Females with AS unite! Our struggles are being recognised!

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To my knowledge, without having done much searching, there is a charity that has a social group and mentoring for adults with AS and a body which might be something to do with the council, that offers support to adults with AS. There might be more, as I say I haven't really searched (I have two children and without child care I can't go to any groups, and I also don't like the idea of groups anyway).

http://www.autism.org.uk/living-with-autism/benefits-and-community-care/care-and-benefits-for-adults-with-an-asd/community-care/community-care-in-england-scotland-and-wales.aspx

don't know if any of the above will be helpful to you?

I find it strange that you are excited about this research which is very generalised and yet little interest in what is going on right on your doorstep

Yet how would any positive outcomes from any research affect you except on your own door step?

What had you envisaged to be the ultimate direct benefits to yourself of this research?

It sounds like you already have far more support available where you live than where I do and yet you're not even making use of it

If that's the case, what is the ultimate point of the research?

Because as I said I have two children with no childcare. If you were in my position you would understand. Unless you are a parent you will never know what it's like to be one. And with both my girls having ASCs too I wouldn't be able to hire an ordinary child minder, even if I could afford one. Would you recommend that I force myself into group situations that I feel intensely stressed with. Not knowing all the services, doesn't mean I'm not interested in them and those could be the only two anyway. I have been hovering on the edge of a breakdown for months - if you knew how difficult it was just to get through each day with two SEN children depending on me you wouldn't judge so much. I'm not making use of it because I can't.

Research informs changes.

No, because my local council wouldn't even do a community care assessment when I asked for one

I wouldn't be classed as vulnerable enough to need help from the council

I want far more fundamental improvements such as people in the workplace treating me with the same level of respect afforded to the non-autistic and not to be dismissed from my job for having Asperger's Syndrome and standing up to a bully in the workplace.
Basic human rights in other words!

The Right to an Assessment

It is not optional for a Community Care Assessment to be carried out, if the Local Authority is aware of the appearance of a need for services, it must take place.

The right to an assessment is provided for by law and is an enforceable right.

The National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 provides at s.47(1) that:

Subject to subsections (5) and (6) below, where it appears to a local authority that any person for whom they may provide or arrange for the provision of community care services may be in need of such services, the authority –
shall carry out an assessment of his needs for those services; and
having regard to the results of that assessment, shall decide whether his needs call for the provision by them of any such services”

It is unlawful for a local authority to refuse to carry out an assessment on the basis that the person is unlikely to qualify for or be eligible for any services. The duty to assess is triggered by an appearance of a need for services. If the local authority believes the person will not be eligible for services an assessment must be carried out to establish this, and a decision made to the effect that no eligible care needs were identified.

The duty to assess is even triggered where the individual objects, or has no capacity to request or agree to an assessment.

A refusal by a local authority to carry out an assessment can be challenged in law, via Judicial Review, or via the complaints process, either internally through Social Services or externally to the Ombudsman.

My Asperger's is bigger than your Asperger's.

I don't know where you are, for some reason I thought London, don't know if this is incorrect, but if you are, here is a list for you:

http://www.autismlondon.org.uk/pdf-file ... Adults.pdf

By law if you ask for an assessment of needs from social services they have to give it to you:

http://www.fjg.co.uk/Services/Community ... sment.aspx


Perhaps you need to persist and not let them fob you off.

You also have rights in the workplace according to law:

https://www.gov.uk/rights-disabled-person/employment

As for children, I had no idea I had AS when I had children so it would not have been possible to make any informed choice on the matter. All I knew was how difficult life was for me, but was used to others saying I was difficult and just thought I was an introspective person. We don't always recognise things in ourselves that others do, and I have only just been officially diagnosed.

I don't live in London - I'm in the West Midlands but thanks for the link to London Support groups as I have a friend in that area who might be interested in the information

http://www.autism.org.uk/our-services/f ... entre.aspx
http://www.autism.org.uk/our-services/f ... vices.aspx
http://www.autism.org.uk/our-services/f ... ntres.aspx
http://www.autism.org.uk/our-services/f ... vices.aspx

http://socializing-with-new-friends.mee ... ow=results

Hope there is something in there that is useful for your friend. It's difficult searching on a very specific area because it narrows down availability of an already under-supplied resource for people like us.

It doesn't have to be (and that's not what the article, or myself, are saying), but women with autism have been living in the face of hugely biased research, diagnostic criteria and clinicians' attitudes for way too long. It's a Halleluja moment that they are finally waking up to the truth, that's all. At the end of the day, it's not relevant who has it worse (those types of debate get no-one anywhere), it's just that diagnostic criteria need to be based on correct and balanced research, autistic women that are being failed far more than autistic men at the moment need their just desserts as many out there in society struggle on undiagnosed due to the failures of the system.

I'd agree diagnostic critiera needs to be based on correct and balanced research...however not so sure its completely accurate that autistic woman are being failed far more than autistic males. For one having autism recognized does not guarantee proper support or help where needed. Some treatments and so called 'cures' are probably more harmful than no treatment in my opinion so i think it would be more accurate to say more research about females and autism should be done to make it more balanced so maybe its easier to recognize autism in females....but not so sure autistic males are faring all that much better even if based on current criteria its easier to identify a male on the spectrum.

If they do look more into how females are effected though, also though I'd hope they consider that its possible to have a more male brain than female brain if one is a female....not all males and females quite fit the respective model so hopefully they will factor that in and keep in mind not all females will present the same way and not all males will present the same way...it should be seen as a basic diagnostic critiera with room for some variation.

YAY FOR GENDER EQUALITY!

Of course women are being failed - purely for the reason that it's so much harder for many females to get diagnosed in the first place, and you can only access autism services with a diagnosis (at least that's how it is in the UK and I can't see it being different elsewhere). Also, so many women are incorrectly diagnosed as well (eating disorders, BPD etc.) so where they are being given treatment or support it's not the right ones. These are all failures. As for the diagnostic criteria failing women, that's not exactly what I said/meant, although now you've raised it, I would say that to a degree they do (they are based on research on males only), only right now are they recognising that females are less likely to display such strong obsessions or collecting habits as males on the spectrum for instance. All the while they are judging females by criteria for male presentations some women will be missed as they are considered less severe.

Can't say I disagree with any of that, I was just pointing out being diagnosed does not necessarily mean someone won't be 'failed.' Also though in the case of a female having such strong obsessions or collecting habits as a male on the spectrum, would they still be diagnosed with autism? Or would they be left out because they don't fit with how a female is supposed to be afflicted? that is what my concern is. But nothing wrong with finding out what's more common with females.

You might find this interesting: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/ ... gers-girls. It's media reportage obviously but I could also refer you to links on the UK's official autism website and others if you wish.

I don't think there is a cure for autism, at least not at this current time. So if you are talking about random unresearched things people might try, that's off-topic.

I agree that there needs to be recognition that the male brain theory can apply to both males and females, but that this is only one presentation possible.