Writing, writing, writing… training and webinars and videos PART I

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Posted on May 3, 2019 by Tania A. Marshall M.Sc., Autism Ambassador for EPG and Supply Desk, Psychologist and Trainer/Presenter

For those of you who have not heard from me in a while, I have been quite busy since becoming a paid Autism Ambassador. Stepping into a more senior role of education involving writing articles, training, presenting and running webinars, seminars and courses is an important way of getting my strengths-based message out there. I am also an invited professional by the International Pediatric and Adolescent ROGD Working Group, working together on a new phenomenon within Autism, but not exclusive to it. As a part of my new roles, I am writing articles, books, doing webinars and courses and live coachings. I have written quite a few articles and delivered webinars as part of this new role. I’m proud to be working with both of these large organizations and will be moving into a more senior role as an educator and author and reducing my clinical work. As mental health changes move to a more online and app-friendly world, so will my work.

One-on-one consultations are still available via Skype or Zoom for an hourly rate. Please email Jo at tania@aspiengirl.com

My more recent work is as follows:

Summer 2019 International School Magazine: ‘Pupils with autism are twice as likely to be bullied – what can teachers do?’ I’ve included a link to the digital edition below. My article is on pgs 25-26:

https://issuu.com/johncatt/docs/is_21-3_97f69f894582ab

SEN MAGAZINE May 3rd, 2019

Best practice in supporting the learning of girls on the autism spectrum

https://senmagazine.co.uk/hone/artocles/senarticles-2/teaching-girls-with-autism

EPG

https://www.educationforeverybody.co.uk/blog/autism-bullying-EPG?fbclid=IwAR2glpgyNXnadndn1Knb2iwPqNZ5YyauA8b7IObdZyWNUEba3SCrJlJCH-w

November 23rd, 2018

Quantifying and exploring camouflaging in men and women with autism

References to I am AspienWoman

2016

Meng-Chuan Lai 1,2,3, Michael V. Lombardo 2,4,5, Amber N. V. Ruigrok 2 , Bhismadev Chakrabarti 2,5, Bonnie Auyeung 2,6, MRC AIMS Consortium # , Peter Szatmari 1 , Francesca Happé 7 , and Simon Baron-Cohen 2,8

https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/bitstream/handle/1810/260897/Lai_et_al-2016-Autism-AM.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

13 April 2016

Autism in Australia: Tania Marshall

https://network.autism.org.uk/sites/default/files/ckfinder/files/Australia%20PDF.pdf

Autism in Australia: Tania Marshall

https://network.autism.org.uk/knowledge/insight-opinion/autism-australia-tania-marshall

Different Brains October 11, 2016

Part I

AspienGirl: Embracing the Strengths of Women with Autism, with Tania Marshall | EDB 51

https://www.differentbrains.org/aspiengirl-embracing-strengths-women-aspergers-syndrome-tania-marshall-edb-51/

Different Brains October 11, 2016

Part II

Gender & Neurodiversity: Recognizing the Diversity Within the Autism Spectrum, with Tania Marshall | EDB 54

https://www.differentbrains.org/gender-differences-neurodiversity-recognizing-diversity-within-autism-spectrum-tania-marshall-edb-54/

Discover Unique and Amazing Women on the Autism Spectrum

https://geekclubbooks.com/2015/12/i-am-aspienwoman-interview/

4th Wave Now

Guest post: For teen girls with autistic traits — a plea for watchful waiting

https://4thwavenow.com/tag/tania-marshall/

autismdailynewscast.com

http://autismdailynewscast.com/interview-with-tania-a-marshall-author-of-i-am-aspiengirl-part-1/

https://www.pdasociety.org.uk/resources/practitioner-and-clinician-resources

Jeckyll and Hyde or Pathological Demand Avoidance Syndrome?My Most Open And Vulnerable Blog Post Ever ~ My Journey To An Aspergers Diagnosis

https://www.hollyworton.com/my-most-open-and-vulnerable-blog-post-ever-my-journey-to-an-aspergers-diagnosis/

Gender Dysphoria

https://inspiredteentherapy.com

https://inspiredteentherapy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Resources-from-Inspired-Teen-Therapy.pdf

________________________________________________________________________

About the author

Tania Marshall, a psychologist in private practice, is an Autism Ambassador for Education Placement Group, a specialist education recruitment business, and the author of I Am AspienGirl and I am AspienWoman.

taniamarshall.com

@TaniaAMarshall

@taniamarshallauthor

IG: @taniaamarshall

Tania’s YouTube Videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk_kFdaPkv4w0ieOgfR3IvA?view_as=subscriber

Tania’s Vimeo Videos: https://vimeo.com/taniamarshall

Tania/s Vimeo On Demand

https://vimeo.com/ondemand/femaleautism

The AspienGIRL website can be found here www.aspiengirl.com

Tania’s website: http://www.taniamarshall.com

Tania’s Amazon Author page can be found here www.amazon.com/author/taniamarshall

You can also follow on Facebook: www.facebook.com/AspienGIRL

Twitter for AspienGirl: https://twitter.com/aspiengirl

Where to find Tania Marshall, Msc., books:

http://www.aspiengirl.com

ACER at

Amazon.com

Goodreads.com

http://www.angusrobertson.com.au

https://www.angusrobertson.com.au/books/i-am-aspienwoman-tania-marshall/p/9780992360948?zsrc=dsa-feed&gclid=CjwKCAjwza_mBRBTEiwASDWVvnQcxRfkN0UI2ZZmKWgI0-P9R76v-yzd1mNnIkPWHMrhZ2Gy5Qh1aRoCkoUQAvD_BwE

AS SEEN IN:

Other Recommended Readings:

Bright Not Broken: Gifted Kids, ADHD, and Autism, Diane M. Kennedy and Rebecca S. Banks, the authors of Bright Not Broken, and the contributor, Temple Grandin

• Entire Issue of the Research Journal Autism – 2017, Volume 21(6) o Special issue dedicated to ASD in females

• Kreiser, N.L., & White, S.W. (2014). ASD in females: Are we overstating the gender difference in diagnosis? Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 17, 67-84. o

Excellent theoretical article Books on Topics for Females with ASD

Temple Grandin • Girls With Autism Becoming Women – Heather Wodis

• Girls Growing Up on the Autism Spectrum: What Parents and Professionals Need to Know about the Pre-Teen and Teenage Years – Shana Nichols et al.

• A Guide to Mental Health Issues in Girls and Young Women on the Autism Spectrum: Diagnosis, Intervention and Family Support – Judy Eaton •

I Am Aspiengirl: The Unique Characteristics, Traits and Gifts of Females on the Autism Spectrum – Tania Marshall

• I am AspienWoman: The Unique Characteristics, Traits, and Gifts of Adult Females on the Autism Spectrum (AspienGirl) – Tania Marshall

• Life on the Autism Spectrum – A Guide for Girls and Women – Karen McKibbin

• Women and Girls with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Understanding Life Experiences from Early Childhood to Old Age – Sarah Hendrickx

• Safety Skills for Asperger Women: How to Save a Perfectly Good Female Life – Liane Holliday Willey

• The Aspie Girl’s Guide to Being Safe with Men: The Unwritten Safety Rules No-one is Telling You – Debi Brown

• The Independent Woman’s Handbook for Super Safe Living on the Autistic Spectrum – Robyn Steward First-Person Accounts

Pretending to Be Normal – Liane Holliday Willey

• Asperger’s on the Inside – Michelle Vines •

Everyday Aspergers – Samantha Craft © S. Nichols, 2018

• Twirling Naked in the Streets and No One Noticed: Growing Up With Undiagnosed Autism – Jeannie Davide-Rivera

• Odd Girl Out: An Autistic Woman in a Neurotypical World – Laura James

• Working the Double Shift: A Young Woman’s Journey with Autism – Christine Motokane

• Aspies Alone Together: My Story and a Survival Guide for Women Living with Asperger Syndrome – Elaine Day

• Born on the Wrong Planet – Erika Hammerschmidt Books for Parents

• Parenting Girls on the Autism Spectrum: Overcoming the Challenges and Celebrating the Gifts – Eileen Riley-Hall

• What Every Autistic Girl Wishes Her Parents Knew – Autism Women’s Network Inc. Books for Girls

• May I Be Excused, My Brain is Full: Olivia’s Asperger’s Story – Krista Preuss-Goudreault

• I am an Aspie Girl: A book for young girls with autism spectrum conditions – Danuta Bulhak-Paterson

• M is for Autism – The Students of Limpsfield Grange School and Vicky Martin • M in the Middle: Secret Crushes, Mega-Colossal Anxiety and the People’s Republic of Autism – The Students of Limpsfield Grange School and Vicky Martin

• Middle School – The Stuff Nobody Tells You About: A Teenage Girl with ASD Shares Her Experiences – Haley Moss

• Lisa and the Lacemaker: An Asperger Adventure (graphic novel) – Kathy Hoopman Books for Young Women and Women •

• Women From Another Planet?: Our Lives in the Universe of Autism – Jean Kearns Miller

• From Here to Maternity: Pregnancy and Motherhood on the Autism Spectrum – Lana Grant Puberty and Sexuality

• What’s Happening to Ellie?: A book about puberty for girls and young women with autism and related conditions – Kate Reynolds

• The Growing Up Guide for Girls: What Girls on the Autism Spectrum Need to Know! – Davida Hartman

• Taking Care of Myself: A Hygiene, Puberty and Personal Curriculum for Young People with Autism – Mary Wrobel *Taking Care of Myself 2: for Teenagers and Young Adults with ASD

• Sexuality and Research Education for Children and Adolescents with ASD – Davida Hartman

Where are all the females with Autism or Aspergers hiding? Life As a Chameleon Part I

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Posted on October 28, 2018 by Tania A. Marshall M.Sc., Autism Ambassador for EPG and Supply Desk, Psychologist and Trainer/Presenter

In my two Gold medal award-winning books, I Am AspienGirl and I am AspienWoman, I discuss the female phenotype and how it presents differently from males. One of the areas I have been able to research and ask of my clients is, “how have you managed to hide your Autism all this time?” Other questions I ask them include:

I have worked with clients for over 20 years who have told me how they hide or not hide their Autism. Some autistic individuals can and some cannot or do not choose too. These behaviors are referred to as masking, camouflaging, assimilation, compensation, coping strategies, passing for normal, pretending to be normal or being a chameleon. In order to assist with females and males obtaining an assessment or diagnosis, I am pre-releasing a part of my book to assist professionals in recognizing Autistic females and males by asking the right questions.

The Compensatory mechanisms used by some Autistic people I have met and listened to are complex, even going so far as to use one behavior to cover up another. These questions and behaviors come directly from my professional experience as a psychologist working with individuals with Autism, Giftedness and Social Anxiety. Thank you to all my clients for sharing your stories with me.

The Compensatory Measures Checklist©, Marshall 2017, excerpt from my from my upcoming book.

Do you feel different than your peers? When was the first time you ever felt different?

What exactly makes you feel different from your peers?

What is your experience of social interactions with your peers like?

Do you copy or mimic your peers (copy their voice or accent, words, and language or slang, hand and/or body gestures). Do you laugh when they laugh even when you don’t understand why you are laughing?

Do you take on a persona of always smiling and pleasing everybody?

Do you make better versions of yourself that based on peers in school, over time? How do you do that?

Have you ever read books on etiquette, social skills, facial expressions, microexpressions? Have you practiced them in front of a mirror? Have you practiced making more or less of a facial expression? In particular, have you purposefully changed you smile or facial expression to look “more normal”? Have you studied anatomy books, in particular, the facial muscle that matches with each facial expression (for example, knowing that a certain muscle is used in smiling and practicing using that muscle?

Have you ever used Botox or a similar cosmetic ingredient to make your face appear more natural, less angry or furrowed/worried?

Do you watch YouTube videos on social skills, self-improvement, and human etiquette in order to fit in?

Has a peer ever make a comment about your gait or other forms of behavior? If so, did you actively practice a behavior until you were able to make it look like your peers do when they behave that way? (for example, being told he/she had a ‘funny’ run and then purposefully practicing the running over and over again until it was perfect).

Have you watched movies to learn how to act with your peers? (for e.g, learn that you need to have a big smile and say hello to everyone because that is how people will like you).

Do you force yourself to make eye contact, look somewhere else on a persons face, look at their mouth or look at them for too long? Do you find yourself staring at people?

Do you hide some body language or facial expressions to fit in? (for e.g., sitting on your hands, twirling your hair instead of stimming or cracking your knuckles)

Do you spend the majority of your time thinking about what to say, how to act or behave, and/or analyzing social situations? Do you analyze what you could or should have said in a prior or past social situation?

Do you pretend to be shy and quiet and therefore avoid the “social drama” of having to navigate the social world of your peers?

Do you have a permanent smile on your face even though you are miserable inside?

Do others say you look angry when you feel happy or another emotion inside?

Have you or do you taken.take on the persona of a book, television, movie character or a celebrity?

Do you attend social situations, but don’t really want to (saying you will go to a party to get in with the “cool kids”). Do you do their homework for them to fit in? Do you do the groups work for the group to gaon social equity?

Do you write in your journal what you think you should say or do or not say or not do and practice them over and over, so you can use them in school? Do you have a list of sayings, slang, words from songs, movies or social media that you use to be “cool” or try to fit in?

Have you developed a special interest that is not yours but simply to “fit in” but you actually found that interest boring (for e.g, pretending to be in love with a certain pop star but you couldn’t care less about them)?

Do you participate in social events, parties, clubs that you do not want to in order to gain social currency? Do you use the skills you have learned from YouTube, social media, books, movies when you are at these social events? Do you find that you have to begrudgingly attend these events?

Do you use alcohol or drugs as a social lubricant? Does the use of drugs or alcohol allow you to be more social and/or have less anxiety?

Do you utilize social media (Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Facebook, Reddit) to learn social nuances, how to interact socially, or how to hide your social awkwardness?

Do you act in varying ways depending on the social situation that you are in? Do others comment on or notice that you act differently depending on who you are with, the social context or environment?

Do you pretend to like the interests of whomever you are with at the time, however you know inwardly that you don’t like them? Do you make yourself look like you are interested in what your peers are saying, doing, how they are behaving, interested in their interests?

Have you ever had a girlfriend/boyfriend that you inwardly said to yourself, “Why am I with this person? I don’t even like them”.

Do you find yourself involved in friendships and/or relationships and wonder in your head why you are with them because you don’t really like them?

Do you feel there are times when you can be yourself? Do you feel you always have to be “someone else” to be in this world?

Is your headspace mostly filled with continual thoughts about what you should do next, do better, who to pretend to be like?

Do you have a habit of giving gifts to make and keep friends?

Has your family or another person supported you with social skills (enrolled you in drama, etiquette or social skills classes or a modeling school to learn deportment)?

How long can you socialize for before feeling tired?

Are there times where you actively find excuses not to attend events, parties, assembly at school, group activities? Do you often say “yes” to a social event and then make up a last-minute excuse as to why you cannot attend?

Do you purposefully go to the library, become a prefect, girl scout leader, homecoming queen, cheerleader, debate team leader (so you can give the directions or debate rather than socialize)?. Do you try to become the teacher’s helper at lunchtimes, hide in the bathroom, walk the hallways alone, join lunchtime clubs, wag school, so that you do not have to socialize with your peers?

Do you or are you reading or studying psychology, sociology, taking microexpressions and facial recognition training to learn to better yourself in terms of understanding people and socializing. Do you read social skills books, watch social skills training on YouTube or another social media platform?

Have you learned from your studies and them practiced how to ask people questions, listening skills and/or other social skills?

Are you overly aware of other people looking at you or pacing attention on you? Do you dislike attention? Do you feel like you spend the majority of your mental and physical energy on how you interact with others?

Do you feel like an ‘imposter’ in social situations?

To be continued in Part 2 and many more examples coming

I Am AspienGirl

I Am AspienWoman

The Compensatory Measures Checklist©, Marshall 2017, excerpt from my from my upcoming book. Thank you.

Autism Ambassador for Education Placement Group and Supply Desk UK and a variety of countries

Posted on October 27, 2018 by Tania A. Marshall M.Sc., Autism Ambassador for EPG and Supply Desk, Psychologist and Trainer/Presenter

Tania A. Marshall, M.Sc., B.A.

http://www.aspiengirl.com

From I Am AspienGirl

All over the world teachers face a challenging career teaching students in their classroom. Their class may consist of a variety of students with unique and individual needs. Some of their class will include likely 3-5 students with Autism.

At a minimum, a stunning 60% of teachers in England do not feel they have adequate training to teach children with autism, and this is concerning. Teachers should be provided with adequate training in many specific areas and this is barely addressed in their training to become a teacher.

Some of the common questions I receive from organizations, schools, parents, teachers, principals, support teachers, and teacher aides include but are in no way limited to the following:

What about unstructured time? What unique challenges do students with autism face here and how can school staff help during break and lunchtimes?

Are pupils with autism more likely to be victims of bullying? What can teachers do to counteract this? What signs can teachers look out for that may indicate a child with autism has been bullied?

Students with autism are three times as likely to be excluded from school as pupils with no special educational needs. Why are exclusion and seclusion particularly harmful to those students? What can school staff do to avoid excluding pupils with autism?

70% of children with autism are educated in mainstream schools in the UK. What other components of mainstream education are harmful to those with autism?

How would you describe the current state of autism awareness among teachers?

How can teachers be better equipped to teach those with autism? What should training include?

What’s the biggest misconception the general public, including teachers, might have about a child with autism?

Why are teachers roles in caring for children with autism so important? What are some of the benefits that well-trained and autism aware teachers can bring to the classroom?

There are so many more questions and education for teachers, principals, support staff, teacher aides that are needed.

I stand proudly with a progressive organization devoted to training their teachers how to teach students on the Autism Spectrum, helping them to reach their full potential and be their best selves. I am proud to be assisting and training UK teachers and EPG teachers in many countries to teach and support students with Autism.

In particular, I am very excited to be training teaching professionals about females (and males) in school and how best to educate and support them, with their learning and mental health. This is a wonderful forward and progressive move on the part of Education Placement Group and Supply Desk. I applaud them for addressing this important issue and am honored to accept their invitation.

From I Am AspienGirl

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For more inquiries about consulting with Tania about educating teachers, support teachers, teacher aides, principals, and other staff, please email tania@aspiengirl.com

Tania is also available for diagnoses and assessment, impressions assessments, problem-solving sessions, training educators, law enforcement in person or via Skype or Zoom.

Do Autistic or Neurodiverse people attract abusive and toxic people? Yes

Posted on July 14, 2018 by Tania A. Marshall M.Sc., Autism Ambassador for EPG and Supply Desk, Psychologist and Trainer/Presenter

A recent FAQ and theme in the thousands of Neurodivergent people I have worked with is, “Do I have an S (sociopath), a P (psychopath), an N (narcissist) or an L (loser) on my forehead???”. Yes, I have seen this time and time again. Toxic people are everywhere. 1 in 100 people are Psychopaths. They are at your work, they may be your boss, a colleague, a friend, a family member, a partner, or your own child.

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Neurodivergent people are more susceptible to these types of toxic people than Neurotypical people. Having said that, neurotypical people find it challenging to associate and untangle themselves from these kinds of people. Neurodiverse people (whether male or female) have a unique combination of traits that can set them up for being open to being taken advantage of. Susceptible people can also include: highly sensitive people (HSP), Empaths, intuitive individuals and co-dependent individuals.

Just some of the characteristics and traits include: social naivety, taking what people say literally/believing in what people say to them, misreading other people intentions, a dislike of conflict and/or confrontation, a lack of boundaries, being passive, not understanding the unwritten social skills (let alone the Dark triad’s language and behaviors), having Alexithymia, and a lack of assertiveness. There are many more traits.

It is critical that socially naive people learn the Dark Triad Personality’s language, words, actions and behaviors and understand that it is not their fault and that being with a toxic person can cause Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). It is also critical that Neurodiverse people learn boundaries, how to assert themselves, including how and when to get out of a toxic relationship.

The Molotov Cocktail is a video series that covers all this and more, from what makes a person more susceptible, to learning the Dark Triad language and their tactics, to what to do about it, how to respond or NOT respond and many tips. The series can be found here.

Starting at Episode III of her video series, Tania discusses in a 6 part series, why Neurodiverse people are vulnerable to abuse and/or attracting the dark triad (often Narcissists, sociopaths or psychopaths) into their lives, why and how they often are taken advantage of, the red flags to look out for and what to do if they have toxic people in their lives. She helps Neurodiverse individuals to understand those with this personality type to and how to avoid them in the future.

Part 1 is an introduction and answer to the question, “Do I have an S, N, P or L on my forehead?” Why is the dark triad attracted to me? Tania discussed the uniques qualities that make you a target for being set up to be involved with a toxic person.

Part 2 reviews the unique qualities of Neurodiverse individuals, how the ‘dark triad’ find or seemingly find or are attracted to you, the red flags to look for in a toxic person, learning the ‘dark triad’ language (yes, they have their own language), helpful tips and actual case clinic illustrations.

Part 3 delves deeper into the ‘dark triad language’, delves deeper into the characteristics and traits that you may have that attract them into your life, learning assertiveness, boundaries, how to speak to a toxic person, and including more case illustrations.

Part 4 discusses what to do if you are married or have been married and/or have children with this personality type, the court system and how the dark triad uses it against you (communication is just one weapon they use). She discusses what a Neurodiverse person can do when you find yourself in this type of situation, strategies to keep calm and how to or how not to communicate with your dark triad ex or current toxic partner. Tania uses a case illustrations to illustrate her points.

In part 5, Tania teaches Neurodiverse individuals the tools for understanding how to untangle yourself from a dark triad individual, how to identify and avoid this personality type in the future and obtain the appropriate professional treatment, if necessary. She also shares case illustrations to educate and help those individuals who are or have been conned by a toxic person. She also discusses what she has seen occur in therapy, from either side.

In part 6, Tania concludes with successful and positive examples of neurodiverse people becoming detangled from the toxic individual in their life, answers some FAQ’s, discusses more helpful tools and tips and more. Please keep in mind this series is an introduction the ‘Dark Triad’.

Tania uses case studies from her work to illustrate each topic in her video series because she understands how powerful these can be to the listener and many people have told her they feel “less alone”.

If you would like her to discuss a topic in a future video, please email her. She can be reached for both male and female adult impressions assessments via Skype or other platform or in-person for training, presentations, collaborations, problem-solving sessions, educational and professionals consultations or training at tania@aspiengirl.com
taniamarshall.com
aspiengirl.com

1.	An Introduction to Neurodiversity – Empathy, Myths, Suicide, Gifts and Talents and Assessment	56:11	A$5.97 A$11.97
2.	Why a strengths-based focus of Autism and Neurodiversity?	41:48	A$5.97 A$11.97
3.	The Molotov Cocktail Ep. I – The connection between Autism, Neurodiversity and Narcissists, Sociopaths and Psychopaths	41:25	A$5.97 A$11.97
4.	The Molotov Cocktail Ep. II: Autism, Neurodiversity and Narcissists, Sociopaths and Psychopaths	1:07:26	A$5.97 A$11.97

The Queen of Self Deprecation

11 mins

Trailor for The Molotov Cocktail Ep. I: Autism, Neurodiversity and Narcissists, Sociopaths and Psychopaths

5 mins

Rent all A$27.09

3-month streaming period

Watch on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, and Chromecast.

“Thank you, Tania, for sharing your work from your lengthy career. It is life-changing”.

“Tania has a unique and positive refreshing view on those who are often entrepreneurial, out-of-the-box thinkers, utilizing their strengths to make meaningful contributions to the world”.

“Thank you for your work and dedication to supporting females on the Spectrum. In particular, your work regarding the ‘dark triad’. I am Neurodiverse and can not tell you how many times I have ended up in what you describe as a “living hell” and the hell continues.”

If you have found yourself in a toxic relationship, tell us when and how you found out, what you did about it, and what worked or didn’t work. Leave a comment below and take care out there. Safety first!

Videos, videos, videos…oh my…

Posted on June 18, 2018 by Tania A. Marshall M.Sc., Autism Ambassador for EPG and Supply Desk, Psychologist and Trainer/Presenter

Videos, videos, videos…oh my…new ones just uploaded.

After receiving numerous requests, Tania is sharing her work with Neurodiverse individuals over her lengthy career. Primarily, she feels that video is the fastest way to get the information out there to those that are wanting it or needing it. She is sharing her work via Video FAQ’s or videos. These videos can be found on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk_kFdaPkv4w0ieOgfR3IvA or Vimeo

Tania also has her videos on Vimeo at https://vimeo.com/neurodiversityacademy

Click on a picture below and you will be taken to her YouTube page, where you can learn more from her FAQ’s, conferences, interviews and more.

Why a strengths-based approach?

YOU CAN’T HAVE ASPERGERS/AUTISM IF…

The Neurodiversity Within the Spectrum, Strengths and Myths

If you like a video or feel it would help someone, please share the video, like the video, subscribe to Tania’s channel and hit the bell to be notified when the next video is coming out. You can leave your FAQ in the comments section below the video or below her blog and Tania will read and select a question to answer in the future. Tania will answer the video and it will be uploaded to YouTube.

Copyrught 2018 ASpiengirl.com and Tania Marshall

Just in! Videos: FAQ style, Educational, Instructional, Interviews and more.

Featured

Posted on May 31, 2018 by Tania A. Marshall M.Sc., Autism Ambassador for EPG and Supply Desk, Psychologist and Trainer/Presenter

Just in! Videos, FAQ’s style and more

Tania has been requested multiple times to share her work over her lengthy career, give her opinion or support a person or organization. She is now sharing her work via Video FAQ’s or videos, from various individuals or organizations and conferences including the Secret Agent Society, Different Brains, Asperger Argentina’s first and second Symposium and conference on females on the Autism Spectrum, and Asperger Sevilla’s (Spain) recent Innagural Women on the Spectrum Conference and others. These videos can be found on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk_kFdaPkv4w0ieOgfR3IvA

If you like a video or feel it would help someone, please share the video, like the video, subscribe to Tania’s channel and hit the bell to be notified when the next video is coming out. You can leave your FAQ in the comments section below and Tania will read and select a question to answer in the future. Tania will answer the video and it will be uploaded to YouTube. Click on a picture below and you will be taken to her YouTube page, where you can learn more from FAQ’s, conference, interviews and more.

Tania also has her videos on Vimeo at https://vimeo.com/neurodiversityacademy

More Videos coming here soon. Don’t forget if you have an FAQ, leave it in the comments section here or better yet on YouTube and you may see your question being answered by Tania in the future. And always remember to ‘Be Your Own Superhero’.

To contact Tania for in-person or Skype/Zoom fee-based impressions assessments, consultations, interviews, translations, problem-solving sessions and more, please email tania@aspiengirl.com

AspienGirl©

The Female Autism Crisis: Assessment and Diagnosis of the Neurodiverse

Posted on February 16, 2017 by Tania A. Marshall M.Sc., Autism Ambassador for EPG and Supply Desk, Psychologist and Trainer/Presenter

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Updated February 18th, 2017

This is a sample of the book entitled Behind The Mask and is therefore under copyright law. Behind The Mask give voice to neurodiverse females and discusses the assessment diagnosis and support of females on the Spectrum.

Tania Marshall, M.Sc. is available for diagnostic impressions reports, assessment, diagnosis and intervention, support and problem-solving sessions in-person and/or via Skype. All queries, please email admin@centreforautism.com.au

I chose to write my book series after numerous requests for information on the topic. I also chose to self-publish, so that I can regularly update my work, keep my work current with the speed and amount of the research in the area (a challenge to keep up with for a professionals in the area), keeping my work fresh, current and in real time, rather than a long waiting period and being out-dated.

Over my career, I have I worked with hundreds of neurodiverse, Gifted and Talented, and 2e individuals.They may have labels that consist of Autism, Aspergers, Non-Verbal Learning Disability, Twice-Exceptionality, Semantic-Pragmatic Language Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Anxiety Disorder, Bi-Polar Disorder, and many more. Irregardless of the ‘label’, these individuals have many significant strengths, gifts, abilites and/or talents, and this topic is discussed in ‘ AspienPowers’.

In working with neurodiverse individual across the lifespan, I have written and spoken about and or refer the ‘female autism crisis’. There are many factors involved, some of which include: a lack of professionals trained in the area, gender differences, the female autism bias and the lack of assessment tools. We are a long way from developing efficient tools for assessing neurodiverse girls and woman. The following slide is from the Recent presentation review of key measures, gender and autism at the 2016 XI Autism-Europe International Congress and shows that the ADOS/ADOS-2, the ADI-R and the SCQ favor males. This is a real problem and a crisis because these are the very tools that many professionals use when they assess females. They are sometimes a cause of females flying under the radar of a professional.

I have been referred many females who have had these tools previously completed on them and have not been given a diagnosis. This can be due to the tools inability to measure the subtle signs, client masking, compensatory mechanisms and strategies and/or the even the rigidness of the professional in using the tool or the over-reliance of using these tools versus asking the right questions and looking for the subtle signs in body language, facial expressions, asking the right social questions, evaluating areas such as context blindness, synaesthesia, Irlen Syndrome, sensory processing issues, and more.

In assessing girls on the Spectrum, it is important to ask the right questions. I cannot emphasise this enough. There are many questions to ask and what follows are some examples. Keep in mind that high average to profoundly intelligent girls can tell you the socially acceptable answers that you as a professional want to hear, but they are unable to actually perform those unwritten social rules or if they can, they are not as fast at it as their peers or it comes off as just slightly awkward. You need to look at this subtle non-verbal signs which I will be discussing In an educational series.

Many girls and women with Asperger Syndrome or Autism have a tendency to be over-loyal and over-trusting, have a lot of emotional empathy, often just ‘seeing’ that a person needs help or saying they person needs help and taking things literally or not being able to ‘see’ the social context of a situation (for example, bringing home a homeless man because he has no home or food, yet not seeing the inherent dangers in doing this).

What is bullying? What is teasing? What is bitchiness? How do you know the differences? When should you help someone? When shouldn’t you help someone?
Sample questions in the area of friendship friendship should consist of: What is a good friend? What are some healthy ways of making and keeping friends? How long does it take to make and keep a best friend? Who are your friends? How do you know they are your friends? Do your friends try to get you to do things you dont feel is the right thing or that you feel uncomfortable with? (For example, do they try to get you to do your their homework, reports school work? Do they get you to buy things for them? Do they try to get you into trouble (for example, do they say they’ll be your friend if you do something for them?) What do you do at lunchtime? What do you do with your friends? What kinds of activities do you do with your friends? Do you prefer one best friend or a few friends? How long have you known your friend/friends for? Do they come stay over at you house and vice versa (if applicable). What do you talk about with your friend(s)? Professional Tip: Try to find out if the conversations are more one-sided or are they reciprocal, that is the conversation takes turns; it is a two way street rather than just a one person conversation involving 2 or more people.
Sample Questions of play or hanging out may involve: How often do you play it hang our with your best friend/friends? Who initiates the play? Do you ask your friends to come over? Do they ask you to come over? Professional Tip: Often girls will text or cling too much to a girl, often driving them away.
Does the girl or teen understand the social hierarchy? Do they understand how groups in school work? Do they understand the role the group members play? Why do you think the girls at school engage in these behaviors?
Why is it important to keep a promise? Should every promise be kept?
Why is it important to apologize when you’ve hurt someone? Professional Tip: Some girls adamantly refuse to apologize and some girls over-apologize.
How do you know if someone is trying to get you into trouble? How do you know who you can and cannot trust as a friend?
How do you know a particular person is safe to have as a friend? What kinds of clues might alert you that this person is dangerous? How would you know you are being taken advantage of?
What are boundaries? How do you enforce a boundary?
Do you prefer one-on-one friendships or hanging out in a group?
Do you feel anxious around other girls? Girls often internalize their anxiety and can hide it very well. For those girls that are unable to “hold it in”, they may receive a diagnosis earlier than other girls. Remember that is it common for girls to be unable to explain why they are having difficulty in a social situation. They do often discuss not feeling well or may speak of feeling sick, feeling nervous or scared. They may often be in the sick bay.
How long can you socialize for? Do you feel like you need a break? Does socializing make you tired?
Teenagers with Aspergers often have eating disorders, an escalation of anxiety and depression and/or self-harm. Asking these questions is important. Investigating self-harm is also important. Girls are very good at hiding their cutting. Demand Avoidance is commonly seen in girls and women with Aspergers. Avoiding demands is caused by anxiety and/or not knowing how to do the task at hand and /or being embarrassed or socially anxious about a task. This is context-dependent and can look like making up excuses as to why she cannot do something that you know she can do to refusal to do something asked of her to refusing to comply with requests by an adult to avoiding the social playground.
Many girl and women have a flat affect on their face, so that family members or professionals cannot tell how they are feeling.
Some girls and women have Alexythymia and/or Faceblindness. Most experience extreme emotions and some girls may receive a diagnosis earlier than others to their meltdowns and/or violence.
Many, if not all girls and women mis-interpret social situations (for e.g., “none of the teachers or kids at school like me”). Upon further investigation/assessment, it is found out that the individual misinterpreted facial expressions and social context, in an assessment.
An assessment should involve reading of the eyes to see how well an individual can read non-verbal facial expressions from the eyes.
An assessment may include listening to a variety of different tones of voice to see if the individual can distinguish the underlying feeling behind the tone.
An assessment should also investigate other senses (both sensory issues and emotional empathy or “empath” characteristics). These questions need to be asked in a certain way as many females are literal, so a careful exploration is essential. An investigation of synaesthesia may be warranted.
An assessment should also explore social naivety, the differences between lying and ‘white lies’, ‘pink lies’, social diplomacy, social tact and theory of mind.
For teens and women, how do you know when someone is flirting with you or wants to go on a date with you? Do you know how to diplomatically reject the advance of another person? Professional Tip: Assertiveness training is essential for many females.
In relation to gender and sexuality, a smaller group of girls (and boys) feel confused by their gender, and this can range from mild to severe. A thorough exploration of this issue often finds the individual relating better to the opposite gender, with girls getting along better with boys, being androgynous and/or Tomboy-like, and boys seeing other females as very socially successful and appearing to have lots of friends. Sometimes, an individual in their search for why they are different or why the social aspect of their life are so much more work for them, then come to the conclusion, for a variety of reasons (the feeling that others do not like or accept them, they do not like themselves, always having that feeling of being “different” to their peers), that they may have been born in the wrong body (they may be able to have more friends or be liked more, feel more accepted, feel “better” inside their body, be happier within themselves and within their family, be socially better or more popular), if they change their gender or their sexuality. Rarely, does changing one’s gender or sexuality fix the underlying social communication and identity issues, including being bullied, ignored or excluded and/or self-esteem challenges. Depending on how rigid or black and white the person is in their thinking, this can be a challenging issue to work on with the person.
An exploration of identity in teenagers and women is important. This is because, over time, an assimilation of other people’s characteristics traits, voices, accents, behaviors has occurred, in addition to what others and society expect of them and from them. This high price (masking) often leads to a complete loss of identity.
Many professionals are not aware that females can and do make eye contact, do make superficial conversation for short periods of time, and can have friends.
Many professionals are unaware of the variety of sub-type presentations of girls across the Spectrum, with the ‘princess’ or ‘supermodel’ type, and/or those with higher intelligence, being the ones to be least diagnosed or diagnosed at a much later age. They are often Twice-exceptional (2e) individuals and blend in very well.
Strengths and abilities are often overlooked due to the “presenting problem(s)”. Once these are addressed, then can an individual’s true gifts (for example, perfect pitch, artistic creativity, acting, dancing, programming, languages, just to name a few) can be nurtured and evolve into careers.
Individuals on the Spectrum can and do lie, just like anyone else does. They dont do it as well as their peers and the reasons for lying may be different
In terms of friendships, females are able to make friends, however they can often have a challenging time keeping them.
A females sense of justice and high moral compass can be a clue and some females have been known to take their enlarged justice glands too far in their causes.
Females with social problems often use their intelligence (sometimes quite successfully) to compensate for their lack of social skills, often falling into leadership roles, caring roles, teaching roles, acting roles, lawyers, professors, amongst other, where social reciprocity is least expected and social scripts (and slides!) can be adhered too.

Briefly, what we need to be asking are the right questions, looking and searching for and asking about questions that have to do with social confusion, camouflaging (how are the hiding it?), compensatory mechanisms (strategies they use to attempt to fit in, hide their confusion), eating disorders, gender, sexuality (if appropriate) and identity issues.

This is a sample chapter of ‘Behind The Mask’, and is therefore under copyright law. In Part I of this book, it explores the narratives and themes of the neurodiverse female clients that Tania has worked with over the course of her 20-year career. Part II includes chapters on assessment, diagnosis, how to explain the diagnosis, what next and support and intervention. For more information on female neurodiversity, go to:

http://www.aspiengirl.com

http://www.taniamarshall.com

SEN MAGAZINE May 3rd, 2019

Teaching girls with autism

EPG

Pupils with autism twice as likely to be bullied – what can teachers do?

GUEST BLOG: WHAT TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN TEACHING PUPILS WITH AUTISM

Autism in girls can lie hidden

4thwavenow.com

Quantifying and exploring camouflaging in men and women with autism

13 April 2016

Autism in Australia: Tania Marshall

Autism in Australia: Tania Marshall

Different Brains October 11, 2016

Part I

Different Brains October 11, 2016

Part II

Gender & Neurodiversity: Recognizing the Diversity Within the Autism Spectrum, with Tania Marshall | EDB 54

Discover Unique and Amazing Women on the Autism Spectrum

4th Wave Now

autismdailynewscast.com

Gender Dysphoria

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