Aspergirls: Empowering Females with Asperger Syndrome [Englisch] [Taschenbuch]

I was astounded to recognize myself in these pages. For decades I have been wrestling with self-diagnosing my non-normal neurological behaviors, but always sort of discounted Aspergers as an answer.

It makes sense now that I realize most previous studies on Aspergers Syndrome were based on studies of men and boys. It's a huge relief to realize that Aspergers presents differently among girls and women - and to realize I that have found myself within these pages.

It's at once incredibly freeing and a little sad. It's freeing to realize I am not alone, not some alien masquerading (poorly) as a human. It's freeing to know who I am, neurologically. But then, sad, to realize that the things that have been endless challenges for me - mainly work, relationships and finances - are NOT going to magically go away, no matter how hard or optimistically I try to fix them. They are part and parcel of me. I have to work *with* these things - allow for them - and give up on trying to *solve* them.

I wish I could make everyone I come into close contact with read Aspergirls. Friends and family would understand and hopefully tolerate my quirks better. And in fact, I am sure I would be more completely appreciated for my assets - the creativity, quirky humor, hyperfocus, passionate interests and engaging literacy...and the ability to spot patterns, amazing people with 'intuitive' leaps of logic that seem to spring from very few clues.

A few things in this book could be easily added to make it better: it seems that the author intends readers to be somewhat familiar with Autism in the first place, and I had to Google such terms as Mutism and Trainspotting. The terms Meltdown and Stimming were easier to determine from context - and opened my eyes to terms I can actually apply to my bad times/episodes of 'abnormal' public behavior. I would have appreciated more historical views on Aspergers, with more explanation of terms.

The chart at the end of the book is extremely useful; I am considering copying that part alone to hand out to friends and loved ones (which I'd then mark and highlight carefully for personal emphasis!).

In any case, I've highlighted and marked up many useful passages throughout the book for *myself* - I now keep the book by my bedside as a reminder that I might NOT have been an alien baby abandoned on this strange planet. I may not be able to pass as a nuerotypical human, but with this book I can start to head off a few meltdowns and start to feel better about myself.

If you are questioning whether you or a female loved one has AS, reading this book should provide you the insight you need. You will either light up with recognition, or sigh and move on to the next possible diagnosis.

This is one of the best books about girls and women on the autism/Asperger's spectrum that I have EVER read! No parent, educator or medical professional should be without this gem. Women and girls on the spectrum will certainly recognize themselves in this stellar masterpiece of a book. It is very empowering!

If you are a girl or woman on the spectrum, this book is truly your best friend. Rudy Simone, like Dr. Travis Thompson and Dr. Tony Attwood is the voice of tolerance and understanding in re the a/A experience. She really "gets" it!

I like the way she replaces harmful verbiage such as "stimming," which is a term I never liked either with the more tolerant and much more accurate term "soothing" behaviors. She dislikes the term "stimming" because to her it sounds "creepy." I dislike it because I think it trivializes or downplays the need to release excess tension when sensory input gets to be too much. After all, the neurotypical (NT) population "stims," by tapping and jingling things in their pockets and fidgeting, just to name a few.

Rudy Simone is a genius. It is as simple as that. She has interviewed women on the spectrum and included their thoughts in this masterpiece of a book. Liane Holliday Willey wrote the foreword and she has Asperger's and her daughter does as well.

Rudy Simone outlines critical points throught one's life, from birth to senior citizenship with Asperger's. She outlines with clearly written, easy to follow lists of key bullet items that help direct readers' focus on Aspergerian behaviors, reasons for same and mechanisms for coping. Each chapter closes with Advice to Parents and Advice to Aspergirls. I like the new terminology - Aspergirls. Liane Holliday Willey's daughter said it sounded like a superhero and she is right. I think we should get into raising our glasses and proposing a toast to Rudy Simone!

I strongly urge everyone to read this book and I would like to give people extra copies of it. It has truly been a major help to me personally and for that, I say a heartfelt "THANK YOU, RUDY SIMONE!"

The symptoms of Asperger's are different in girls than in boys and most of the studies on the Syndrome have focused on boys. Doctors and other mental health care professionals simply don't know what to look for in girls and as a result, the number of undiagnosed girls is unknown but likely quite large. Rudy Simone's book, then, which focuses entirely on girls and women with AS, is like a breath of fresh air. Aspergirls gives girls and woman a way to positively own AS because, after all, it is what it is. But I found a line on the back cover blurb to be misleading: "If you...think you might be on the spectrum, this book will be essential reading."

Simone successfully utilizes interviews with girls and women with AS as the basis for the chapters in her book. These anecdotes personalize Aspergirls, but her failure to disclose the specific checklists provided in the DSM will leave in the dark those wondering if they or somebody they love may fall along the spectrum. As I read the book, I noted a number of similarities in myself and in those close to me with those diagnosed, but also differences. In the end it's not the answer for those looking to self-diagnose.

That said, the book offers useful insights and advice to girls and their parents about a variety of topics, including "stimming" (aka soothing), socializing, school, work, and romance. It also debunks long-held beliefs about people with AS, most particularly that those along the spectrum feel less than other people. And, like John Elder Robinson's Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's, the neurotypical reader will come away with a new understanding of the thought processes and quirks of those with AS.

Simone succeeds best when sharing the emotional pain suffered by Aspergirls. Her stories, and the stories of those she interviewed, offer acceptance to a group who have rarely found acceptance in their lives. Some of her advice is nebulous, but when talking about the importance of education and getting through college, or of parents advocating for their daughters, she provides specifics, which surely will achieve her goal of Empowering Females with Asperger Syndrome. What it won't do, alas, is offer definitive help to those looking for diagnostic answers.