Autistic Females Across The Lifespan

Autistic females face a wide array of disparities due to autism stereotypes. ASD-focused research typically excludes girls and women. As many females are well into adulthood before receiving an autism diagnosis, identifying common misnomers and stereotypes will facilitate accurate insight. This greater understanding of qualities unique to autistic girls/women will positively impact their success and supports across the lifespan. Gender stereotypes impose that girls cannot be on the autism spectrum.  Further typecasts are maintained by social expectations that girls have superior communication and socializing skills; when in fact, girls may be appearing to have advanced skills in these areas due to their learning to mask challenges. Limited research has not yet identified to what extent (if any) nature versus nurture contributes to perpetuating gender stereotypes.

The copious amount of disparities faced by autistic girls and women influence the way autism is viewed in general. The disproportionate levels of comprehension with respect to Autistic females play a major role in early intervention discrepancies, as well as a lack of educational and community supports. It is vital to have an accurate understanding of how females present on the autism spectrum, and how these differences set them apart from their autistic male counterparts; in doing so, it will contribute to a greater understanding of the autism spectrum as a whole.