How common are girls with Aspergers syndrome?

[Roseweave]

I was just wondering. I was thinking it might be practical and about the limit of my luck anyway to go out with another girl with Aspergers.

 

There's a character called "Hiyori" from a japanese television show called Kamen Rider Kabuto, either the actor or the character has Aspergerrs and she's adorable.

 

But as far as I hear it's actually quite rare...

[mossgrove]

The number of Girls diagnosed with Aspergers is far less than the number of boys, but there is a theory that this is partly because Asperger is harder to spot in girls.

 

I think the ratio I heard was 7:1

 

Simon

[baddad]

At early bird (a good 5/6 years ago so statistics might have changed with new info) they used to say 4/1...

As mossgrove says though, there's lots of debate about whether girls present differently and get overlooked by traditional methods of dx...

As far as 'about the limit of my luck' goes - around here it would be considered a + It's just a question of perspective

 

 

[jo4themo]

I can't remember where I read it, but I also heard that the ratio is 4:1. I am the mum of a girl with Aspergers who attends a special school which specialises in ASD and, until January, there was 1 other girl in her class compared to 8 boys. Now there are 2 other girls. I think all the boys are ASD and def 2 of the other girls.

As for being harder to spot in girls, I agree as N was first seen by a paed at 2 and a half as she wasn't walking - it took us another 3 years to get a dx of Aspergers despite her being under 2 different paeds, Ed Psych, OT etc. She did display some signs early on - would flap feet and make certain noises when excited as young as 4 months and being fascinated with books at the same age (from 6 months on wherever we went she had a book with her and wouldn't chew it like most babies but actually look at it, turn pages etc). She also didn't mix with the other children at playgroup and would resist any efforts to make her join in group activities (apart from story time!

Emma

[Mumble]

According to SBC (2007), classic autism is diagnosed in the male:female ratio of 4:1. Asperger's as a sub-group is diagnosed in the ratio 9:1.

[Tally]

I believe the ratio is 4:1, although the ratio in more "severe" autism is closer to 1:1. I think this indicates that there are many girls on the "higher functioning" end who are undiagnosed because they are better able to hide or work around their difficulties, or commonly present differently to boys, and many other reasons . . .

 

So AS is fairly uncommon in females, but there are a few of us about. Personally though, I don't think an AS-AS relationship is necessarily going to be better than an AS-NT one, just because you both have AS.

[Roseweave]

I think I agree that it's possibly just harder to spot. Because "Shy" girls are often considered just cute or low self confidence they probably don't consider the possibility quite so much.

 

Though given Aspergers is really very common compared to a lot of other dispositions they should still be fairly common...

[bid]

Hi Roseweave, and welcome to the forum.

 

Do you have AS yourself, and sorry to be a bit dim, but are you a man or a woman?

 

Bid

[bid]

As far as 'about the limit of my luck' goes - around here it would be considered a + It's just a question of perspective

 

 

Bid

[jb1964]

I was just wondering. I was thinking it might be practical and about the limit of my luck anyway to go out with another girl with Aspergers.

 

There's a character called "Hiyori" from a japanese television show called Kamen Rider Kabuto, either the actor or the character has Aspergerrs and she's adorable.

 

But as far as I hear it's actually quite rare...

 

Hi Roseweave,

 

Can't really offer any advice - but just wanted to say hi.....

 

My ASD daughter is 15 and absolutely loves japanese anime/manga. She has over this past year built some really good friendships with a couple of boys in school - they all go to the library for their breaks (they like the quiet time, drawing, reading etc and some of them read manga - Naruto/Dragonball/One Piece etc which although it wasn't what she actually reads she did have a common interest). One in particular I know has AS (the headteacher told me during my daughters review) - although none of the children have officially been told that my daughter has ASD - he's in her classform in school and she gets on really really well with him in fact he mentioned to her last week that they have a prom next year and if she wants to go she can go with him - I filled up.

 

I've been so proud of her because she's now in year 10 and went through the first couple of years totally on her own.

 

Take care,

Jb

[Roseweave]

Well that's a sweet story

 

Image 1

Image2

 

 

Hiyori from Kamen Rider Kabuto She's very doll-like.

 

 

I edited the links so they work properly! - Simon

Edited May 1, 2008 by mossgrove

[pearl]

How common are girls with AS? Weeeellll, most female aspies on here are quaite refained, actually ....

[Shnoing]

We have a 1:1 ratio here in our family. Only the males have got proper dxs, though.

[darky]

I think AS in girls is more common than people think. I have been reading a lot recently about girls with AS, and the opinion seems to be that because girls tend to engage in "imaginative" play, a lot aren't diagnosed. They seem to think that the imaginative role play in girls with AS is steriotypical, like fairies, princess's etc. Also talking through dolls, which mimicks imaginative play but actually on closer inspection, isn't. They recognise that girls seem to have a skill of mimicking other children as a coping strategy. Girls with AS are supposed to appear bossy and dominating and playing with other children only on their terms. Tony Attwood said that he thinks boys are diagnosed more because they tend to develop behaviour issues as a way of expressing themselves, but girls use dolls and role play. Interesting reading.

[Diamondmask]

I think AS in girls is more common than people think. I have been reading a lot recently about girls with AS, and the opinion seems to be that because girls tend to engage in "imaginative" play, a lot aren't diagnosed. They seem to think that the imaginative role play in girls with AS is steriotypical, like fairies, princess's etc. Also talking through dolls, which mimicks imaginative play but actually on closer inspection, isn't. They recognise that girls seem to have a skill of mimicking other children as a coping strategy. Girls with AS are supposed to appear bossy and dominating and playing with other children only on their terms. Tony Attwood said that he thinks boys are diagnosed more because they tend to develop behaviour issues as a way of expressing themselves, but girls use dolls and role play. Interesting reading.

 

 

I would suspect its more likely to be close to 1 to 1, although the statistics dont reflect that. Girls are harder to dx, they are naturally social creatures even if AS involved which flies in the face of the stereotypical aspie. But although they are social creatures, their social skills are immature and quite often will be clumsy in their attempts at friendships; but NT little girls tend to be more forgiving (not talking teens here) whereas as boy would stand out as being alone.

[Babylicious]

I have a daughter with AS - Seems uncommon for girls to have it