Learn More About Women & Autism

Note:

Prior to engaging with these resources, please be aware that the term ‘Asperger's Syndrome’ and the phrase ‘high functioning’ are no longer used within the autistic community.

Autism is now categorized into levels 1, 2, and 3, reflecting the range of support needs from minimal to extensive.

Awareness and understanding of autism in females are growing, and research into women’s experiences with autism is increasing. When reviewing older resources, be mindful that some of the information may not reflect current perspectives.

Books

1. "Women and Girls with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Understanding Life Experiences from Early Childhood to Old Age" by Sarah Hendrickx

2. "Autism in Heels: The Untold Story of a Female Life on the Spectrum" by Jennifer Cook O'Toole

3. "Aspergirls: Empowering Females with Asperger Syndrome" by Rudy Simone

4. "Spectrum Women: Walking to the Beat of Autism" edited by Barb Cook and Dr. Michelle Garnett

5. "The Secret Life of a Black Aspie" by Anand Prahlad

6. "Love and Asperger's: Practical Strategies To Help Couples Understand Each Other and Strengthen Their Connection" by Kate McNulty

7. A list of books on the topic of ASD and marriage can be found at:

   https://autismawarenesscentre.com/product-category/marriage-relationships/ 

Websites and Blogs

1. Autistic Women's Network (AWN): autisticwomenandnonbinarynetwork.org

2. The Art of Autism: the-art-of-autism.com

   • Autistic Traits in Women Checklist

3. Embrace Autism: embrace-autism.com

   • Decoding the DSM Autism Criteria

4. Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN): autisticadvocacy.org

5. NeuroClastic: neuroclastic.com

6. Thinking Person's Guide to Autism: thinkingautismguide.com

7. Musings of an Aspie: musingsofanaspie.com

Articles

1. "Understanding Auditory Sensitivities in Autistic People: It’s Not Just About Volume": Speaking of Autism

2. "What It Means to Be Highly Empathetic and Autistic": Medium

3. "Gendervague: At the Intersection of Autistic and Trans Experiences": AANE

4. "Treatment of High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder in Adults": Verywell Health (Note: The terms "high-functioning" and "low-functioning" are outdated. Use "high support needs" and "low support needs" instead.)

Online Communities and Forums

1. Wrong Planet: wrongplanet.net

2. Reddit - r/aspergirls: r/aspergirls

3. Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network (AWN) Facebook Group: AWN Facebook Group

4. Twitter Thread on Autistic Traits: Twitter

YouTube Channels

1. Neurodivergent Rebel: Neurodivergent Rebel YouTube Channel

2. Lived Experience Counsellor: Sonny Jane YouTube Channel

Instagram Accounts

1. Neurodivergent Rebel: @neurodivergentrebel

2. Sonny Jane: @livedexperiencecounsellor

3. Haley: @the_queer_counselor

4. Autistic Therapist: @autistic_therapist

5. 21 And Sensory: @21andsensory

6. Chris Bonnello: @autisticnotweird

7. Joy Johnson: @joysjohnson

8. Chloé Hayden: @chloehayden

9. Christa Holmans: @autistic_zen

10. Daniel Jones: @danieljonesautism

11. Jeremiah Josey: @jeremiahjosey

12. John Elder Robison: @johnelderrobison

13. Leanne Libas: @leanne.libas

14. Neurodivergent Lou: @neurodivergent_lou

15. Sara Jane Harvey: @sarajaneharvey

16. Amythest Schaber: @amythestschaber

17. Autism Family Story: @autismfamilystory

18. Autism Sketches: @autismsketches

19. James Sinclair: @james_sinclair

Podcasts

1. The Autistic Women’s Hour: Discusses various topics related to autistic women’s experiences.

2. Spectrumly Speaking: Hosted by Becca Lory Hector and Katherine Cody, Psy.D., focusing on women on the autism spectrum.

3. Two Sides of the Spectrum: Hosted by occupational therapist Meg Proctor, featuring autistic voices and perspectives.

Organizations

1. Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN): autisticadvocacy.org

2. National Autistic Society (UK): autism.org.uk

3. Autism Society: autism-society.org

4. The Association for Autism and Neurodiversity (AANE): https://aane.org/ , FAQ on adult life: https://aane.org/autism-info-faqs/adult-life/#couples-partners

Online Courses

1. An online course created by Dr. Attwood for adults with ASD and their partners

   entitled “Autism in Couple Relationships” can be found at:

   https://attwoodandgarnettevents.com/product/online-course-autism-in-couple-relationships/

These resources should provide you with a broad range of information and perspectives on female autism. Please submit more, here.