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The Girl Behind the Curtain:
A Journey Inside the Nooks and Crannies of Autism
“A Letter To My Younger Self”
Amy Gravino, M.A., C.A.S.
A.S.C.O.T. Coaching
New York University
January 11, 2016
Girls and Women on the Autism Spectrum:
Why Do They Matter?
Diagnosed less
frequently than boys (4:1
diagnosis ratio)
…But don’t necessary
have autism less
frequently than boys
Have little research
literature devoted to
them
Girls and Women on the Autism Spectrum
Girls and Women on the Autism Spectrum
ARE:
Misdiagnosed
Under-diagnosed
Highly intelligent
Imaginative
Honest
More likely to be
victimized
ARE NOT:
The same as
boys
“Autism =
EXTREME
MALE BRAIN”
In the Very Beginning…
Tend to turn inward instead of outward
Develop compensatory behaviors/coping
mechanisms
Have difficulty forging emotional
connections
Feel the weight of society’s expectations
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Part 1: The Diagnosis
Part 2: Middle School Mania
Pitfalls and perils
of a small school
Asperger’s Syndrome
– Age 10
Rarity of diagnosis for a girl
Dealing with
bullying
Life after first getting
the diagnosis
Elementary school
experiences
Part 3: High School
Diagnosis denial
Part 4: College and Beyond
Self-esteem train
finally ran out of
steam
Pre-freshman year
summer program
Distancing myself
from my autism
Making friends (and
finally dating!)
Looking at the future
(or if I was even going
to have one)
Finding others who
understand autism
Part 4: College and Beyond (Cont.)
Graduate school
Success Story
Normal People Scare Me
documentary (2005)
(…And ten years later!)
Masters degree in
A.B.A.
Accepting my
autism and viewing
it as an asset
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Success Story Part 2
World Autism Awareness Day – April 5, 2011
What’s Love Got To Do With It?
Traumatic end to first
relationship (college)
Moved across the country
after graduating, fell in
love, got heart broken.
Your typical country song.
United Nations
New York City, NY
Success Story Part 3:
Blazing My Own Trail
Became a Certified College
Coach in 2010; Certified
Autism Specialist in 2015.
Working as an autism
consultant, speaker, and
author
“Dr. Ruth of the Autism
World”
What Can You Do to Empower Your Child
on the Autism Spectrum?
No matter what, we can’t stop life from
happening.
Equip children on the spectrum with
knowledge that will last through their
lives.
Change your own perceptions of autism
Picking up the pieces,
becoming stronger, moving
on.
What Can You Do to Better Understand
Your Child on the Autism Spectrum?
Take things one day at a time
Remember that what happened
today is not a definite predictor of
what will happen tomorrow.
Be an advocate and a voice for them
These Things? Never Helpful.
Yelling
Having low
expectations
Saying “It’s all
autism’s fault!”
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Contact Info
Questions
A.S.C.O.T. Coaching
271 Route 46 West
Suite G104
Fairfield, NJ 07004
(973)276-9040 ex. 16
Email:
[email protected]
www.AmyGravino.com
Amygravino.blogspot.com
@AmyGravino
Facebook.com/
AmyGravinoFanPage
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