Autistic Women and Autistic Girls

In the past, it was assumed that autistic people were overwhelmingly men and boys, and only very rarely women and girls. This is wrong. There are many autistic women, girls and non-binary people who are autistic. Various studies suggest that the ratio of autistic males to females ranges from 2:1 to 16:1. The most-up-to-date estimate is 3:1. However in some areas of the country there are as many girls being diagnosed as boys. Many may not know they are autistic until they're adults. Secondly · girls are often diagnosed only if they showcase significant social differences. Researchers are concerned that females who are more mildly affected are being missed.

Women, girls and non binary people may be misdiagnosed with mental health issues or their autistic traits may be missed amid the symptoms of co-occurring conditions. Dr Camilla Pang, autistic scientist and author, explained: "I feel autistic women are more likely…