highly empathetic, sometimes to 10. Switches behavior based on anxiety the point of confusion environment and other people 4. Feelings of dread about upcoming 6. Takes criticism to heart 11. Didn’t care about her hygiene, events and appointments on the 7. Longs to be seen, heard, and clothes, and appearance before calendar understood teenage years and/or before

someone else pointed these out to 15. A small fight might signal the end mismatched socks, shirt buttoned her of a relationship or collapse of incorrectly, and/or have dyslexia 12. “Freaks out” but doesn’t know world and/or dysgraphia why until later 16. A small compliment might boost 10. A trip to the grocery store can be 13. Young sounding voice her into a state of bliss overwhelming 14. Trouble recognizing what she 11. Trouble copying dance steps, looks like and/or has occurrences Section J: Words, Numbers, and aerobic moves, or direction in a of slight prosopagnosia (difficulty Patterns sports gym class recognizing or remembering faces) 12. Has a hard time finding certain 15. Feels significantly younger on the objects in the house but inside than on the outside remembers with exact clarity (perpetually twelve) 1. Likes to know word origins and/or where other objects are; not being origin of historical facts/root cause able to locate something or Section I: Confusion and foundation thinking about locating something 2. Confused when there is more than can cause feelings of intense one meaning (or spelling) to a anxiety (object permanence word challenges) (even with something 1. Had a hard time learning that 3. High interest in songs and song as simple as opening an envelope) others are not always honest lyrics 2. Feelings seem confusing, illogical, 4. Notices patterns frequently This unofficial checklist can be and unpredictable (self’s and 5. Remembers things in visual copied for therapists, counselors, others’) pictures psychiatrists, psychologists, 3. Confuses appointment times, 6. Remembers exact details about professors, teachers, and relatives, numbers, and/or dates someone’s life if Samantha Craft’s name and 4. Expects that by acting a certain 7. Has a remarkable memory for contact information remain on the way certain results can be certain details print out. This list was created in achieved, but realizes in dealing 8. Writes or creates to relieve anxiety 2012 and updated in May 2016. with emotions, those results don’t 9. Has certain “feelings” or emotions always manifest towards words and/or numbers 5. Spoke frankly and literally in 10. Words and/or numbers bring a youth sense of comfort and peace, akin Samantha Craft (@aspergersgirls) 6. Jokes go over the head to a friendship compiled this page. She has 7. Confused when others ostracize, corresponded with thousands of shun, belittle, trick, and betray (Optional) Executive Functioning individuals touched by autism in 8. Trouble identifying feelings unless & Motor Skills This area isn’t their lives. Sam is the author they are extreme always as evident as other areas of Everyday Aspergers, a revealing 9. Trouble with emotions of hate and memoir, ten years in the making, dislike about the everyday life of an autistic 10. Feels sorry for someone who has woman. More information can be persecuted or hurt her 1. Simple tasks can cause extreme found at 11. Personal feelings of anger, outrage, hardship Spectrum, myspectrumsuite.com. deep love, fear, giddiness, and 2. Learning to drive a car or rounding anticipation seem to be easier to the corner in a hallway can be identify than emotions of joy, troublesome satisfaction, calmness, and serenity 3. New places offer their own set of ***************************** 12. Difficulty recognizing how challenges Karen E. Myers is an Illustrator, extreme emotions (outrage, deep 4. Anything that requires a Photographer, Author, and Autism love) will affect her and challenges reasonable amount of steps, Advocate with a particular focus on transferring what has been learned dexterity, or know-how can rouse the presentation and traits of females about emotions from one situation a sense of panic on the spectrum. If you are to the next 5. The thought of repairing, fixing, or interested in inviting Karen to speak 13. Situations and conversations locating something can cause at your organization, please send an sometimes perceived as black or anxiety email to: [email protected] white 6. Mundane tasks are avoided 14. The middle spectrum of outcomes, 7. Cleaning self and home may seem events, and emotions is sometimes insurmountable overlooked or misunderstood (all 8. Many questions come to mind or nothing mentality) when setting about to do a task 9. Might leave the house with