1. Different for girls –female autism
Thursday 26th January 2017
SWALSS
Sarah Wild – Headteacher Limpsfield Grange School
Sarah

2. Aims of the session:
Who I am!
How autism presents differently in girls
Anxiety, meltdowns and self regulation
Mental health
Social vulnerabilities
Relationships

3. Limpsfield Grange

4. Social interaction
Social communication and language
Restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviour, interests, or activities
Sensory difficulties
Getting it wrong
Being mothered
Bullying
Mean girl gene
Social engineering
Social interaction:
Desire to interact
Aware of differences
Periphery
Immature
Passive
People pleasing
Linguistic skills
Hierarchy
Social expectations

5. Why do I feel so different to everyone else
Why do I feel so different to everyone else? I’m just trying to be normal. How do I get normal?
‘together we make a difference’

6. Masking:
Watching
Suppressing
Replicating
“Passing” for NT
Exhaustion
Meltdowns
Isolation
Women and girls with HFA usually develop a very accurate normal mask which we put on whenever we face the world. The normal mask represents an autistic person in hiding – Alis Rowe

7. ‘together we make a difference’
Restricted patterns of behaviour & specialist interests
Boys –technical /facts
Girls –people/animals
Boundaries
Perfectionism
Consequences
Anger / confusion when things do not conform to rules or expectations
‘together we make a difference’

8. Katie & the photos (7.19)

9. Social Imagination:
Better communication
Imaginary friends / MOLW
Being someone else
Social risk
Extreme vulnerabilities
V intense feelings

10. Anxiety – a wild, savage beast …
‘together we make a difference’

12. Abi’s epic shutdown (15.00)

13. Anxiety
Behaviours
Sensations
Emotions
Triggers
Naming it
What would help you to feel better?
Check ins
5 mins problem identification
5 mins problem solving
5 minutes moving on

14. ‘together we make a difference’

17. Prepare for change & build flexibility
Social Stories
Comic strip conversations

18. ‘together we make a difference’
Female autistic meltdowns
Imploding
Withdrawing
Shutdowns
Keeping it together all day
Blaming self
Extreme sadness
Isolation
Exhaustion
Self punishment – food / harm/exercise
‘together we make a difference’

19. Teaching self regulation techniques
Talking
Breathing
Language
Phone Apps
iPods
Mindfulness
Walking
Animals

20. Meltdowns are not fun. It’s like being stuck on a rollercoaster for eternity …. In the dark with flashing lights. Everything stops making sense.
‘together we make a difference’

21. Visual tools
ASD Secondary Outreach Limpsfield Grange

22. The incredible 5 point scale

23. Self harm
Behaviour = communication
Negative feelings
Unhappiness
Engaging others
Frustration
A real and persistent desire to die
What we have tried
Check ins
Language of emotions
Personalised approaches
Staff training
Self harm policy

24. 1 in 3 of ASC population – more in women?
70% of Asperger’s population
Anxiety
Depression & social isolation
OCD
Gender Identity Disorders
Eating disorders
BPD
Wider mental health disorders
Suicidal ideation
Insufficient understanding
Patchy support
Autism v mental health
Limits economic viability

25. X 7 ½ suicide rates of ASC males
Specialist interest
Planning
Accelerating to the end

26. Friendships
Building
Maintaining
Repairing
Ending
Families
Romantic
Lack of relationships = unhappiness

27. Social: Social Belonging Manipulating Masking Social imagination
Self-esteem
Social:
Social isolation & exclusion
Demands of employment v cognitive energy
Mental health risks
Family breakdown
Long term support
Stalking
Vulnerabilities – the Hand of Trust
Sex & Relationships Education
Self Esteem

28. But are we thinking about mental & emotional wellbeing in the right way?
QoL project
What makes autistic girls happy
NT happiness v ASC happiness
Happiness – feeling liked, belonging, being accepted and celebrated for who you are is the key