By Oliva Cushman
As we all know, everyone’s brain is unique in its own way. But, more so than we thought, the female brain is way different than the male brain, and part of that evidence lies in diagnoses of autism and ASD. Females are often underdiagnosed as a population than males with ASD. And for those who are diagnosed, you can be pretty sure that they were diagnosed later in life, as in during or after puberty.
Asperger’s syndrome was first described by a Viennese pediatrician in the 1940s, Dr. Hans Asperger. At first, he thought that only boys could have this diagnosis, as that’s all he’d seen in his practice, but nowadays there are plenty of females that have been diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome since the 1940s. The “symptoms” of Asperger’s syndrome were described as being anti-social, aggressive, impulsive, repetitive behaviors, and depression or anxiety.
Not only is the diagnosis of Asperger’s syndrome outdated, but it’s not very inclusive to everyone on the spectrum, as described in last week’s column. The autism spectrum is far from linear, and it can include people from any and all genders. This was a big reason as to why girls are being diagnosed after or around the age of 15, if at all. Lucky for me, I was tested by a clinical psychologist to evaluate my neuropsychological functions and personality.
When I was about 13 or 14, I was experiencing depression and anxiety worse than I ever have had in my life before that time. I remember feeling alone and even suicidal at times from the lack of solid relationships and bonds with other people in my life.
I have always had this overwhelming feeling of being different than anyone else all of my life, and it never really went away. It’s more than I can even think to describe in words, but as I’ve gotten older and matured more, I’ve come to accept the neurodiverse community that each and every one of us is part of.
Being a girl with autism, I completely validate those who are still undiagnosed or are going through “treatment” when in reality, nothing is wrong with them in the first place. Just because we’re “quirky” and are a little different in terms of interests, thinking, and socializing, doesn’t make us any less of a person than anyone else. We all want the same things out of life, and one of those is to be loved and accepted; I think that was the big missing piece in my life during my darkest of times.
One day, I hope to be a famous female influencer who is open and candid about her autism diagnosis. If Temple Grandin or Greta Thunberg can use their differences to their advantage, why can’t I? I want to advocate for other young girls who were in exactly the same place as I was not too long ago. I want to validate them and give them an open and accepting community where everyone embraces neurodiversity.
