Asperger Traits in Women

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Appearance/Personal Habits:
Dresses comfortably due to sensory issues and practicality
Mainly wear jeans and hoodies...very rarely dresses or skirts (only for work stuff when I absolutely have to).

Eccentric personality; may be reflected in appearance.
Lol, most of my clothes are rainbow colours!

Is youthful for her age, in looks, dress, behavior and tastes.
Yep, I'm 23 but most people who meet me think I'm about 15 , even the children at the school I work in, and often the parents ask me why I'm there.

May have many androgynous traits despite an outwardly feminine appearance. Thinks of herself as half-male/half-female.
I prefer jeans and hoodies, and don't wear make-up or any 'girly' clothes.

May not have a strong sense of identity, and can be very chameleon-like, especially before diagnosis.
I wrote my undergrad dissertation about why I don't think intrinsic identity exists, using Andersen's fairy tales to back up my argument.

Enjoys reading and films as a retreat, often sci-fi, fantasy, children's, can have favourites which are a refuge.
I love fairy tales, especially Andersen, and am obsessed with the world of Harry Potter. When I was growing up, I used to pretend I was at Hogwarts.

Uses control as a stress management technique: rules, discipline, rigid in certain habits, which will contradict her seeming unconventionality.
Way too much, can't cope without routine.

Usually happiest at home or in other controlled environment.
That's why I work in a school...

Intellectual/giftedness/education/vocation
I have a very good visual memory and can memorize parts of books really easily.

May have been diagnosed as autistic or Asperger's when young, or may have been thought of as gifted, shy, sensitive etc. May also have had obvious or severe learning deficits.
Not as a child, I used to go to the library all the time at school so it wasn't picked up on. It was first recognized as a possibility when I was 22.

Often musical, artistic.
Not really although would love to be. I love art but can't draw at all, like collages though.

May have a savant skill or strong talent(s).
Languages and logic problems.

May have a strong interest in computers, games, science, graphic design, inventing, things of a technological and visual nature. More verbal thinkers gravitate to writing, languages, cultural studies, psychology.
Again, languages. I also spend far too much time doing Sudoku and Minesweeper.

May be a self-taught reader, been hyperlexic as a child, and will possess a wide variety of other self-taught skills as well.
I never go anywhere without a book and was always being told off for reading in class.

May be highly educated but will have had to struggle with social aspects of college. May have one or many partial degrees.
I hated the social side of school, and all my friends were at least 3 years younger than me.

Can be very passionate about a course of study or job, and then change direction or go completely cold on it very quickly.
I have always worked in schools and don't think I could do anything else. I hate the summer holidays.

Will often have trouble holding onto a job and may find employment daunting..
Not really; I love my job.

Highly intelligent, yet sometimes can be slow to comprehend due to sensory and cognitive processing issues.
Yes...sometimes I only realize something too late.

Will not do well with verbal instruction - needs to write down or draw diagram.
I have to write everything down in lectures or it doesn't go in.

Will have obsessions but they are not as unusual as her male counterpart's (less likely to be a 'train-spotter').
Definitely...Andersen's fairy tales, languages, F1.

Emotional/Physical

Emotionally immature and emotionally sensitive.
I am a bit immature and get upset when it seems like someone's annoyed with me and I don't know why,

Anxiety and fear and predominant emotions.
Yep, I always feels nervous and guilty.

More open to talking about feelings and emotional issues than males with AS.
Not really, I don't like talking about emotions much.

Strong sensory issues - sounds, sights, smells, touch and prone to overload. (Less likely to have taste/food texture issues as males).
I have very sensitive hearing.

Moody and prone to bouts of depression. May have been diagnosed as bipolar or manic depressive (common comorbids of autism/AS) while the AS diagnosis was missed.
Not so much.

Probably given several different prescriptions to treat symptoms. Will be very sensitive to medications and anything else she puts in her body so may have had adverse reactions.
I avoid medication when I can.

9 out of 10 have mild to severe Gastro-intestinal difficulties - e.g. ulcers, acid reflux, IBS etc.
I am wheat and dairy intolerant.

Stims to sooth when sad or agitated: rocking, face-rubbing, humming, finger flicking, leg bouncing, finger or foot tapping, etc.
I pinch myself hard or bite my finger.

Similarly physical when happy: hand flapping, clapping, singing, jumping, running around, dancing, bouncing.
I jump up and down when there's no-one around, or grin really widely.

Prone to temper or crying meltdowns, even in public, sometimes over seemingly small things due to sensory or emotional overload.
Yes and I hate them! (as does my mum...)

Hates injustice and hates to be misunderstood; this can incite anger and rage.
Yep, but I don't usually express it.

Prone to mutism when stressed or upset, esp. after a meltdown. Less likely to stutter than male counterparts but may have raspy voice, monotone at times, when stressed or sad..
I hate it when my throat 'closes' and I can't speak especially in class.

Social/Relationships

Words and actions are often misunderstood by others.
Too much .

Perceived to be cold-natured or self-centred; unfriendly.
My mum says I come across as unfriendly and antisocial.

Is very outspoken at times, may get very fired up when talking about passions/obsessive interests.
Yeah, I can bore people without meaning to sometimes!

Can be very shy or mute.
Definitely yes.

Like her male counterpart, will shut down in social situations once overloaded, but is generally better at sociliasing in small doses. May even give the appearance of skilled, but it is a 'performance'.
I'm OK one to one with people, but I get stressed in a group and tend to close up.

Doesn't go out much. Will prefer to go out with partner only or children if she has them.
I hardly ever go out; if I do it's with people I know really well.

Will not have many girlfriends and will not do 'girly' things like shopping with them or have get-togethers to 'hang out'.
I don't like shopping- if I need something, I'll get it on my own.

Will have a close friend or friends in school, but not once adulthood is reached.
I have closer friends now I'm an adult; people seem to accept me more.

May or may not want to have a relationship. If she is in a relationship, she probably takes it very seriously but she may choose to remain celibate or alone.
I have never had a relationship or any sexual feelings.

Due to sensory issues, will either really enjoy sex or strongly dislike it.
Same as above!

If she likes a male, she can be extremely, noticeably awkward in her attempt to let him know, e.g. she may stare when she sees him or call him repeatedly. This is because she fixates and doesn’t understand societal gender roles.
I do tend to fixate on people, but not in a sexual way. When I was at school, I was fixated with one particular teacher, and she got really annoyed with me, which was really hurtful.

Often prefers the company of animals but not always due to sensory issues.
I am closer to my cat than anyone else.


I'm not officially diagnosed as AS, but it was brought up as a 'strong possibility' when I was seeing someone for something else. I don't think I'm going to pursue a diagnosis because, for me, recognizing it helped me to feel less 'weird' and I don't want to have to mention it on job forms in case people misunderstand. I'm good at 'masking' the traits and avoiding situations that might make them worse, so I don't know how helpful an official diagnosis would be.

Wish I could get to your actual blog. However, reading what others pasted & posted, it looks like you could be describing me too. Self DX though I have been trying for years to get an official one.

Dresses comfortably due to sensory issues and practicality
Sock seams and tags sometimes bother me, but I wear fairly fashionable clothes and have interest in clothes.

Will not spend much time on grooming and hair. Hairstyles usually have to be 'wash and wear'. Can be quite happy not grooming at all at times.
I used to have poor grooming habits, but now I shower daily and wear make up. My hair I only brush, though, and don't do anything fancy with it.

Eccentric personality; may be reflected in appearance.
Yes, and I used to dress strangely until college

Is youthful for her age, in looks, dress, behavior and tastes.
Yes, I identify with the preferences of young girls often, and I'm 27 and get mistaken for a teenager usually.

Usually a little more expressive in face and gesture than male counterparts.
I don't know what is typical for males, but I consciously try to show facial expressions.

May have many androgynous traits despite an outwardly feminine appearance. Thinks of herself as half-male/half-female.
Not really, though I was never interested in the things teenage/adult females tended to, other than now I like clothes and make up. I'm not coy like a lot of females.

May not have a strong sense of identity, and can be very chameleon-like, especially before diagnosis.
I have always had a sense of identity, though in college I did try to mirror "normal" girls, though it was taxing.

Enjoys reading and films as a retreat, often sci-fi, fantasy, children's, can have favourites which are a refuge.
Yes

Uses control as a stress management technique: rules, discipline, rigid in certain habits, which will contradict her seeming unconventionality.
Yes, I have a lot of strict rules for myself and punish myself sometimes.

Usually happiest at home or in other controlled environment.
Yes

Intellectual/giftedness/education/vocation
May have been diagnosed as autistic or Asperger's when young, or may have been thought of as gifted, shy, sensitive etc. May also have had obvious or severe learning deficits.
Identified as gifted in first grade and then in high school/college, but I was behind my classmates some of the time. I was always shy and would cry easily and in special programs for my disabilities (though I wasn't diagnosed with anything)

Often musical, artistic.
Very artistic

May have a savant skill or strong talent(s).
Art and writing

May have a strong interest in computers, games, science, graphic design, inventing, things of a technological and visual nature. More verbal thinkers gravitate to writing, languages, cultural studies, psychology.
I'm strongly interested in a lot of visual and written things.

May be a self-taught reader, been hyperlexic as a child, and will possess a wide variety of other self-taught skills as well.
I was a little delayed in learning how to read, but became the best reader in my class in a couple of months. I didn't have a lot of self-taught skills, though, other than art which I developed later (I loved art since age 2 -- I just wasn't good at it until the early teens).

May be highly educated but will have had to struggle with social aspects of college. May have one or many partial degrees.
Yes, I felt overwhelmed socially and was taken advantage of by a boy.

Can be very passionate about a course of study or job, and then change direction or go completely cold on it very quickly.
Not usually. My interests expand sometimes, but I rarely lose interest in things.

Will often have trouble holding onto a job and may find employment daunting.
Yes, I could never hold a job or even stick with school despite high grades.

Highly intelligent, yet sometimes can be slow to comprehend due to sensory and cognitive processing issues.
Yes.

Will not do well with verbal instruction - needs to write down or draw diagram.
Yes. Preferably both written and with diagrams.

Will have obsessions but they are not as unusual as her male counterpart's (less likely to be a 'train-spotter').
Obsessed with fairy tales, art, Sailor Moon, certain cartoons, My Little Ponies, unicorns, and certain people

Emotional/Physical

Emotionally immature and emotionally sensitive.
Yes to both

Anxiety and fear and predominant emotions.
Yes

More open to talking about feelings and emotional issues than males with AS.
Yes, but only as I got older (I despised the word "feelings" as a child

Strong sensory issues - sounds, sights, smells, touch and prone to overload. (Less likely to have taste/food texture issues as males).
Strong sensory issues, but also a lot of taste/food texture issues

Moody and prone to bouts of depression. May have been diagnosed as bipolar or manic depressive (common comorbids of autism/AS) while the AS diagnosis was missed.
Diagnosed incorrectly as schizophrenic because the doctors I saw in college didn't know about my development delays; now correctly diagnosed as bipolar alongside autism

Probably given several different prescriptions to treat symptoms. Will be very sensitive to medications and anything else she puts in her body so may have had adverse reactions.
Adverse reactions to a number of medications (nausea/vomiting, allergies, and bad psychological reactions to antidepressants)

9 out of 10 have mild to severe Gastro-intestinal difficulties - e.g. ulcers, acid reflux, IBS etc.
Severe constipation IBS, acid reflux, and history of stomach ulcers

Stims to sooth when sad or agitated: rocking, face-rubbing, humming, finger flicking, leg bouncing, finger or foot tapping, etc
Finger flicking, rocking, and sometimes humming

]Similarly physical when happy: hand flapping, clapping, singing, jumping, running around, dancing, bouncing.[/i]
Yes, hand flapping, bouncing, finger flicking, rocking

Prone to temper or crying meltdowns, even in public, sometimes over seemingly small things due to sensory or emotional overload.
Yes

Hates injustice and hates to be misunderstood; this can incite anger and rage.
Yes to both

Prone to mutism when stressed or upset, esp. after a meltdown. Less likely to stutter than male counterparts but may have raspy voice, monotone at times, when stressed or sad.
Yes

Social/Relationships

Words and actions are often misunderstood by others.
Yes

Perceived to be cold-natured or self-centred; unfriendly.
Sometimes, but with people who know me well I'm usually perceived as friendly and kind

Is very outspoken at times, may get very fired up when talking about passions/obsessive interests.
Yes

Can be very shy or mute.
Yes

Like her male counterpart, will shut down in social situations once overloaded, but is generally better at sociliasing in small doses. May even give the appearance of skilled, but it is a 'performance'.
Not very good at social situations even when I try to perform

Doesn't go out much. Will prefer to go out with partner only or children if she has them.
Prefer to go out with my boyfriend or mother

Will not have many girlfriends and will not do 'girly' things like shopping with them or have get-togethers to 'hang out'.
I like shopping and get-togethers as long as I know the people

Will have a close friend or friends in school, but not once adulthood is reached.
No, I still have a few friends, but only 1 friend I can see in-person usually

May or may not want to have a relationship. If she is in a relationship, she probably takes it very seriously but she may choose to remain celibate or alone.
I used to want to always be celibate, but eventually wanted a boyfriend and always took my relationships very seriously

Due to sensory issues, will either really enjoy sex or strongly dislike it.
I find sex painful and scary, but I have PTSD

If she likes a male, she can be extremely, noticeably awkward in her attempt to let him know, e.g. she may stare when she sees him or call him repeatedly. This is because she fixates and doesn’t understand societal gender roles. This will change with maturity.
I can be too clingy

Often prefers the company of animals but not always due to sensory issues. - I have a strong bond with animals/pets.[/quote]
Yes, I love animals