Understanding Asperger's in Females: Recognizing Different Symptoms

Mental health professionals diagnose significantly more boys than girls with Asperger's syndrome, a type of autism. However, some researchers think many young girls with Asperger's are never diagnosed because their symptoms are different than those of boys.

Passive Symptoms

• Symptoms of Asperger's syndrome in girls tend to be more passive and less obvious than in boys. Girls, for instance, are not as likely to be aggressive. Adults may view the girl's social difficulties as the result of a shy personality.

Social Functioning

• Girls with Asperger's generally have a greater desire to connect with others than boys do. According to neuropsychologist Elizabeth Roberts of the New York University Child Study Center, girls also are better at copying the behavior and mannerisms of others around them.

Obsessive Interests

• Although girls with Asperger's become obsessed with specific areas of interest, their interests often fit those of other girls. This is generally not true of boys with Asperger's, who may have odd fixations such as vacuum cleaners and electrical switches.

Childhood Behavior Persistence

• Asperger's syndrome in girls may become more obvious as they move into their teens, when they do not grow out of playing with dolls and having imaginary friends.

Significance

• According to a 2008 article in Newsweek magazine, some specialists predict that as more girls are diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, the entire profile of the disorder will change.