Autistic Middleton author's latest book explores how to survive puberty as a teenage girl with autism

An autistic author and blogger from Middleton has released her latest book on 1 March, aimed at surviving puberty as a teenage girl.

Victoria Ellen’s latest book, ‘The Autistic Guide to Puberty: A Practical Survival Handbook’ covers lots of topics – including periods, bra shopping, making friends and routines – from a neurodivergent-friendly viewpoint.

Herself an ‘AuDHD-er,’ Victoria was diagnosed with autism as an adult in 2017 and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) in 2023. She began to write about life with autism in 2018 on her blog, ‘Actually Aspling’ with the aim of informing and supporting autistic individuals and parents.
 

Read more: ‘Aspling, Girl on the Spectrum’ - Middleton woman speaking out to raise awareness of autismPublished: 25 April 2018

Victoria explained: “I wanted to write a book to help autistic girls going through puberty in an easy, digestible way, as I know how much I struggled myself as a teen.

“Most books out there are about the science, but for me, I wanted to make something real life, practical and something that could genuinely be useful.

“It comes from a place of wanting to help others to ensure a happy fulfilling quality of life.”

She added: "During puberty, I found it difficult to understand what was happening to me, things were never explicitly explained, and also the practical side of things like choosing sanitary products, or finding a bra as my body changed, these things were never discussed as openly.

"I wanted to fit in, but didn't have the same experience as others around me, so emotionally, I felt lonely and weird for being different."

 

What is autism, what is ADHD, and how is it different in women and girls?

Autism affects how people perceive the world and interact with others; people with autism can have difficulties with every day social communication, social interaction, repetitive behaviours and sensory issues.

Characteristics in autistic women and girls may differ from other autistic people with the National Autistic Society saying autistic women and girls seem to have “fewer social difficulties than autistic men and boys, which could be because they are more likely to ‘mask’ their traits.”

ADHD is a condition affecting behaviour: those with the condition can seem to be hyperactive and restless, may act impulsively or have difficulty in concentrating or focusing.

ADHD is the most common co-existing condition in children with autism and both can share similar symptoms.

Both conditions have, for years, primarily been seen as affecting men and boys and rarely affecting women and girls, with male diagnoses outweighing female ones.

However, the National Autistic Society says awareness of how autism affects women, girls and non-binary people is increasing, although “some barriers to diagnosis and support remain.”

The NHS says ADHD is more commonly diagnosed in boys than girls as girls are “less likely” to show “disruptive behaviour that makes symptoms more obvious.”

 

Victoria says some issues that can affect young neurodivergent girls can include 'camouflaging' behaviour as a way to fit in (masking traits of both autism and ADHD is usually seen more in girls), physical restlessness which manifests as fidgeting with hair or nails.

Sensory issues can be "much more intense and can increase anxiety, over stimulation and overall wellbeing" for a neurodivergent girl going through puberty, says Victoria, which can cause "a hyperfocus on the heightened sensory awareness." 

She added: "This means for extended periods of time that sensory discomfort is all we can think about."

The book is the third for Victoria, who has written two other guides, The Autism Diagnosis Workbook and The Autistic Guide to University.

She is currently in the fourth and final year of studying for her PhD.

The Autistic Guide to Puberty: A Practical Survival Handbook is available via Amazon.