Interview: Asperger Women Association:
Sharon daVanport

The Asperger Women Association is a worldwide organization dedicated to helping people affected by Aspergers and related autism spectrum conditions. Sharon daVanport offers valuable information that can help females who have Asperger symptoms.

Assessments need to address differences between males and females.

Tell us a little about yourself

I was born in Texas and I am the oldest daughter in a family of four children. I also have four children (two grown w/families of their own) and two teenagers still living at home. I was diagnosed with Asperger's as an adult. Initially, I was not accepting of my diagnosis. I have a son with Asperger's, and I compared the way he presented with how I assumed everyone with Asperger's presented.

I undertook a research project, which spanned the better part of four years (how very Aspie of me, right! LOL), which helped me to gain a more complete understanding of the spectrum as a whole. Most especially, I was able to finally comprehend the many differences by which females with Asperger’s present in comparison to males.

Learning to accept myself as a neurodiverse individual has been and continues to be quite a journey for me. Understanding how I process information, respond to stimuli, and perceive the world and my environment has been a life-saver. In truth, before I accepted these facts about myself, I didn’t have a clue as to how much I actually struggled with communication. I oftentimes refer to life before my diagnosis as the dark ages, and afterwards is what I liken to 'ah-ha!' My diagnosis has been much to my surprise extremely liberating, to say the least.

I have learned more about life, love, and patience through my experiences as a mother over the last 25 years, than I could have learned doing anything else. I am enjoying my 40's, the wonders and magic of being a grandmother, and most of all I am content with finally being comfortable in my own skin and being happy with being me!

What is the mission of the Asperger Women Association?

The Asperger Women Association is dedicated to the lifestyles and support of women and girls on the autism spectrum. The AWA offers an online magazine with education, parenting advice, a children's page, and a neurotypical family and friend’s page. The AWA also provides a networking directory of websites to our Asperger and Autistic members. Our articles and interviews by women on the spectrum offer an exciting insight to the world of Asperger's and Autism.

What resources are offered by the AWA?

The Asperger Women Association offers a variety of educational resources and referrals through our online magazine. The AWA Magazine includes a children’s page, which is dedicated to and by children on the spectrum. The Children’s Page will feature the artwork of kiddos with autism. The AWA published a Preview Edition last summer to introduce ourselves to the autism community. You can look forward to the AWA publishing regular editions of our online magazine beginning in 2009.

We also offer the AWA Forum. This is an online community of individuals on the autism spectrum, their family, friends, educators, authors, and therapists, etc. The Forum offers a wide variety of topics, which include Discussion Boards for our neurotypical family and friends, so they can participate in sharing their advice, suggestions, and support to one another. The AWA is proud to have a diverse membership of males & females alike.

What is your role with the AWA?

I am a Board Member & Midwest Regional Director. I have 11 states in my region of the United States which include: Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Michigan, Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming, Wisconsin, and Ohio.

I recently began serving as the Pre-Executive Director for the AWA. In this role, I will shadow our Executive Director, Yvonne Mikulencak, in preparation for me to assume the directorship in 2010. When this takes place, Yvonne will then become AWA’s Post-Executive Director, and continue with our organization as a member of the Advisory Board.

The AWA has structured the Executive Directorship with a term limit in order to provide a balanced representation of our organization as a whole. The AWA is an international organization and the term limit for directorship will assist us with maintaining structure and leadership throughout the world.

Are there drawbacks to current assessments for Asperger’s in regards to females?

As it currently stands, the assessments that are commonly utilized do not take into account the differences between males and females in general, not to mention how this carries over to gender specific characteristics of individuals on the spectrum. These assessments were developed with research studies whose subjects were predominately, if not entirely, males with Asperger's Syndrome.

Dr. Tony Attwood states that his clinical observations reveal how many girls with AS display the same profile of abilities as boys, but with a more subtle or less severe expression of the characteristics. He further points out that girls are more likely to be enrolled in speech, drama, or dance lessons, thus providing them with the skills to become socially adept in many facets of their environment.

Elizabeth Roberts, a Neuropsychologist with the New York Institute at the New York University Child Study Center says, "Girls tend to get obsessed with things that are a little less strange. That makes it harder to distinguish normal from abnormal." (Observation consistent with a 2007 study of 700 children on the spectrum, which found that girls' obsessive interests reflected the interests of girls in the general population; the same was not true for boys.)

Dr. Tony Attwood and Dr. Elizabeth Roberts have both reported clinical observations which indicate how cultural conditioning of typical male and female behavior is playing a role in the under identification of females with Asperger's. When a girl is shy or quiet, we chalk it up to good old fashion manners; however, when the same is true for a boy, it is viewed with respect to something completely different.

Dr. Janet Lainhart, with the University of Utah's Brain Institute explains that as girls approach their early teens, they are confronted by their peers to display sympathy and empathy; boys on the other hand, are less likely to experience these same expectations. Though boys are faced with social challenges as well, their peers mature at a much slower rate; and this no doubt causes their social circle to view their challenges with displaying empathy as "more forgivable."

How can these obstacles be overcome?

It is time for those who study autism spectrum disorders to establish the true incidence in girls. Due to the low number of females identified, it is not of unheard of for girls to be yanked from research studies. Some experts refer to these instances as "orphaning" this population. Dr. Tony Attwood further stresses the need for research studies to address the "clinical signs, cognitive abilities, and adaptive behavior to include an examination of any quantitative and qualitative differences between male and female subjects." He adds that until then, females with Asperger’s Syndrome are likely to be "overlooked and not receive the degree of understanding and supports they need."

I appreciate what many experts have to say about our future understanding of the spectrum. They agree that research studies which address the gender gap in autism, and understanding females with Asperger’s will lead to a greater understanding of the spectrum as a whole.

What do you wish neurotypical people knew about Aspergers and Women?

Currently, the majority of females with Asperger’s Syndrome are diagnosed as adults, so I suppose I would like for others to understand the following: We are mothers, sisters, daughters, grandmothers, wives, friends, partners, employees, and neighbors, etc. We are citizens of this world, the same as you. We long for a better tomorrow, and wish for a happy today.

We are not Asperger’s Syndrome - we are individuals with Asperger's Syndrome. Asperger's is not who we are, but rather a part of who we are. We laugh and cry - we are happy and sad - we just so happen to process information and communicate our responses to these emotions in a very unique way.

Also, to understand that like all people, we are each as individualistic as a finger print. Lastly, please understand that most individuals with Asperger's Syndrome do not want to be cured. In fact, most of us take offense at the suggestion that we are in need of a cure. It denotes that we are somehow flawed, or that we do not have the right to be who we were born to be just because we are neurodiverse/different.

What topics do you cover in your speaking engagements?

I continue to have a variety of audiences and venues regarding ASD's. Typically, I share my personal experiences as a female on the spectrum as well as parenting a child with Asperger’s. Most recently, I was a co-presenter at the Nebraska ASD Network State Conference where our presentation focused on females with Asperger's, and the need for early identification in order to provide them with the supports necessary to lead a healthy and productive life.

When I speak with support groups, I typically share the different strategies I've learned to use in order to overcome the challenges I've faced at different stages throughout my life. I incorporate the positive life experiences as a neurodiverse individual due to the various gifts afforded to me as an individual on the spectrum.

I am a contracted speaker with the ASD Network in Nebraska, and when I am scheduled to speak with their various teams, I have an opportunity to address educators, OT’s, psychologist, school administrators, etc. I focus on how the facts pertaining to females with Asperger's can be addressed in the school setting, as well as resources and supports offered to accomplish these tasks. I am always pleased at how dedicated these teams are to understanding the differences between males and females on the spectrum.

How can readers contact you for speaking engagements?

They can email me through the AWA at: sharon@aspergerwomenassociation.com

Anything new on the horizon for you or AWA?

The AWA is a new organization, and we are continually building our international Directorships with some amazing and dedicated women on the spectrum.

Executive Director, Yvonne Mikulencak will be in the UK during May for two conferences:

• Staffordshire Adults Autistic Society
  • Main Website: Staffordshire Adults Autistic Society

Look for Asperger Women Association's Table.

• Autism Awareness Centre, Inc.

The AWA is a worldwide organization, and we will be hosting events that will be in your local area in the future..

• Preschool Activities for Autistic Children
• Possible Causes of Autism
• Tips for Raising Kids with Autism
• What Is Your Autism Empathy Rating?

• Lesson Plans for Autistic Children
• Adult Autism Symptoms
• Social Skills Activities for Kids with Autism
• Speech Therapy Ideas for Autistic Children
• Famous Autistic People

• Main Page
• Asperger Syndrome Diagnostic Scale
• Autism Conferences
• Aspergers in Girls
• Category:Asperger Syndrome