Hi everyone! I have an old article that I was about to publish on an online writing site; however, I decided that I would rather pass it on to my followers instead! I wrote this article sometime around 2008. Enjoy! And please share your comments & click a couple of ads if you liked the article. : ) Girls are Aspie's too! Young girls with Asperger's Syndrome; it could be called an oxymoron. Who would ever guess that an otherwise exuberant and athletic child would have AS? Located on what psychologist's call the autistic spectrum, Asperger's Syndrome is also referred to as high functioning autism. Experts report that only one out of about every ten children diagnosed with AS are female. There are many reasons for this in my opinion, the most likely being the fact that female Aspie's such as myself have practically made a career out of hiding our real feelings. I never in a million years would have believed that I had Asperger's Syndrome; then again, never in a million years would I have thought that I needed glasses either. See, aspies are often completely out of tune to their environment. Some explain it as if they were a balloon floating through the air, unable to connect with anyone or anything meaningful. I never understood that I had to learn social and verbal cues through other children, that I silently watched every social cue that they displayed. As a child I just did what I did. I didn't worry about what others thought. I was insanely good at sports, I was usually the team leader. As a young girl on a sports team, comraderie was key. I didn't need to put forth much effort to connect with my team-mates. By the time of Junior High, however, I learned that socializing and friendships were a language that I didn't speak, or even understand for that matter. In analyzing my teenage years, all that comes to mind is pain and frustration. Frustration that those who didn't understand me didn't care enough to try to understand. I actually related better to my teachers than I did to my peers. I could have been a straight A student, but instead of focusing on studies, I attempted a 4.0 in socialization. I had know idea that my skills were by far inept. I remember wondering why I walked around with severe anxiety, ruminating in my mind over what stupid thing I said on this day, or some embarassment over a missinterpreted social cue. Some say that Asperger's Syndrome is actually the extreme male brain. I can sometimes relate to this theory. My neurology was quite different to that of any other girl that I knew in my high school years. I didn't understand why girls would hug each other or share the same drink. All I could think of was what germs I would get if someone even touched my hand. I couldn't connect with anyone on such a level. This left me on the outside circle. I had friends, but I was unable to be a part of a larger social group. My friend had to be my friend alone. It wasn't that I was possesive you see, it was because I couldn't focus my attention on more than one friend at a time, if I did I would become exhausted. Now, at 32 years old, there is so much that I will be able to teach my six year old daughter. She is the mirror image of me when I was six, only cuter and spunkier. Having already received an AS diagnoses for my eight year old son, I was sure that my daughter would have Asperger's as well. Testing for young females such as my daughter doesn't leave much room for speculation. I know that my daughter has AS, well, because I lived it my entire life. I see the same signs that I myself displyed, only to be left behind with all of the other underachievers. How then does a parent help a child that is too young to truly diagnose? Listen to them, understand them, and love them. Had more people taken the time to understand me, I believe that life could have been much, much easier on me. Who would even know what sign to look for in order to diagnose an autism spectrum dissorder? I suggest that you keep on reading my articles as I plan to walk anyone interested through the details of my life, a woman living with Asperger's Dissorder. Please stay tuned!

Where have I been? Why haven't you followers screamed at me for hiding out in Utah for so long? Well, thank you friends for continuing to take quick peaks to see if I've been okay, because I'm back, I'm back, I'm back! I'm back and I've learned even more! What have I learned? I've learned that an aspiemom can have Asperger's and other co-morbid conditions too. : ( I mention this because in my hiatus I discovered that I'm also bipolar. The official diagnosis is: Bipolar 1 with psychotic features. Wow! Let me tell you I was floored! By the way, I'm not psychotic like an ax-slinger or bag lady, but I'm definitely a little screwed up. What I'm getting at here is that those of us with Asperger's Disorder need to realize that being an "Aspie" doesn't explain everything. Screaming at Direct TV because they failed to refund my last three months service (I didn't use it), well that's not an inherent personality defect...that's me being pissed off that I didn't watch my account statement better. Now snapping at the representative because she told you that she wouldn't help you? The snapping, depending on how fast the snap commences, is an inherent personality trait AND most likely Asperger's annoyance. So you might be wondering if I'm relinquishing the title of Aspiemama. No, I'm not. Bipolar is an affliction: it's cruel, it's annoying, it's fateful, it gets worse... but it doesn't define me. Bipolar takes from you, Asperger's adds to you. Bipolar is a disease much like diabetes. I will always need to take medication. One thing bipolar isn't however, is my fault. Asperger's isn't my fault. It's not my son's fault. It's not yours or your loved ones fault. It's an amazing re-wiring of the brain that leaves us just a little out of it, but fully amazing and genius and sometimes....strange. Finally a plea. I make a promise if you do... I will continue to write in my blog with absolutely no inhibitions. I will write every day, I promise. : ) I ask that you tell me how YOU are doing too. I don't want to be a narcissist here. And finally, do me a favor if you can. I'm a home school mom that needs to make some extra money so I can stay home. Click on the ads that you see on my blog, because when you do... I get paid ; ) I like getting paid. God Bless!