Fantastic guest post from The Autism Junction!
Girls and Autism
I admit, I am not a morning person. I splash some water on my face to wake up, brush a streak of eye-shadow across my eyelid then run mascara through my lashes. Topped off with a smudge of lipstick as I grab my bag and rush out of the house. I’m ready for the day. I can do this in less than 10 minutes and have the social charm to excuse myself for being late to work.
For some girls, preparing for an event can take hours. Even days. The thought process becomes so intense, with every possible outcome scrutinised. Too many failures and moments of confusion in the past have led to such thorough planning, reviewing and often anxiety around an event. YouTube becomes the go to place to understand ‘life’.
It can be exhausting.
Many girls experience this every single day. I am referring to the hidden, un-diagnosed, high-functioning students. Girls do not often get a diagnosis of autism as “they have good eye contact…..play happily with dolls… no challenging behaviour.”, during their early school years. The diagnosis often arrives in the form of a mental health issue in teenage years, when the ability to merge into the pack becomes more complex.
But are we prepared for this as teachers in school? Will typical behaviour management strategies work? Are you aware of the hidden signs to look for? Imagine if we could identify such girls from an early age. Imagine if all our students had the freedom to be themselves
Lack of training time and finance in your school? No problem! For further professional development check out our series of special education 5 minute training sessions with tasks. What will you learn today?
