Many people think only men can be autistic. And if women are autistic, they’re certainly nothing like you and me. They must be social freaks and misfits, unable to feel, show emotions or care about others. But women on the spectrum are something completely different. They can be accomplished, highly intelligent and sensitive. When life goes against them, they pull themselves together and continue, and they fight their way through more obstacles than most.

But it doesn’t mean anything comes easy to us. Autism is a complex genetical difference that affects how our brains are wired and how we experience the world. Has anyone told you that many autistic women have a completely different sensory experience than neurotypicals? And many of us have the ability to physically feel music or hear colours.

In general, we have extreme, but uneven abilities. Did you know that some even have a perfect pitch? And that autistic people are better at analysing and remembering melodies? We also have better rote memory and extremely good attention to detail. As kids, we also have a stronger drive to solve analytical problems, which can explain why so many of us excel in research and academic subjects.

We’re also social chameleons who spend much of our time and focus on trying to decipher social rules and constructs to be able to fit in. This can be exhausting, resulting in autistic burnout for some of us. We’re masking our true selves to fit in with the neurotypical world. It means that we often fly under the radar and go undiagnosed for too long. This behaviour even has a name. It’s called masking and is common amongst both autistic women and men, but far more frequent amongst women.

Our abilities and differences are widely unknown. Even to ourselves and our relatives. And the medical community hasn’t come far at researching the autistic experience from a woman’s point of view.

This is one of the reasons I chose to write the book “Finding Your Autistic Superpower” after I received my official autism diagnosis at age 30. It was the book I wanted to read myself to get to know my strengths and weaknesses. Backed up by both research and a multitude of personal examples.

In Christine Lion’s book, you will be able to read about the following:
-What autism is and how it’s different for women
-How we interact with others in a different way and don’t always pick up on neurotypical cues
-Why we have such strong attention to detail and why we refuse to change our environments
-How sensory sensitivity can sometimes be a huge constraint but also a superpower
-Why we stim and why you think you don’t do it yourself
-What we can do to improve executive functioning
-How our special interests make us able to hyperfocus
-Why meltdowns are a thing also for adults
-Why "lack of empathy" isn’t such a big deal
-What you can do to get through school and work and how you can use your strengths in both
-How our relationships and sexuality can be different
-Why women on the spectrum are much more likely to suffer from sexual abuse
-How to go through the process of getting diagnosed

You will find all of this along with real and personal examples from a woman who has grown up on the spectrum and been through both the good and the bad. At the end of each chapter, you will also find work examples to get to know yourself better. But the most important thing you will get is a view on autism and Asperger's that doesn't try to hide anything.

Autism might not give you the ability to fly or move through walls.

Finding Your Autistic Superpower

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