Aspienwomen: Moving towards an

adult female profile of

Autism/Asperger Syndrome
Posted on March 26, 2013

UPDATE: RESEARCH HAS FINALLY CAUGHT UP WITH CLINICAL WORK AND THE
MALE TO FEMALE RATIO HAS GONE FROM 16:1 TO 1.8:1. A recent research study has
established a ratio of two to one (Rutherford, McKenzie and Johnston 2016). Back in 2014, we
predicted 1:1 and we are almost there. This is good news. However, we now have few educated,
trained and experienced practitioners/clinicians to provide competent ethical assessment and
diagnosis. 
Updated February 1st, 2022 (originally written in 2011 and published 2013)
Tania Marshall© 2013-2021. All rights reserved. Aspiengirl and Planet Aspien are
trademarked. Thank you.

Aspienwomen : Adult Women with Asperger Syndrome. Moving towards a female profile of
Asperger Syndrome. This blog has been viewed well over 1,000,000 times, been reblogged and
translated into multiple languages. It gained international recognition in 2013 and was the
inspiration for Tania’s second book, released August 29th, 2015, Foreword by Dr.
Shana Nichols, and now an international bestseller. I am AspienWoman received a
2016 IPPY eLit Gold Medal award in the ‘Women’s Issues’ category. This book and
Tania’s first book, I Am AspienGirl, the autistic female profile of children and
teenagers, is available at Amazon and other fine bookstores. Due to Tania’s
education, training, experience, blog and award winning books, international
consultant work and lengthy career, she is considered to be a world expert on the
Autistic or Neurodivergent profile, across the lifespan. Tania is Neurodivergent
herself, specifically Twice-Exceptional. Twice-exceptionality is discussed below in
the ‘cognitive’ section. She was one of the first psychologists to detail the profile of
Autistic or Neurodivergent females, across the lifespan. This blog was written to
address the autistic female crisis and does not mean that other genders do not or will
not identify with this work.
Neurodivergency is a complex area encompassing a large group of individuals with a
wide variety of neurotypes including, but not limited to: ADHD, Autism, highly
sensitive individuals (HSP), LGB, sensory processing sensitivities (SPS), different
learning styles, and more. Each individual has their own unique profile. There are
many subtypes and expressions. She has 30 years of experience neurotyping and
profiling individuals of all ages, from a wide variety of cultures and countries and is a
trauma-informed therapist. She is a strengths-based therapist who works in a person
centred way and closely aligns with Dr. Ross Greene’s work in CPS. She attended his
two-day training and met him. She believes strongly in the human right for young
children to access and be provided with therapy and counselling, free of any bias.
She believes in a holistic approach, a bio-psycho-social spiritual model and believes
that many, but not all, “mental health disorders” are a normal reaction to what has
happened to a person. She is trauma-informed and was trained in EMDR during her
Masters degree. She believes that unbiased therapy is ethical therapy. She believes
that all humans have the right to ethical evidence based unbiased health-care.

Tania is available for fee-based Skype/Zoom remote assessments, consultations, problem-

solving sessions, intervention, and support. She also works regularly with a variety of
professionals in many countries, in the areas of referrals and assisting individuals to obtain
and/or receive an assessment, diagnosis and/or support in their own country. She can be
contacted at aspiengirl@gmail.com regarding fee-based assessments, intervention,
support, problem-solving, referrals, her diagnostic impressions assessments, booking
inquiries and translations, publishing inquiries, media enquiries, workshops and/or
conferences. Tania is available for consultation online ONLY, with the exception of working
in her capacity as a consultant to Law enforcement, intelligence and forensic settings. Tania
welcomes all clients, regardless of sexual orientation, gender, ethnicity, religion, or political
stance.

She consults with workplace organisations and employees who work at Apple, Google,
Microsoft, Facebook, Tesla including intelligence agencies in relation to providing workplace
accomodations for their employees. She has assisted individuals working in these
environments with environmental changes best suited for them.

Tania consults regularly with Police, cyber-intelligence and the defence force, in relation to
crime, the rapid increase in radicalisation, body language, micro-expressions, facial affect,
camouflaging, psycho-linguistic analysis and statement analysis. For consultations, click
below and schedule your own fee-based appointment:

SCHEDULE YOUR OWN ONE-ON-ONE CONSULTATION WITH TANIA VIA

CALENDLY!
Tania offer a wide range of services in a number of different roles. To book in with Tania,
please go to CALENDLY
We are receiving emails from individuals all over the world wondering if they have adult
ADHD in a female and/or are burning out, have burnt out, are on leave from work and/or
feel they are at breaking point. Whilst we are not a crisis service, a legitimate assessment
can help you understand how your life got to this point, place a ‘hold’ on what is happening
to you and assist you with a valuable life-changing individualized ‘What Next’ plan for
getting you not only back on track but on a better track towards thriving in a system/world
that was not designed for you. Click on the link above to schedule a fee-based session.

The following list is an official detailed working screener document consisting of the unique

characteristics and traits of adult women with Asperger Syndrome, or the Autistic female
profile. It is not a research-based formal assessment tool. It is an anecdotal clinical
screening tool based on the thousands of females I have worked with over 30 years. I have
assessed, observed, diagnosed and worked with Neurodivergent individuals across the
lifespan. Over my career, I have assessed individuals from 18 months to 80 years of age,
from a wide variety of cultures and backgrounds. This document is based on my clinical
anecdotal evidence and research by other well-known professionals. I will be modifying
and/or updating this list from time to time. This list was written from my reflections,
observations, and experience, and is written in no particular order. No-one person needs to
have every trait, and it is rare that a person would identify with every trait. Autism is a
heterogeneous condition and as such, whilst people may share similar abilities and
challenges, no two people with Autism are alike. This is a descriptive anecdotal profile,
much like the early day descriptions that Asperger, Kanner (3 girls), and Frankl described of
the boys they observed.
***Please be mindful that research often lags many years behind anecdotal, observational
and clinical work.

***This list does not characterise all people and Autism is a heterogeneous condition. It
presents itself differently in each person

***Research shows that everybody has Autistic traits. Out of a 100 piece jigsaw puzzle,
everybody on the planet has a couple or a few pieces. Those that have 60 pieces would be
said to have Broader Autism Phenotype (BAP) and those with 80 or more pieces are
diagnosable or diagnosed with the condition.

***Self-diagnosis does not equal a formal diagnosis. Some people who self-diagnosis do not

have Autism or Asperger Syndrome and some do. There can be false positive self-diagnoses.
***The reported prevalence of autism has increased substantially. This increase in the rate
of autism spectrum condition (ASC) may be driven by “Autism Plus”. Autism Plus refers to
autism with co-existing conditions/disorders (including but not limited to intellectual
developmental disorder, language disorder, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) and
this may be what is being diagnosed by clinicians as ASC. In clinical practice, a diagnosis of
ASC is done so that a child will receive support at school and in the community, which may
not be the case for other diagnoses. In the past the co-existing conditions were given
diagnostic priority and the “autistic features” might, or might not have been mentioned as
the “plus bit” in the diagnostic summary. The co-existing conditions (sometimes even more
important than the autism), must came back on the diagnostic agenda and be addressed.
Autism is but one of the Early Symptomatic Syndromes Eliciting Neurodevelopmental
Clinical Examination (ESSENCE), along with many others (See Gillberg).

The following profile was created for females who are self-diagnosing or considering formal
diagnosis and to assist mental health professionals, legal and forensic professionals, and
body language professionals in recognising Autism, Asperger Syndrome, ADHD and other
co-exiting conditions in adult females.

Females with Asperger Syndrome experience their symptoms at varying levels, so while
some
Autistic females are highly introverted, others are not. Many women would not meet formal
criteria for a diagnosis due to their coping mechanisms. They would be defined as “sub-
clinical”, “residual Aspergers”, or “shadow traits”, otherwise known as Broader Autism
Phenotype (BAP). Females with Asperger Syndrome or Autism tend to be discriminated
against due to the wide spectrum of abilities or levels of functioning that exist. The majority
of females do not receive a formal diagnosis until well into their adult years. They are know
as the ‘lost generations’.

This list typifies many of the adult Autistic females I have worked with. These traits also
depend to some extent on the severity, whether you’ve been assessed and diagnosed
and/or received support and intervention, and also whether there is a co-existing
condition(s) (for e.g., a personality disorder) present. There is research that points towards
late-diagnosed adults as having both Autism and a personality disorder.  This is common.

CRUCIAL ADVICE WHEN OBTAINING AN ASSESSMENT

This profile is used by researchers, mental health professionals, doctors, school personnel,
forensic personnel, educational organisations, teachers, allied health professionals and
those self-diagnosing. It has been cited in multiple papers, dissertations and books, courses
and training’s worldwide. It formed the basis of my two award winning and best selling
books. For more information:

THE CHILD/TEEN AUTISTIC PROFILE

CAMOUFLAGING
RED FLAGS AND FIRST SIGNS OF AUTISM IN YOUNG GIRLS
I AM ASPIENGIRL BOOK AVAILABLE HERE
I AM ASPIENWOMAN BOOK AVAILABLE HERE
In obtaining an assessment from a practitioner, it is critical that you see someone who is
both trained and experienced in working with Autistic females, across the lifespan. They
must have worked with (ideally under supervision) with a minimum 100 Autistic females,
across the lifespan, to be able to observe the many varying expressions and syb-types.
They must also be able to do a thorough family history, differential diagnosis, assess
trauma and provide you with a comprehensive “What Next” Section. They should be trained
and experienced in differentiating between twice-exceptionality and Autism, HSP and
Autism, ADHD and Autism, trauma and Autism, Camouflaging (Masking, Assimilation,
Compensation), Personality Disorders and Autism (including the common presentation of
both). They should also be trained and experienced in investigating Synaesthesia,
Propagnosia, Irlen syndrome, 7 types of ADD, trauma and adult PDA. They should be
aware of the unique spikey cognitive profile in addition to differentiating between Giftedness
and Autism and Twice-Exceptionality. Make sure you’re assessed by professionals who are
aware of the unique presentation and needs of both diagnoses.They should be able to tell you
what kind of thinker you are and your neurotype profile, and address learning disabilities. An
IQ test can be important in adulthood and can provide additional meaningful information. A
thorough comprehensive assessment includes both quantitative and qualitative information
gathering. the most important part is family history and obtaining as much information about
you as an infant, toddler, child, teenager up to the present day. This should include
reviewing childhood and adult photos and information from family members. The primary
diagnosis should be listed followed by all secondary diagnoses by clinicians.
1.  Cognitive/Intellectual Abilities
Diagnosis is complicated. A large group of people with autism score at 70 or below on
intelligence tests. The smaller group have anywhere from average to profound intelligence.
Giftedness can mask the symptoms of autism, and autism can mask giftedness. Gifted
children at times exhibit behaviors (for e.g., obsession with facts, intense interest with an
area of interest, a lack of interest in peers) that are characteristic of autism. Children with
autism can develop such expertise in their particular intense interest that professionals
initially miss the fact that they are not as ‘smart’ about navigating the social world. This is
why an accurate evaluation is very important. This allows the fleshing out whether a child is gifted
and talented, autistic, or both. This is crucial in order to provide the child/adult with the correct
supports and services. 
Twice – Exceptionality. Giftedness is not measured just by an IQ score alone. There must also be
talents present. Giftedness is rare and these individuals tend to have superior to very superior to
genius intelligence (as measured by a formal IQ test), often (but not always) with significant splits
between verbal and perceptual reasoning abilities, lower working memory and/or processing speeds
and learning disabilities (for e.g., dyscalculia, dyslexia, reading comprehension). Generally, a FSIQ
is NOT the best indicator of intelligence. Individual sub-test scores and inter-domain test scores are
usually spikey. There is a difference in the sub-type of expression between those who are Gifted (IQ
= 130+) and those of average to high average intelligence. There are also levels of Giftedness within
the Gifted group that make it challenging for professionals to understand. For example, an individual
with an IQ of 150 presents quite differently to an individual with an IQ of 130. What is also rare are
Savant Syndrome and splinter skills.
Superior long-term memory
Weaker short-term memory, slower processing speed

May need academic accommodations in University

A distinct cognitive learning profile consisting of a spiky profile of strengths and

weaknesses, peaks and troughs, learning disabilities/differences

Often have a rigid negative cognitive thinking style, inflexible black or white thinking style or
rigidity of thinking

Impairment in Mentalizing/Context Blindness

Despite IQ, a lower social IQ and emotional IQ. May look like the a lack critical thinking
skills and/or common sense.

A history of deep thinking, leading to painful existential crises or Existential OCD, as shown
by a history of going from one religion to another, one spiritual movement to another, one
group to another, or moving between seemingly opposing groups, over time in the search
for meaning. At the extreme end of this, this can lead an individual into joining dangerous
“cults”. There is often present an early deep and meaningful questioning and thinking
process observed in the child, leading to patterns of involvement in groups over the course
of their lifetime. Taken to the extreme, this appears as existential OCD, the obsessive drive
to over-analyse every event, person, situation, group and the circumstances and the
meanings behind them.
A group within the larger group are natural born systemizers and tend to work in, but nor
limited to: Science, Technology, Engineering and or Mathematics.

May be a pattern, visual and/or Word/Fact thinker

2.  Education/University Life
May have dropped out of high school and gone back later or may have repeated a grade.
May have unfinished or partial degrees, may have many finished degrees, many have
Doctorate of Ph.D. level qualifications. Many have taken longer to achieve their education,
as compared to their peers.

May have a history of enrolling and attending university classes, followed by dropping out of
classes or semesters. Sometime later, she then re-enrolls/attends later. This is usually due
to being overloaded and overwhelmed. A history of deferring exams, not attending classes,
dropping out of classes or programs, is common.

May have repeated high school or courses OR dropped out completely.

A history of many doctors and counsellors visits throughout university life, without any
significant improvement

Difficulty taking the same amount of courses or classes as her peers

May get lost on campus easily, lose possessions, be late for classes or exams

3.  Career/Work
Often drawn to the helping, artistic or animal professions, and often an “expert” in her
chosen field. I know of many Aspienwomen who are successful in the following careers:
Artists, singers, actors, poets, writers, teachers, psychologists, psychiatrists, special needs
teachers/consultants, horse trainers/whisperers, doctors, scientists, accountants, authors,
childcare workers, models, comedians, artists, computer-related specialists, animal
handlers or zookeepers, university professors, nurses, psychics/mediums, detectives,
entrepreneurs and photographers.

May miss days of work due to social exhaustion. This may lead to autistic burn-out

May find great difficulty attending/participating in staff meetings, lunch breaks, work social
events

May make up excuses for not attending work/staff functions

May have a history of being unable to cope with work/employment environments, often
moving from job to job, especially in younger adult years
Hard-working conscientious worker

May get stressed if have a lot of work to do in a short amount of time

May become frustrated/stressed if asked to do too many things at once

Tries very hard to avoid making mistakes, forgetting things

Tries hard to please others

May burn bridges or ‘ghost’ others (for e.g., walk out or quit jobs or relationships without
notice or without discussing with boss)

4.  Social and friendships/relationships

Extreme social naivity, and therefore may be at greater risk of being recruited into a cult or
extreme group OR supporting or engaging in extremism. Some individuals can be
“manipulated” into supporting/engaging in extremism.

May appear narcissistic, self-centred, egocentric or caring only about her/himself due to not
understanding the unwritten social rules

Preference for one-on-one social interactions, single close friendships

May obsess over one friend to the extreme

Preference for friendships with men as they are easier to understand than women. They
also find the interests of their peers boring and uninteresting

Need more time away from people than their peers (solitude)

May experience stress, anxiety, and confusion in social group or group work situations

Social Anxiety leading to Social Phobia: analysing social interactions where they overthink
(on a ‘loop’), about what they said, did, did not say, should have said or not said and what
they wished they should have said. On the other side of this is continual stressing about
what the other person is thinking of them. This is usually done to the extreme that it can be
incapacitating for the person.

Strong preference to engage in conversation related to their special interest

Strong dislike for social chit-chat, gossip, nonsense, lies or conversation that lacks a
‘function’ to it, but some are known to engage in it themselves

A history of being bullied, teased, left out and/or not fitting in with same-age peers unless
she had/has similar “Aspie” friends

An intense dislike of lies, but may lie to others herself. Many have admitted this to me.

Has an ability to socialize, however, is unable to do so for long periods of time. Suffers from
“social exhaustion/burn-out” or a “social hangover” when socializing too much. The
hangover can last hours to days, which can be debilitating

Experience great difficulty with conflict, arguments, being yelled at, fighting, war, stress

Has great difficulty asserting herself, asking for help, setting boundaries or inappropriately
assertive

May need to drink or do drugs to be able to socialize, perform (sing), be with and/or around
people

May currently have or have experienced Post-Traumatic Stress, often due to being
misunderstood, misdiagnosed, mistreated, and/or mis-medicated.

Social Skills differences – is exceptionally good one-on-one and presenting to groups,

however, has difficulty working within group situations

May find herself in social situations or relationships that she is unhappy with, but not know
how to remove herself from them. Is highly at-risk for being with a toxic abusive person die
to her nature. See ‘The Molotov Cocktail’ Series
at http://www.vimeo.com/ondemand/femaleautism
History of being taken advantage of by others, even though she has taken the appropriate
business, legal or social advice from others

Often bored in social situations or parties and/or does not know how to act in social
situations

May say “yes” to social events, then later make up an excuse as to why she cannot attend,
often staying home in solitude (reading a book or engages in her special interest)

Often prefers to be engaged in her special interest, rather than socializing

May be considered the “black sheep” of the family

Others consider her different, odd, eccentric or “weird” by others

May feel like she has to act normal” to please others OR does not care at all about fitting in

Copies, mimics, act in order to fit in and make others like her

A people pleaser, but then may burn bridges suddenly (for e.g., quit relationships), as they
have difficulty managing conflict, confrontation, and stress

Females appear to be better than males at masking the traits of autism in social situations.
However, girls are less able to do so in unfamiliar settings.

May be considered a “loner” OR may have many acquaintances, but no real friends

A lack of insight

A lack of social awareness

Social Naivety: may believe anything told to them by others (gossip, stories, jokes, and
teasing), difficulty interpreting the intentions of others, misinterprets other peoples
intentions, often jumping to conclusions about others, may be described as “gullible”

Information in Camouflaging can be found here

Sexuality: Some Autistic individuals have

5.  Communication
Difficulties communicating her thoughts and feelings, in words, to others, especially if
anxious, stressed or upset. Often can type or write her thoughts much better

May dislike asking others for help, be unable to ask or not know how to ask for help

Maybe passive, not know how to assert her boundaries in a healthy manner
May offend others by saying what she is thinking, even if she does not mean to; may
appear aggressive or too intense

May point out other people’s mistakes

May give too much detail and end up boring others unintentionally

May ask embarrassing questions (usually when younger)

Unusual voice (flat, monotone, high-pitched, child-like)

The tendency to take things literally, missing what people are trying to say

May talk too loudly or too softly, often unaware that she is doing so

May talk too much or not enough

Often surprised when people tell her she has been rude or inappropriate

Poor pragmatic language skills

Struggle with eye contact and listening to someone at the same time

May have auditory processing issues

Struggles to understand non-verbal communication cues

Often overshares in inappropriate ways, not understanding the steps to a friendship or

relationship

Is not about to manage the complex interaction of a group and communicated better one-
on-one

May speak in a manner that is copied from cartoon characters and repeat phrases. May
speak formally as characters on television do.

Culture Differences
In many countries where the language is informal, this can be noticed (for example, in the
middle east informal Arabic is spoken), however in Autistic individuals, they may speak
formally as characters on television, social media, and so on.

6.   Physiology/Neurology
A. Highly Sensitive

Highly sensitivity, may not be able to listen to or watch the news, listen to the radio, read the
newspaper, watch violent shows/movies or horror movies, see hurt or injured animals,
abuse, war, trauma, are sensitive to the emotions and “emotional atmosphere” of the
environment, experience referred emotion and psychic “6th sense” abilities, may have
strong intuitive and/or psychic abilities. This does not mean a HSP person is Autistic, but
Autistic individuals are highly sensitive.

B. Sensory Processing Disorder/Condition

May have sensory sensitivities in the following areas: hearing, vision, taste, touch, smell,
balance, movement, intuition

May be very sensitive to pain or have a high pain threshold

May notice how food tastes or feels and one may be more important than the other

May be clumsy or uncoordinated

May play with jewellery or flip hair repetitively

May dislike loud noises and/or be overwhelmed or stressed by bright lights, strong smells,
coarse textures/clothing, sirens close by or people too close behind her.

May find children hard to cope with due to crying, screaming or other loud noises

Sensitive to the way clothes feel and how they may be more important than how they look

May have to withdraw, isolate herself when overwhelmed by her senses

May not be able to tolerate sounds, sights, smells, textures, a movement that she dislikes

May not like to be hugged, cuddled or held. “I only like to hug if it’s my decision”

Can get upset or distressed if unable to follow a familiar route when going somewhere
Things that should feel painful may not be (bruises but not know how they got there, due to
clumsiness)

In social situations, the nervous system tends to be overwhelmed easily, leading to

withdrawal (for e.g., wander off to a quiet spot at a party, play with children or animals)

Strong hunger may be disrupting her mood and/or the ability to focus

She may notice and enjoy delicate or fine scents, tastes, sounds, works of art, and pieces of
music.

C. Anxiety, stress and/or anger. Recent brain scanning research points towards the
enlarged Amygdala’s role in intense emotions, anxiety, and anger

D. May have auditory processing issues

E. May have Irlen Syndrome

F. May grind teeth or have lockjaw (anxiety)

G. More often than nor, they have strong Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) or traits

H.  May have one or more of the 7 types of ADHD (see http://www.amenclinics.com)

I.  Usually has ADHD or more appropriately ‘executive function difficulties’ (i.e., time
management, planning ahead, organization)

J. May rock, leg-bounce, fidget or other movements with hands, twirl hair, stroke soft fabric
to self-soothe (aka stimming or self-soothing), doodle, draw

K. May be very sensitive to medications, caffeine and/or alcohol

L. May have gluten, wheat, casein or other food allergies/intolerances, gut issues

M. May have sleep difficulties, a preference for staying up late at night, usually not a
morning person, may be very creative at night

N. May have Dyspraxia

O. May have tics (for example, throat-clearing, coughing)

P. May have Synaesthesia

7. Physical Appearance
Usually dresses differently from her peers, often eccentric, may dress more for comfort than
appearance.

May dress “over the top” or unusually for occasions

May try very hard to fit in appearance wise or may not care at all

May have a special interest in fashion and femininity

May not shower or upkeep hygiene at times, due to different priorities (usually being
involved in special interests)

Looks younger than her years

Has an unusual voice; maybe “child-like”, monotone, loud or soft, quality to her voice

Often does certain things with hands (twirling hair or items, different movements) or legs
(leg “bouncing” or rocking while standing)

Physical appearance may change to extremes over the course of her lifetime

8. Lifestyle
Books, computers, the Internet, animals, children, nature may be her best friends

She may love quiet, solitude, peaceful surroundings

She may be ultra-religious or not at all. Buddhism appears to be common as does extreme
religious association

May prefer to spend as much time as possible by herself, with animals or in nature

May have a strong preference for routine and things being the same day after day

Gets pleasure from being engaged in her chosen work and/or special interests

She may make it a high priority to arrange her life, events, work, and environment to avoid
overwhelming, stressful or upsetting situations

A history of moving house, cities, states/provinces and/or countries several times.

9. Relationship Choices/Sexuality/Gender
May date or marry much older or much younger partners, same-gender partner, tending not
to see the “age”, “gender”, but rather the personality of the person first

May be asexual, having preferences that are deemed as more important than sex or a
relationship

May be ‘hypersexual”, fascinated by physical sexual contact

May differ from peers in terms of flexibility regarding sexual orientation or may think about
or want to change gender. Some individuals may change gender or experiment with
sexuality as a means to find social success or to “fit in” or feel less different

May not have wanted or needed intimate relationships (asexual)

There is a greater flexibility in sexuality and/or gender. Maybe heterosexual or may be

asexual, gay, bisexual or transgender

May be androgynous and prefer to wear men’s clothing

May be or have a history of being promiscuous OR asexual or inappropriate (i.e., following

someone they like although they don’t know how to engage in the art of dating or flirting.
This can lead to stalking someone and eventually the Police becoming involved)

Prone to safety issues due to not being aware of surroundings

Are an extremely vulnerable group for sexual abuse, rape, sexual assault.

10. Special Interests

The little Philosopher of the little psychologist, as a child, often turning into a career

Current research shows that individuals on the Spectrum do not have “restricted interests”,
but rather a lifetime of deeply intense interests that can vary from one deep interest to
another. A special interest may involve the person’s career, Anime, fantasy (think Dr. Who,
superheroes, and Harry Potter), just to name a few, writing, animals, reading, celebrities,
food, fashion, jewelry, makeup, tattoos, symbols and TV Series (think Game of Thrones).
This is not inclusive. This trait is an obsessive form when focused on other people and/or
unhealthy interests can lead to an individual having contact with the law or law enforcement.

A special interest in sexuality, personal appearance and.or gender identity

A special interest in the meaning of life, of on’s sense of purpose and/or of making sense of
one’s sense of meaning-making and purpose in life

May attend ComicCon, SuperNova, love dressing up as a character. May love Anime,
Manga, and other suck art.

Ability to “hyperfocus” for long periods of time involved in the special interest, without eating,
drinking or going to the toilet, is able to hyperfocus on her special interest for hours, often
losing track of time

Loves and revels in solitude, peace, and quiet. Solitude is often described as “needing it like
the air I breathe”

An intense love for nature and animals

Often not interested in what other people find interesting

May collect or hoard items of interest

Introspection and self-awareness. Many women spend years trying to understand

themselves, reading self-help and psychology books and wonder why they feel so different,
from another planet or that the “Mothership has dropped me off on the wrong planet”.

Justice Issues, sometimes leading to activism and/or extremism

Special Interest in religions, spiritual movements, and/or cults, often moving from one to the
other.

Astrology, new thought leaders, numerology and related areas

May know every lyric to a song or every line to a movie from repetitively watching them or
listening to them

May be driven to careers when she is able to utilize her natural debating skills

An obsession on oneself, how one looks, one acts, one talks, one appears to others. This
obsession can lead to an obsession on transgendering as an answer to one’s problems

11. Emotional/Mental Health Issues

Feels things deeply (Category 5 emotions) and may be inconsolable (cannot be calmed
down). Often has “over the top” reactions to events
May have severe “depression attacks” that last for a few days; may feel the world is about
to end

Does not DO calm, stress, conflict, conflict resolution, mediation, confrontation or fighting

Most do not have a “core self” or a stable identity or sense of who they are. This can lead to
a personality disorder. Psychotherapy is highly recommend for identity and core self issues,
to develop a unique core self and prevent personality disorders and other mental health
conditions.

May develop mental health issues due to being Gender Non Conforming (GNC). Think of
hte many creative ‘gender-bending’ artist of the 1980’s. Not all Autistic individuals are GNC.

Struggles with degrees of delight  and distress of emotions (Alexythymia)

Think that people are laughing at her or making fun of her when they are not

Facial expressions do not match the situation. May have an inappropriate emotional
expression to the situation

Other people’s moods affect her, especially if they are negative

Tends to be very sensitive to emotional pain

Emotions may be delayed so that for e.g., she can be a great ER doctor, but may fall apart
a few days later about a traumatic work situation

Anxiety is a constant from the very early years and is often overwhelmed by the amounts of
tasks that need to be completed. Triggers for anxiety are varied from too much thinking to
catastrophizing to change in routine, change in general, people, perfectionism, fear of
failure, sensory issues, the feeling of not fitting in, the stress of feeling that he/she has to do
things right, any environment that is noisy, has a lot of people in it, perceived or actual
criticism

Deeply moved by arts, music, certain movies

May be unable to watch horror, violence, disturbing movies, and news programs

Lives with continual generalized anxiety, bouts of depression that creep up on her

Difficulty regulating emotions and managing stress

Is socially and emotionally younger/immature than her chronological age, much younger if
in her twenties

Emotionally too honest (inability or difficulty hiding true feelings when it would be more
socially acceptable to do so) and naive

Experiences intense emotions of all kinds (for e.g. when she falls in love, she ‘falls’ in love
deeply)

May think she is being compassionate, but her actions may not come across that way

Often too sensitive and possesses too much emotional empathy

Usually, connect and/or are very sensitive to certain characters in movies

Highly sensitive to issues affecting the earth, animals, people, advocacy, justice, human
rights and the “underdog”

Some women are quite “child-like”, not reaching a maturity until roughly 40 years of age

Many create their own fantasy worlds

FEARS: Tocophobia,

12. Personality characteristics and/or traits and abilities

SUBTYPES
 
Why have we not previously diagnosed the true prevalence of autism in girls and women? Girls and
women have often camouflaged their autism. Not all are able to however and many who do appear to
others as “odd” or “somethings is not quite right”. Autism expresses itself differently in each
individual, however there are patterns.

One of the CORE characteristics of autism is a deficit in social communication and social interaction
(American Psychiatric Association 2013). The social and interpersonal aspects of life are a challenge,
so how does the person who has autism adapt to these challenges? 

The Introvert

The most recognized sub-type is the “introvert”. They are usually described as  “shy”, “timid”
“socially anxious” or “mute”. The child (and subsequent adult) actively minimizes or avoid social
engagement, recognising that social interaction is overly complex, overwhelming, and stressful. This
type of person if often alone and chooses to be so. This type of child grows up without social skills
intervention and can later be unable to cope in the real world. Parens often miss the lack of social
skills in their child as they perceive them to be shy, anxious, or introverted and do not seek assistance
for them. Due to the child being well-behaved and ‘quiet’, a problem is not usually seen.

The Extrovert – The over-intrusive type

The over intrusive type wants to experience social activities. They actively seek social experiences,
without knowing the unwritten social rules or social skills. The have challenges reading the subtle
social signals that regulates and moderates the intensity of social engagement between individuals of
groups of people. Due to impaired mentalising or theory of mind, there are great difficulties  reading
the nonverbal communications (eyes, facial expressions, body language) of other people that is used
in a social interactions. The autistic individual is perceived as intrusive, intense, ‘dramatic’ and/or
irritating by others. The autistic individual  does not see the nonverbal communication or abide by
the social conventions. They are unable to accurately in real time read social situations and therefore
act inappropriately. They are unable to respond to another persons social interactions accurately and
in real time. This can also be due to processing speed. Whilst they may be very motivated or even
overly motivated to make and keep friends or engage in social interaction, their interactions and
experiences may be ended by the other person, group or themselves, due to ensuing confusion,
misinterpretations or arguments. The consequence is that the Autistic person feels bitterly
disappointed that conversations, friendships, and relationships are short-lived, and social popularity
remains elusive. This may then lead them to feelings of frustration, envy, jealousy, anger or rage.
Another concern is that once a friendship has succeeded, the Autistic person can become possessive
or even obsessive, idealising their new friend with an intensity that is overwhelming for the friend.
This can be overwhelming for other individuals who also wants to be friends. The Autistic person
does not want to share her friendship wth others. When the friendship or relationship ends, there can
be intense despair and feelings of abandonment, betrayal, and of being misunderstood. If this is not
addressed, this may lead to further consequences for the Autistic individual. The Autistic person may
them demonize their former friend.

The Extrovert – The Social Camouflaging type

The second extroverted subtype autism who the extroverted is type that recognises their difficulties
in reading nonverbal communication and in making and keeping friends. The understand they didn’t
get the unwritten social rules book. With this insight, watch and observe other people and copy,
imitate and mimic them. They acquire these social and interpersonal abilities by observing their peers
and people in general, analysing their social behaviors, and interpreting and abiding by the social
rules and conventions of their environment, thus ‘camouflaging’ or hiding their social difficulties.
They may imitate movies, read social skills books, practice in their bedrooms at night and/or learn
social skills from fiction books. They socially camouflage from environment to environment. The
person creates a social “mask.”, dependeing on the environment they are in. Other people are able to
recognize when they do this. The effects of this on other may vary from the perception of the Autistic
person being ‘quirky’, not quite fitting in, or in some cases, the amount of imitation copying and
mimicking may end a friendship. They also have challenges within the areas of boundaries,
confidentiality, sensitive information and keeping secrets.

The Eccentric Type

The third subtype of Autism is the introverted or extroverted and intrusive eccentric type. The vast
majority of autistic individuals are ‘out of the box’ thinkers and love their ‘rules’. They have a
challenging time ascribing to rules that do not make sense to them. They are conforming to society
rules and systems, especially if they don’t make sense. A smaller sub-group of the larger group of
Autistic individuals are highly eccentric, creative, artistic, extremely non-conforming and may be
involved with the criminal justice system.

A natural born leader, independent, strong-willed, determined and can be highly competitive
(even with herself)

High levels of introversion OR can be extroverted

Generally lack a strong sense of self, self-esteem and/or identity. May use chameleon-like
skills to assimilate and be involved with to a variety of groups or different people over time,
in a search for true identity.

Has a high sense of justice and fairness, is a truth-seeker, sometimes to his/her own
detriment

Highly creative and may have ‘rushes’ of original ideas

Dislikes change and may find it disorienting and stressful

Highly sensitive to criticism or perceived criticism

Dislikes being observed when having to perform (performance anxiety)

May have been told she cares too much, does too much for others and/or is too sensitive

Is perfectionistic (may have attended a perfectionism group program)

Attention to detail

Obsessions/special interests can be short-term (switching from one to another quickly) or

long-term (can make a great career)

Naivety, innocence, trusting too much and taking others literally are a powerful concoction
for being misused and abused
Social Camouflaging consists of Compensation, Masking and assimilation.
Masking: as above in this picture, giving off the illusion that everything is great or fine, when
is it not. The mask often comes off at home with crying, meltdowns, or shutdowns. To the
trained eye these unnatural facial expressions are obvious. To the untrained eye, they may
appear ‘odd’ or even natural.

A strong sense of feeling different from her peers often described as being from a different
planet

May not have a sense of self and/or identity, self-esteem

Tend to be very serious, often too serious at times

Is intense in everything she does

In childhood, may have been described as highly sensitive and/or shy

Highly imaginative

May have trouble distinguishing between fantasy and reality

Does not like it when people move or touch her belongings; people interpret her as rude
and aggressive

13. Past and/or current mental health history

An unstable sense of self, core self and very low self-esteem

A history of self-harm
May have a history of crying a lot, without knowing why

May have a lengthy history of going to therapists, psychiatrists, psychologists

May have tried a variety of medications

Experiences social anxiety and generalized anxiety disorder or selective mutism

Often has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or traits

May have one or more of the 7 types of ADHD

Has experienced ongoing depression and/or tiredness/exhaustion, without knowing why

A history of trying to understand oneself, of finding answers to explain oneself and why she
feels she is different or doesn’t fit in, as a woman

A history of many doctors and counselors visits throughout university life

May have a family history of Autism, Asperger Syndrome, Bi-polar disorder, schizophrenia,
ADHD, OCD, anxiety disorders

May have been misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder or
schizophrenia

May have been previously diagnosed with anxiety disorder depression, an eating disorder,
borderline personality disorder, bipolar disorder and/or ADHD

A history of depression, anxiety, eating disorders, huge mood swings

May have ROGD or be transgender

Had imaginary friends as a child/youth and often as an adult. This can be misinterpreted as
schizophrenia

Eating Disorder

14. Coping Mechanisms
Compensatory Mechanisms are unfortunately what lead many an individual to receive a
diagnosis much later in life when they cannot keep the mask on anymore.
May have turned to alcohol, drugs, smoking in order to cope with intense emotions, self-
medicate and/or socialize/fit in and/or be accepted with a group.

May use a different persona when out in the public, in order to cope

May have developed a variety of dysfunctional coping mechanisms (for example, arrogance
and/or narcissism)

May change gender or sexuality in an attempt to “fit in” and/or find the right group

Has used imitation, social echolalia to pretend to be normal, fake it or pass for normal

May rock standing up, lying down, in a rocking chair to calm down or self-soothe

May need to withdraw into bed or a dark area or a place of solitude to gain privacy, quiet
and manage sensory and/or social overload

Withdrawal and/or Avoidance

May have developed a personality disorder as a means of coping with Asperger Syndrome

Transgendering into the opposite sex

15. Sixth Sense, Intuition, Psychic Abilities

Has the ability to feel other people emotions, take on the emotions of others

May “know” or have knowledge of certain things, but no idea how she knows, aka “vibing”

May be a professional psychic or medium

Possesses one or more psychic abilities

Is an “empath”

Sensitive to other people’s negativity

Often confused by the feelings she/he is having

May take on the pain of others, aka Mirror-Touch Synaesthesia. This is very challenging to
manage
16. Unique abilities and Strengths
May have perfect or relative perfect pitch

Autodidactic – teaches herself

Intelligence craves knowledge and loves learning

Can teach herself just about anything she puts her mind too

Has a strong will, is determined and independent

Perfectionistic

Have a remarkable long-term memory, photographic memory

A great sense of humor

Can work very well in a “crisis” situation

Deeply reflective thinker

Resilience, an ability to go from one crisis to another, to bounce back, to start again time
and time again

Attention to detail

Great in one-on-one situations or presenting to a group

More like “philosophers” than “professors, but can be both.

Seeing in the “mind’s eye” exact details, gifted visual learner

May be gifted with art, music, writing, languages, programming, acting, writing, editing,
singing, an athlete

May be highly intuitive

Capable of deep philosophical thinking, females with Aspergers often become writers, vets,
engineers, psychologists, social workers, psychiatrists, poets, artists, singers, performers,
actresses, doctors, entrepreneurs or professors.
Driven to rule bound careers, professions, organizations involved in teaching others or
enforcing the rules (for example, law, religion, the military, the police)

17. Challenges
May be difficult to understand subtle emotions, for e.g., when someone is jealous or
embarrassed, uninterested or bored

Keeping up appearances, passing for normal

Managing emotions and getting easily hurt by others; even if the other person was innocent

Learning difficulties

May get very upset with an unexpected change

May not be able to tell when someone is flirting with her/him

Challenging to work and function within a group

Have a need for a highly controlled environment to sleep in

Great difficulty and very sensitive to conflict, stress, arguments, fighting, wars, gossip and
negativity, however ironically may engage in it

Can be very negative and have catastrophic feelings; can be very self-deprecatory toward
self

Social-chit chat, small talk, conversation without a “function”, maintaining friendships and
relationships, social anxiety or social phobia

May like or prefer to be by herself as much as possible

May find it challenging to understand what others expect of her

Being taken advantage of due to naivety, innocence and trusting others too much; this often
leads to being in toxic relationships or friendships

Boundaries issues

A sense of justice taken to the extreme

Executive function challenges: May have difficulty filling out forms, doing paperwork
(completing taxes), budgeting money, finishing a task or job, planning (meals, the day, the
week, answering the phone or talking to people on the phone, how to start a particular task
and get it completed, knowing where their possessions are, going to appointments, waiting
in line or at an appointment

May have difficulty recognizing or remembering faces (prosopagnosia)

May have Alexythymia: cannot verbalize their feelings as they are often unsure of what they
are feeling

May have Synaesthesia

May experience existential dread

Has difficulties with unexpected visitors just “dropping over”

Extreme gullibility or social naivety can get them into enormous trouble. Will often take at
face value what a person says about another person

Sense of direction, wandering, getting lost in thoughts and not aware of supproundings.
This makes them vulnerable to getting lost and predators

18. Empathy
May have a lack of cognitive empathy and hyper-empathy (for e.g., too much affective or
sympathetic empathy)

Cognitive Empathy: The ability to predict other’s thoughts and intentions, knowing how the
other person feels and what they might be thinking. Also known as perspective-taking.

Affective/Emotional Empathy: The ability or capacity to recognize emotions that are being
experienced by another person, when you feel the feelings of another person along with the
other person, as though their emotions are your own. Social neuroscience has found that
this kind of empathy has to do with the mirror neuron system. Emotional empathy
contributes to an individual being well-attuned to another person’s inner emotional world, an
advantage for individuals in a wide range of careers from nursing to teaching to social work,
psychology and other caring professions.

Compassionate Empathy, or “empathic concern”. This kind of empathy helps us to

understand a person’s predicament and feel with them, and also be spontaneously moved
to help them, if and when others need help. Under stress, Theory of mind skills may appear
to be completely absent.
Sympathy: often has too much sympathy, placing her in danger, for example, I once had a
young client who brought a homeless man home because, as she said, ” he had no home”

19. May have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, poor muscle tone, connective tissue disorder,
double-jointed, fine and/or gross motor skill issues
20. May have an intense desire to please others and/ be liked by others and be a “people
pleaser”. May become highly distressed if she has the perception that someone does not
like her or actually does not like her.
21. Executive functioning difficulties may include: trouble making decisions, time
management, planning ahead, organization, completing tasks.
22. May have spent a lifetime of using enormous effort to socially “pretend”, “fake it”, “fit in”,
“pass for normal”. May have utilized body language books, mirrors, acting/drama classes to
improve social skills.
23. May have tocophobia, the fear of childbirth or other fears (death, dying, a changing
body, for example)
24. May have gender dysphoria, also known as gender identity disorder (GID) dysphoria,
and is a formal diagnosis for individuals who feel and experience significant stress and
unhappiness with their birth gender and/or gender roles. These individuals may refer to
themselves as non-binary,  known as transsexual or transgender. This rare and was usually
seen is boys and older males in the 30’s and 40’s. There is a new cohort of girls with a new
type of gender dysphoria know as Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria (ROGD)
25. Photographic visual memory
26. An intense and continual need to figure oneself out.
27. Hypermobility Syndrome
28. Typical sex difference has been reported (i.e., female advantage), in relation to the
“Reading the Mind in the Eyes” test (Eyes test), an advanced test of theory of mind.
29. May be a high systemizer leading her to go into engineering or programming. High
systemizing women seem to feel the “weirdest” of the collective. Usually extreme
sytemetizers of SQ>EQ. This is one factor why they have difficulty understanding and
getting along with their peers (NT females), get along better with boys.males. The majority
of females are Empathisers and the majority of males are systematizers. there are smaller
groups of males who are empathisers and females who are systemizers. Please read
Simon Baron Cohen The Pattern Seekers. This has nothing to do with ‘no empathy’.
30. May struggle with who she is gender-wise, self-identity, a fragmented sense of self, core
identity, self awareness, insight. May be be gender Non-Conforming.
31. Subtypes. The varying expressions and subtypes confuse many professionals. One
person on the Spectrum is one person on the Spectrum with their own individual Autistic
profile.
32. Camouflaging. Most professionals do not understand camouflaging not how to observe
this in clinical practice. Most individuals attending therapy, assessment or other
appointment are actively camouflaging and often report not wanting their therapist to see
underneath the mask. Masking, assimilation and compensation of often used, regardless of
whether or not the individual is aware of using them. It is a myth that camouflaging can be
achieved to the level that others cannot see it. It is not possible to the “trained eye”.
Observers are aware that copying, mimicking and other strategies are being used, because
they are out of context with the situation. This leads to others often misinterpreting the
camouflaging. To the trained observer, camouflaging is relatively easy to see. For
information about Camouflaging read my 2013 blog here and my recent blog on facial affect
and camouflaging here
33. Forensic History. May include contact with law enforcement. The pathways include:
stalking and harassment, domestic violence, mental health issues, a history of false
complaints about others (to the government, law enforcement, infiltrating Autism groups
under pseudonyms with the intention of calling CPS on vulnerable and unknowing parents
(calling child protection services on the parents of parents of Autistic children), the misuse
of social media, hacking, involvement with child protections services themselves, contact
with the Police leading to being sectioned or jail, involvement in radical extreme cults, being
arrested for disorderly conduct, possession of child pornography, being arrested for
participating in extreme radical activism and rarely, for their involvement in terrorism and
murder (usually family members).
Within a very large group of females, we begin to see variations, preferences, expressions
and heterogeneity. Whilst all females struggle to some degree with social communication,
intense interests, sensory issues and many traits as mentioned above, there is not one
“type” of presentation. The most commonly known presentation of females in the Spectrum
is the “Tomboy”, how there exist other presentations and it is important to talk about these,
as it is these females who may never receive a diagnosis.

No one woman will have all of these traits. Some of the traits in this list may not apply to
you. A level of insight and awareness is required in terms of recognising the traits,
characteristics, and behavior in oneself. Autism or Asperger Syndrome often co-occurs with 
Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia, Irlen Syndrome, Dyspraxia/Disability of Written
Expression, Auditory Processing Disorder and/or Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. Individual traits
and characteristics can vary from mild to severe.

Therapy, Social Camouflaging and Identity

Many females may be referred by a therapist for therapy and assessment. Therapists need
to be aware of social camouflaging. Some signs to look for are:

Unconscious social camouflaging

Pretends to understand what the therapist is saying when they don’t

Making eye contact even when its uncomfortable

Needing more time to process

Performative acting

May say they don’t know how they feel

May have Alexytthymia

Need modified therapy

Common pathways to a late/very late diagnosis:

A late diagnosis is any diagnosis after starting school. However, for the purposes of adults, I
am referring to late diagnosis and very late diagnosis, from 18 years of age and older.

1. Suspect they may have adult female ADHD and/or Autism. Not all people with Autism
have ADHD
2. Referral from another mental health professionals (therapists), psychiatrist, GP’s,
agencies, organisations
3. Contact or involvement with the Police, law enforcement or time spent in jail, youth
justice
4. Contact with Child Protection Services
5. Referral from workplace or self-referral due to work conflict or recent loss of job
6. A family history of Autism, i.e., having a child on the Spectrum
7. Works in the field of Autism and sees the traits in herself
8. Many previous ‘labels’ and seeking diagnostic clarification
9. Autistic burnout/crisis
10. Works in the ‘caring’ professions
11. Psychologists and other mental health professionals/professionals seeing the traits in
themselves
12. Working with NeuroDivergent children and identifying with their traits
13. Eating Disorder
14. Gender Dysphoria (small group within the larger group)
15. Works in STEM
16. A history of belong to a variety of “cults” that meet the criteria for the definition of a
cult, may have exited a cult and wanting to renter and/or reintegrate to society.
17. Relationship OCD (ROCD)
18. Thriving in lockdown during the Pandemic, which is seen as ‘odd’ by professionals
19. A breakdown in mental health
20. Motherhood, having children and ADHD/ASD
21. A small proportion (approx. 20%) non-binary Gender Dysphoria, Trans-Identifying
and/or Transgender/Transsexual
22. Medical issues: Hashimotos, EDS, Gut issues, PCOS, Endometriosis, Severe Acne,
Fatigue, Allergies, Skin issues, Early Puberty, sensory processing, interoception issues,
proprioception issues, sensory processing issues, CFS, Adrenal Fatigue, PTSD or C-
PTSD
23. Has spent yers in therapy since childhood and gone without a proper diagnosis
Common fields of work:
Rule bound careers, the arts, STEM

PROTECTIVE FACTORS
Temperament, personality style and mental health of parents

A higher social IQ and emotional IQ

Parenting style

Strengths-based view whilst supporting challenges

Strong boundaries

Personality traits such as resilience, determination

A strong faith

Higher SES

Education

Early diagnosis and appropriate support/intervention

Access to ethical and unbiased Mental health Supports

An environmental fit that promotes thriving

Appropriate Intervention and support throughout adolescence

The combination of resilience and attitude (self love and self worth is protective factor
(Ignorant obvious to passive aggressive bulling and other comments)

High achieving personality and healthy interest

To be cont…

UNIQUE VULNERABILITIES, RISK FACTORS AND RED FLAGS FOR DANGER IN A

SMALLER GROUP of the LARGER GROUP
Most of us are brainwashed on a daily basis by media and propaganda, however, Autistic
individuals are uniquely vulnerable to social influence. This is why assessment and diagnosis is
critical. Social naivity, combined with concrete thinking can lead an Autistic person
(diagnosed or undiagnosed) to blindly follow groups or persons of influence and power.
Many have histories of belonging to fringe groups, cults, being recruited into cults and/or
have a lengthy history of going from one cult to another and are extremely vulnerable to
suggestion, influence and/or being taken advantage of. There is a tendency to take what
others say literally and at ‘face value’. This vulnerability, in combination with a number of
other factors can lead to self-destruction and/or vulnerability to being radicalised and a
number of irreversible consequences.
A lack of social skills training. For example, not knowing that looking at child pornography is
wrong

Unwell parents, parenting style, a lack of boundaries, sexual abuse

Drugs and addiction

Mental health

Severity of traits

Unmonitored use of social media

Extreme black or white and concrete thinking, literal thinking combined with a lack of
understanding others intentions, social naivity, negative thinking, trauma and intense
obsessive interests on a person, school shooters, serial killers, horror movies and so on, is
a molotov cocktail for destruction and must be red flagged with anti radicalisation
organisations, national security, mental health

Adverse Childhood Events (ACE), the more ACE the more higher the chance of leading to
psychopathy

Some ACE include: sexual, emotional, psychological, physical abuse. These experiences
cause trauma leading to damage to the brain

No diagnosis or a late diagnosis and/or no support, treatment, assistance. A lack of

diagnostic clarification

A lack of services, unable to afford services, few choices in services

A denial of appropriate therapeutic services

Radicalisation leading to a late diagnosis. More on radicalisation, coming soon

Stalking, on-line or off-line and other fixated obsessive behaviours on a person. This may
lead to restraining orders and other police or court/legal involvement

Predators often directly recruit Autistic individuals, of all ages, online, because
they know they are socially naive. They are targeted and infiltrate Autistic groups online.
They may say they are Autistic as a means to recruit Autistic individuals. This recruitment
can be directly related to child trafficking, human trafficking, cults, sex trafficking and/or
radical groups and/or terrorism. The use of language and wording within these groups are
red flags.
About Tania Marshall
Tania Marshall is an award-winning author, presenter, trainer and Clinical Psychotherapist
and educator/trainer. She holds a Masters of Science in Applied Psychology and a Bachelor of
Arts in Psychology. She completed an 18-month full-time post-masters externship at a private
special needs school, working with many neurodiverse people, K-12 and their families. During
that time, she also worked in private practice under the supervision of a clinical psychologist.
She was nominated for 2019, 2016 and 2015 ASPECT Autism Australia National Recognition
Awards, all in the Advanced category for her work advancing the field of female Autism. Her
first book entitled I Am AspienGirl: The Unique Characteristics, Traits and Gifts of Young
Females on the Spectrum, Foreward by Dr. Judith Gould, is an international bestseller and an
IPPY 2015 ELit Gold medal award winner. Her second book entitled I Am AspienWoman: The
Unique Characteristics, Traits and Gifts of Adult Females on the Spectrum, Foreward by Dr.
Shana Nichols was released late 2015, is an international bestseller won a 2016 IPPY eLIT Gold
medal in the Women’s Studies category.
Tania is the Australian Chair of the International Association of Psychology & Counseling,  to
advancing knowledge and excellence in education and clinical practice in psychology,
counseling, and related professional fields.
She is a self managed and plan managed NDIS Provider. She regularly provides diagnostic
assessments, impressions assessments, support, problem-solving sessions,
coaching and intervention for neurodiverse individuals of all ages across the
lifespan. She sees people of all ages who are are artists, scientists, engineers,
entrepreneurs, gifted and talented, supermodels, singers, authors, performers,
dancers, celebrities and/or Twice-exceptional (2e), just to name a few.
Tania has contractual obligations as a consultant to forensics, however her books are open to
genuine inquiries. She does see individuals on a case by case basis. Please email her at
aspiengirl@gmail.com if you would like to work with her.  She has a large referral base of
professionals, agencies and organisations that she refers individuals too. If you are a provider
and would like to add your name to the list, please email Tania at aspiengirl@gmail.com with
‘PROVIDER’ in the subject heading.
If you are seeking an impressions assessment, please email with ‘ASSESSMENT in the
subject heading

If you would like to hire Tania for Police training, please email with ‘POLICE’ in the subject
heading

If you would like to hire Tania to present on the Autistic female profile, assessment and
diagnosis and therapy, please email with ‘TRAINING’ in the subject heading

If you would like to get on the mailing list for Tania’s training courses, webinars, please
email with ‘COURSES’ in the subject heading

If you are interested in Tania’s research, please email her with ‘RESEARCH’ in the subject
heading
If you are a publisher interested in Tania’s work or want Tania to write a book or article(s),
please email with ‘PUBLISHER’ in the subject heading

If you are an organisation or agency, researcher, psychiatrist, law enforcement, public or

private and you are interested in the specific sub-type and profile most likely to be
successful in intelligence, counter-terrorism and solving of crimes, OR If you are law
enforcement and wish to consult with Tania about the unique subtype most vulnerable to
recruitment OR you are interested in learning more about the Autistic female profile in
relation to forensics and the research OR you want to learn how to better interpret Autistic
body language, including facial affect, body language, social-communication, sensory
sensitivities in relation to DECEPTION, please email with ‘INTELLIGENCE’ in the subject
heading

To enquire or book Skype/Zoom assessments, problem-solving sessions and/or support,

interviews, articles, publishing inquiries, translations/translating of her books, presentations,
workshops, conferences, Police, cybersecurity, intelligence enquiries and trainings, please e-
mail Tania at aspiengirl@gmail.com

https://taniaannmarshall.wordpress.com/2013/03/26/moving-towards-a-female-profile-the-unique-
characteristics-abilities-and-talents-of-asperwomen-adult-women-with-asperger-syndrome/?
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