Girls Growing Up on the Autism Spectrum

Shana Nichols, PhD, is Clinical Director of the Fay J. Lindner Center for Autism and Developmental Disorders affiliated with AHRC Nassau, and the North Shore - LIJ Health System on Long Island, New York. She is a licensed clinical psychologist and has worked in the areas of assessment, treatment, and research related to autism spectrum and other developmental disorders for over ten years. Gina Marie Moravcik, MA, CCC-SLP, is Coordinator of Education and Speech Language Services at the Fay J. Lindner Center for Autism and Developmental Disorders. She is a speech and language pathologist specializing in social communication and autism spectrum disorders. She is Adjunct Professor and Clinical Supervisor in the Speech Pathology program, St. John's University, USA, and also runs a private speech-language therapy practice. Samara Pulver Tetenbaum, MA, is a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. She has been working in the field of autism and related developmental disabilities for the past five years and is currently employed as an applied behavior specialist at the Fay J. Lindner Center for Autism and Developmental Disorders.

Foreword. Acknowledgements. Author’s Notes. 1. What Do We Currently Know About Girls and Women with Autism Spectrum Disorders? 2. Approaching Adolescence: Anticipation, Anxiety, Adaptation and Acceptance? 3. Puberty or ‘Do My Parents Know You’re Here?’ 4. The Red Spot: Periods, Pads and Pelvic Exams. 5. Feeling Good Inside and Out: Self-perception and Self-confidence. 6. The Social Landscape of Adolescence: Friendships and Social Status. 7. Healthy Sexuality for Girls with ASDs. 8. Keeping Girls Safe: Promoting Personal Safety in the Real World. 9. Our Journey: A Mother and her Daughter with Asperger's Syndrome. Conclusion: Embracing Change. References. Index.