Women Autism Archives - Spectrum Women

Friends – Good and True and Preferably Autie by Yenn Purkis

August 2, 2016 Spectrum Women

My childhood and early adulthood was characterised by my friends – either the fact that they were absent or inappropriate or downright dangerous. I never had a peer group. In fact I was so devoid of suitable friends that I found myself taking on belief systems and attitudes just to be accepted by one dodgy peer group or another – revolutionary socialists, criminals, drug addicts – I wanted so much to belong to something that I didn’t seem to mind how negative or unpleasant membership of that peer group might be. I lacked a genuine culture. I felt so isolated […]

General

The Chameleons: Women with Autism

June 19, 2016 Barb Cook

We often hear about autism in men, but rarely in women. SBS The Feed, looks at three different generations of women living with autism and how the stigma of the condition is amplified. We often hear about autism in men, but rarely in women. The Feed looks at three different generations of women living with autism and how the stigma of the condition is amplified by gender. More than 200,000 Australians have autism. It’s diagnosed four times more in males than in females and some experts in the field believe this reflects a failure of diagnostic processes rather than a […]

Insights

LOVING, VALUING AND RESPECTING YOURSELF – THE BEST OPTION by Yenn (Jeanette) Purkis

June 17, 2016 Spectrum Women

Little Jeanette was similar to the current iteration of me in many ways. She was determined, motivated, curious, confident and smart. Little me had no reason not to love and respect herself. She had a loving family, enough food, a warm house, no neglect or abuse. And then she went to school. After thirteen years of being given negative messaging about who I was by many of the other kids at school, pretty much constantly and then enduring sexual violence as a teen, I started to hate myself. In fact, at twenty years-old I was so negatively focussed that I […]

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Welcome from Barb Cook Editor of Spectrum Women Magazine

June 16, 2016 Barb Cook

Spectrum Women Magazine (SWM) is an online publication and community dedicated to women who are uniquely different. Our approach is to bring to you inspiring women of all ages who have had a different outlook on life in a positive and unique way. Our online magazine embraces diversity and the differing ideals we all have, but with one common goal, to bring together a wealth of knowledge and strength in being the unique women we are. Spectrum Women Magazine is an online publication and we are always looking for inspirational stories and writers who would love to be involved in […]