Autism in girls often presents as deficits in social skills and communication. Girls with autism may also have repetitive behaviors, but they tend to be better at boys than hiding them and fitting in with peers. Girls may be hyper-focused on a specific topic and not participate in school to their potential.
Girls in general engage to a greater degree in fantasy and imaginary play than boys. They are less occupied generally with banging, hitting, slamming and throwing things than boys. With autism their play may be repetitive but not raise suspicions if it remains in the realms of gender specific toys and activities.
Between us: Autistic girls use plural personal pronouns such as 'they' and 'us' almost twice as often as autistic boys do. During conversations, girls with autism use “we,” “they” and other words related to social groups differently than autistic boys do, according to a new study.
Although every child with autism is different, here are some common characteristics in girls with autism: A special interest in animals, music, art, and literature. A strong imagination (might escape into the worlds of nature or fiction)
Sensory hyperreactivity seems to be especially pronounced in autistic females, so much so that many claim sensory issues are the defining feature of their autism. Sensory sensitivities are hardwired in the brain, and therefore cannot be changed.
Autistic children and teenagers experience a range of emotions, but they might need support to recognise, understand and manage their emotions. For example, your autistic child might feel all negative or unpleasant emotions as anger. Or they might not recognise when they're excited.
Some believe that autistic people aren't interested in romantic relationships or aren't capable of romantic love. However, this is far from the truth. In fact, autistic people can make wonderful partners.
Autistic girls may be extremely sociable or chatty, or very shy and isolative. It is common for them to have one or two strong friendships, but struggle socialising in groups. This may not be obvious though, as they may have learned to mask their difficulties well.
Because people with autism often have difficulty reading social cues, managing sensory needs, and expressing feelings, relationships that involve dating someone with autism spectrum disorder someone can be particularly challenging to navigate.
“Research suggests these girls may show more social interest and less apparent restrictive interests and repetitive behaviors.” Girls' restricted interests may also be missed because they are more likely to be age-appropriate interests, such as animals or celebrities, Dr. Adley says.
Love and affection may be felt but expressed differently
They may show love, for example, through a practical act, and tidy up for you, or iron your shirt, rather than through a more neurotypical way of looking at you and telling you or using physical affection.
There are other brain disorders that mimic autism symptoms, like ADHD and anxiety disorders, including selective mutism. Autism can be misdiagnosed as another disorder with some shared symptoms.
Children on the autism spectrum often keep crying as long as it seems to work for them. When it doesn't, they eventually quit. If they are upset about something, we want them to learn to handle their feelings in more powerful ways.
The patterns of these relationships are like those of autistic girls – autistic women tend to have one or two close, intense friendships. Their romantic partner is often their main relationship, sometimes acting as a 'social gatekeeper', meaning that they socialise mainly with their partner's friends.
While many children with autism feel averse to hugging, some children with autism like to be hugged. Some children can swing the opposite way and want so many hugs that they feel hug deprived when they aren't getting enough.
How Does Autism Affect Intimacy in Sexual Relationships? Intimacy is the sharing of emotional, cognitive, and physical aspects of oneself with those of another individual. People with autism often have problems with rigidity and the need for repetition, which may limit the spontaneity and playfulness of sexual contact.
A girl with Aspergers who does not mimic others appears shy and socially awkward. Her body language is different from her peers, and she seems oblivious to the body language of others. Her voice may lack inflection, and she may show no happiness at the good fortune of others.
Autism and love can be challenging because your partner may not always be able to read your emotions. Keep in mind that autism involves difficulty with communication, so dating someone with autism means that your partner may not be able to tell from your body language or tone of voice that you are upset.
Research suggests there may be some differences in autistic traits between males and females. For example, a 2022 study suggests that autistic females have higher emotional empathy than autistic males. Emotional empathy is the ability to respond appropriately to another person's mental state.
Doctors and other healthcare professionals can lack knowledge about how autism may present differently in women and girls. This means women and girls may be misdiagnosed with mental health issues or their autistic traits may be missed amid the symptoms of co-occurring conditions.