ABSTRACT

Girls Group happened because the girls necessitated it. They needed a space to share, collaborate, and learn from one another in confronting their difference. They needed acceptance by people who ‘got it’. Girls are missing out on much-needed support, and formal diagnosis is frequently essential to access support. The girls came to Girls Group understanding difference as idiosyncrasy, peculiarity and a lack of conformity. Over time, gradually, and meandering together, the girls explore difference as distinction, exception and delicious diversity. Girls Group encourages a frank exchange of experiences, helps minimize feelings of isolation, and builds confidence and self-esteem as the girls’ successes are celebrated. Several of the girls had undergone educational and/or medical assessments that identified specific difficulties and challenges. Each individual member of the Girls Group own and welcome their label. These include ‘high functioning autism’, ‘Asperger syndrome’, ‘autistic’, and ‘autistic characteristics’.