Asperger's and Girls by Mary Wrobel, Lisa Iland, Jennifer McIlwee Myers, Ruth Snyder, Sheila Wagner, Tony Attwood, Catherine Faherty, Temple Grandin

and hygiene, we should start our basic instruction with self-help skills. Girls should definitely be bathing and dressing themselves long before they reach puberty. This means they should be able to do those self-help skills without help from others in the privacy of their bathroom and bedroom. Likewise, they should understand and demonstrate modesty and privacy by the age of eight or nine. They need to know that areas of their body covered by a swimsuit or underwear are considered private areas and are not to be seen by others. When teaching the concept of modesty, keep the rules simple. For example, when they are naked or dressing, they should be alone in their bedroom or bathroom, or in some cases a bathroom stall, with the door closed. By teaching these skills early on, you are laying the groundwork for discretion and personal safety before they begin puberty.
    Good hygiene skills are also important before puberty begins. Girls need to be showering every day, with warm water, soap and shampoo. This is important because as they get older and enter puberty, their bodies will secrete more oils and perspiration, causing odor. If young girls already have the habit of bathing every day, then you won’t have to address that issue along with new hygiene routines, such as using deodorant and wearing a bra, when they begin puberty.
    If you know that your student or child has a hard time with change of any kind, then begin as early as possible with these changes. In other words, do not wait to introduce deodorant and bra use until she actually needs it. Getting used to wearing deodorant and a bra every day will likely take time. Always have your daughter choose the deodorant and style of bra to wear herself, as many individuals with Asperger’s are sensitive to smells and tactile sensations. She may try lots of different deodorants and bras before finding the right one, but ultimately she will know better than anyone else what she likes or can tolerate.
    Tracking Physical Development
    After tackling the issues of hygiene, modesty and privacy, and long before she actually shows signs of physical development, you will want to begin instructing your daughter or student on the actual changes of puberty. I have been told by a number of nurses that there are subtle signs of physical change we need to watch for. Approximately nine to eleven months after a young girl develops breast buds, or what appears to be a true nipple, even in the absence of a developed breast, she will begin menstruation. Also during that time, or just before, she will begin to grow pubic hair. Underarm hair may not develop until she actually begins menstruation. If your daughter is demonstrating modesty, as she should, but you notice that the hair on her legs has become noticeably darker and thicker, then that would also indicate that she has pubic hair growth. It’s wise for parents to always check with the pediatrician to know the exact development timeline for your daughter. Likewise, teachers should always check with parents and work closely with them during puberty instruction.
    Teaching Physical Growth and Development
    Begin instructing about the basic changes to their bodies as they mature. Use visuals, such as a line-drawn body progression chart that shows how the body slowly changes from child to adult woman. Many girls with Asperger’s may have no idea how their naked body will look and change during the course of puberty. And since they don’t typically have a visual reference for this, it’s important to provide them with the step-by-step visuals to help them understand how the changes will occur and what the end result will look like. Talk about hair and breast growth, as well as how their figure will change with more defined hips. Explain that all girls go through this change and that it’s okay and necessary as they get older. Emphasize cleanliness and privacy, and instill the habit of routine deodorant use on clean underarms, as well as wearing