Vanessa's Blog: March - International Women's Day

All about the girls!

 We recently had International woman’s day, so we’ve been thinking about the girls! Autism can present differently for the girls and there are lots of brilliant resources out there which focused solely on the girls…

APPEER is a local not-for-profit organisation which supports neurodiverse girls and women. They provide brilliant social opportunities for girls to meet other’s who have similar needs and share their interests: https://www.appeer.org.uk/

Limpsfield Grange is a school for girls with communication and interaction needs in Surrey, who is one of our partners in the Autism Outreach Survey. Their girls have made some great videos talking about their experiences of autism: https://limpsfieldgrange.co.uk/

Want to know more about the up-to-date research around girls with autism? The National Autistic Society have gathered some great information here: https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/what-is-autism/autistic-women-and-girls

  Here are our favourite books for girls:

	I am an Aspie Girl – a book for young girls with autism spectrum condition.   Danuta Bulhak-Paterson   A book for girls aged 5 and above, looking at understanding their diagnosis, recognising their unique strengths and celebrating their differences.
	The Spectrum Girl’s Survival Guide: how to grow up awesome and Autistic   Siena Castellon   A great guide to life as a teenage girl with autism and a good read for those who wish to support them. The Spectrum Girl’s Survival Toolkit is a workbook which accompanies the original guide.
	Girls Growing Up on the Autism Spectrum – What Parents and Professionals Should Know About the Pre-Teen and Teenage Years   Gina Marie Moravcik, Samara Pulver Tetenbaum, and Shana Nichols   This book covers issues from periods and puberty to friendships and ‘fitting in’, it looks at these issues within the context of specific areas of difficulty for girls with ASD.
	The girl with the curly hair – Asperger’s and me   Alis Rowe   A first-person perspective of life as a girl with Asperger’s. Alis has also written a large selection of comic-style books for young people, to explore different aspects of autistic life.
	Girls and Autism Barry Carpenter, Francesca Happé, et al A combination of personal experiences and research, written by some of the top experts in Autism
	The Autism Friendly Guide to Periods   Robyn Steward   A frank and honest guide to what teenagers girls with autism need to know
	Asperger’s syndrome and Puberty   Alis Rowe   A visual guide with strategies and advice for coping with puberty