Autism in women and girls can sometimes be overlooked for many reasons.
Girls can be very skilled at masking their real feelings and experiences, which means autistic traits might be missed, or diagnosed at a later stage. Awareness is still growing around how autism might present in women and girls, meaning girls may not always receive the support they need. The diagnosis process itself can also be challenging, but many professionals are working hard to combat that, working within existing assessment frameworks to ensure autism is identified at the right stage, to allow effective support.
Encouragingly, the National Autistic Society reports that more women and girls than ever before are now being diagnosed – but three times more males than females are still currently diagnosed with autism, suggesting many girls are still going under the radar.
In our video, three women talk about their own experiences of autism diagnosis, the challenges that autistic girls and women can face, and how they have fought to overcome them. We also hear from professionals including an educational psychologist, CAMHS clinical psychologist, and former SENCO about the difficulties in identifying and diagnosing autism in girls, and the need for effective support.
The Lost Girls – why autism in girls can be overlooked
