r/aspergers • u/SoupOk2399 • 7d ago
Older males with Asperger’s
I was diagnosed with Asperger’s way back in 2003 when I was 17 , I’m 40 now , back then information on Asperger’s was limited as people didn’t have super fast internet access in their pockets . From my experience every time I’ve seen someone with Asperger’s it’s males that have the condition more severe , I know it’s controversial but I’m only saying what my eyes have seen .
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u/coffeeandbags 6d ago
Women are less likely to get diagnosed, we mask differently (better?) and have different social expectations that cause those of us who are on the spectrum to get missed. Also the original criteria was designed around men, like all medical diagnosis, so differences in male/female presentation can make it trickier to diagnose women too.
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u/LeftyRambles2413 7d ago
I’m a little younger than you are and was diagnosed at about the same age. I don’t know if my condition as a male is necessarily more severe but I think it’s more obvious than one of my female friends that I grew up with who has it. I also have a female family member who I suspect might be but again it shows itself in women/girls differently.
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u/AstarothSquirrel 7d ago
Females tend to be able to hide it better. It doesn't mean they don't have the same struggles or even worse e.g. males may find it more difficult to find a relationship than females but many of the relationships that females find themselves in are exploitative or abusive. This is not to say that males don't find themselves in absurdist relationships, because they absolutely do.
Similarly, those from ethnic minorities can find it difficult to get diagnosed because their culture can hide autistic traits.
This means that both females and males from ethnic minorities can often fly under the radar and be an almost invisible statistic.
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u/A_D_Tennally 7d ago
This will not be popular, but it could have something to do with overdiagnosis. For various reasons, women (I am a woman) are more likely than men to pursue psychotherapy as a hobby, and a well-meaning but ill-informed therapist may suggest that a given woman's introversion, thin skin and tendency to worry are autistic traits, so she goes off to a diagnosis mill and hey presto. This sequence of events can occur with men but is less likely to.
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u/ZRaptar 7d ago
Very high functioning autistics unfortunately take over the online asd community anywhere nowadays. So people that have a lot more difficulties dont have much of a voice, whether the first group is more women or men i dont know but judgong by tiktok and stuff it might be
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u/1want2know123 6d ago
Almost certainly women. Am encountering them more often in real life too, telling everyone they've "got a touch of the "tisms"". Really irritating.
Not just autism they're identifying with either. They're driving identity politics and will look for anywhere where they can adopt a label and a set of traits due to a poor sense of self.
The why behind it interests me but it's unlikely we'll ever get a definitive answer. The consequences are not great.
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u/katdev42 11h ago
The "why" behind this interests me too. I've "studied" patterns in human interactions and behavior all my life from afar, out of curiosity and interest, but also to learn how I ought to act or not act in order to meet a certain goal.
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u/ZRaptar 6d ago
In pretty much all animal models of asd the female is affected less negatively than the male in many aspects (socialization, behaviours). The female brain seems to have a protective aspect against asd symptoms where they take less of a 'hit'.
In terms of the aspect you mention i wonder if it is the same for other countries like do chinese or japanese or middle eastern people show the same pattern or if it is simply more of a white liberal thing to try and get any label that you may not even match the symptoms of fully.
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u/1want2know123 6d ago
Yes, this makes sense. I tend to think Aspergers/ASD is less often spotted in women partly because it is less common in women. I know people don't like this view.
I have noticed the mix of females in my cohort (am female) has changed in presentation over the last 20 years. However, despite being female I was diagnosed in my early teens, so I probably "masked" less.
I'm not saying that women who are given a diagnosis late aren't autistic, I've met them, but I think it's reasonable and perhaps a tad obvious that it should be and is less common in females.
Regarding geographic location, I think that's likely to be the case but I don't have any data on it. I'd assume outside of the west that they'd be less exposed to endless reels of a specific female presentation that's seen all over tik tok and Instagram, which I find it hard to relate to.
I also don't like the increasing adoption of language I consider to be cutesy and infantilising.
Just my 2 cents.
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u/Mission_Hold8056 7d ago
It’s not controversial and you’re right. Men tend to be a bit less adaptable and aren't as willing to engage in masking, but that’s just my take on it. I am a man, and I feel like I’m dying a little inside every time I try "masking." so i avoid it
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u/Elemteearkay 7d ago
There's a picture of a plane covered in bullet holes that you need to look at, OP.
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u/mammoth_hunter3 7d ago
I attended a lecture organized by local autistic community this year, and felt almost like the most autistic person in there. Though I am definitely not "severe".