Is there such a thing as an Aspie girl who is a cheerleader

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Perhaps at a special needs school? Or perhaps a very special school with a group of saintly motherly type girls who are very nice to the AS cheerleader. Personaly, I can't see it happening. Cheerleaders would be the type to bully her. Cheerleading types freak me out with their peppy-ness. It's like they are on drugs or some kind of robot.

if a girl with Asperger's can be on Top Model or whatever it is, i guess anything's possible.

wondering how she would cope with pep rallies, among other things.

For many Aspies, the ability to act or perform in front of an audience is an integral part of their life and something they can actually do very well. As a youngster, while I was horrid in one-on-one and small groups, I could always get in front of a thousand people and give a speech, or disappear into a character.

Imagine an athletic young girl with Asperger's who perhaps had gymnastics, and wants to show her abilities. As a cheerleader, she can devote her energies to memorizing routines, chants, motions and channel her athletic talent in a venue that is TOTALLY within her control. Cheers do not change based on people's reactions. They have clearly defined structure. Cheerleads are apart from the crowd and while they may hear comments, they perform as individuals on a team distinct from the social milieu of the stands. Cheerleading also has some commonly identifiable scripts for interacting, such as smiling, waving, touching, clapping etc. If this were a girl without significant sensory issues (such as touch or noise), she might thrive in such an environment.

She might never party with the other girls, engage with football or basketball players, or even joke around at practice, but she could be a valuable member of a team, and demonstrate her worth with others in a controlled environment.

It sounds like an interesting case study

I don't know anything about cheerleading, not sure we have it in the UK, but she probably couldn't be a dyspraxic aspie girl - too awkward.

When I see references to toe-walking, it makes me wonder. Before autism was being diagnosed so early and so widely, I would guess a common response to toe-walking would have been "Ooh she's a natural ballerina, we must send her to ballet classes."

My point is that there must be some autistic girls who are graceful and encouraged into activities such as dance or gym, so an obsession to be a cheerleader could arise. A love of performing, and the confidence that goes with it, as part of an interest isn't inconsistent with being socially shy. Interests often bring oblivion to other people's opinion anyway.

I once choreographed a dance routine for a school show, which got dumped on me because I'd inadvertently made the favourite suggestion (I liked the song). I got so into it that I became a bossy little madam, ordering all the others around and critiscising every mistake, because my interest in the process turned me into a perfectionist. But I still couldn't have a conversation with any of the girls in my 'troupe'.

I have, and I think I do recall the excerpt. However, I read it a while back, so I'm going to have to go over it again.

That would be a big help, thanks!

I'm also writing a book now about an Aspie girl!

Well, when I was in school I absolutely ABHORRED the cheerleaders and I wouldn't be caught dead in their presence. I don't really know how accurate it would be for an AS girl to wanna be a cheerleader...

My half-sister was a cheerleader in high school. She doesn't have Asperger's, though, at least as far as I know.

In my book, it is that a peer mentor who is a cheerleader who gives her the idea.

That's funny, because my sister was half a cheerleader in high school.

I was a cheerleader in 5th grade. I don't want to be anymore; it's not the type of person I am.

In my book, she's a special ed student at a normal high school in mainstream classes. Only support she gets is a resource room.



I found some of the cheerleaders annoying, but I'm quite good friends with one from high school.

I was in my mid high's pep squad for a short time in seventh grade, but it just wasn't weird enough for me.

I'm sure that it's possible. I really need to know how severely Autistic the girl is to know how likely it would actually be.

What made you decide to write a book about an Autistic girl?

Autistic cheerleaders probably exist. I think they'd be highly likely to treat it as a performance sport rather than as a social position; cheerleading can be highly demanding, similar to gymnastics, and I definitely think that someone who was autistic (but almost certainly not dyspraxic) could get interested in cheerleading. There are after all autistics involved in most sports.

I was a classical ballet dancer for 10 years. Does that help?

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