Not just a boy thing: how doctors are letting down girls with autism

spastasmagoria:

mindovermatterzine:

International study to look at misdiagnosis, social exclusion and stress among females on autistic spectrum.

Estimates of the ratio of females to males diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome or high-functioning autism varies from 1:4 to 1:10. No one understands this gender disparity: whether women really are less likely to be on the spectrum than men – or whether doctors are failing to spot the disorder in women.

The depressing thing??? 

“She claimed that I just needed to ‘act normal’ and that by buying nice clothes and reading women’s magazines I could learn to be ‘normal’. The only diagnosis I received from her was depression and anxiety.”

This is EXACTLY what my councilor in 4th grade told me. OH My god. I’m like… seriously. I have had SO many councilors and therapists just telling me that acting normally would fix it and alleviate the depression. Wanna know what alleviates the depression, and to a much lesser degree the anxiety?? NOT acting normal. It was too stressful. I had a meltdown over acting normal. Not effing worth it, IMHO. 

Bloody hell, that’s terrible! I mean, what is ‘normal’ anyway?!

(via deducecanoe)

Notes

  1. unpocalypse reblogged this from faysbook
  2. bumsquash reblogged this from faysbook and added:
    This suggests they really don’t understand Aspergers or indeed Autism as much as they’d like to think. Still not sure...
  3. faysbook reblogged this from mindovermatterzine
  4. pia-mater reblogged this from mindovermatterzine
  5. peerintotherabbithole reblogged this from thatfeministdyke
  6. leavemealonetoread reblogged this from deducecanoe
  7. mosaki reblogged this from mindovermatterzine
  8. ohhhvienna reblogged this from deducecanoe and added:
    Yeah this.
  9. theseawasalright reblogged this from mindovermatterzine
  10. thatfeministdyke reblogged this from mindovermatterzine
  11. skymla reblogged this from mindovermatterzine
  12. pizza-forest reblogged this from mindovermatterzine and added:
    This is unacceptable! Unfortunately I’ve had similar experiences >:(
  13. mindovermatterzine reblogged this from deducecanoe and added:
    Bloody hell, that’s terrible! I mean, what is ‘normal’ anyway?!
  14. waterhorse reblogged this from young-medic
  15. young-medic reblogged this from mindovermatterzine
  16. deducecanoe reblogged this from ihavenosnoutyetimustwhinny and added:
    This is EXACTLY what my councilor in 4th grade told me. OH My god. I’m like… seriously. I have had SO many councilors...
  17. farawaymooncall reblogged this from mindovermatterzine
  18. alialala reblogged this from mindovermatterzine and added:
    YOU DON’T SAY???:O
  19. ihavenosnoutyetimustwhinny reblogged this from mindovermatterzine
  20. mindovermatterzine posted this