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When Special Interests Look Typical: Understanding the Hidden Intensity in Autistic Girls
Most autistic individuals develop special interests (SIs)—deeply focused passions that go beyond typical hobbies. These interests are often characterized by intensity, prolonged engagement, and difficulty shifting attention away from the topic. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental...
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Not Quiet. Just Listening. A Reflection on Autistic Girlhood—Then and Now
In the late 1960s, a little girl carried a book under her arm—a simple gesture that masked a constant search for calm. She moved through the world as if following a quiet cadence, attuned to subtleties others didn’t notice: a hint of a smile, the tension behind a voice, the pattern of...
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When Puberty Meets Autism: The Hidden Struggles of Autistic Girls
Why Puberty Is a Turning Point for Autistic Girls Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition characterized by differences in social interaction, communication, and patterns of behavior (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). These differences often include...
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Becoming an Autistic Mother: Navigating Pregnancy, Parenthood, and Support
Becoming a parent is an experience that reshapes people’s lives. For autistic mothers, it can bring joy but also create a unique set of challenges. Understanding of autistic women's experiences is increasing, but autistic women remain under-diagnosed and under-researched. Parenting information...
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Identifying and Understanding Risk Factors for Sexual Victimization in Women with Autism Spectrum Disorder
While individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) report similar levels of interest in romantic connections to their neurotypical peers (Hancock et al., 2016; Fernandes et al., 2016), autistic individuals may experience more difficulty establishing and maintaining healthy and safe relationships...
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Hey, ADHD Girls Like Me!…BOX!
This article has been republished with permission from Neurodiversity Press. The original article, published on August 13, 2025, can be viewed at www.neurodiversitypress.com/2025/08/13/hey-adhd-girls-like-me-box. Gina Moravcik, a speech-language pathologist who works with autistic adults, shares...
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Why Don’t Autistic Women Get Diagnosed, and Why Is It So Important?
I’ve diagnosed unrecognized autistic women for ten years and worked with them in therapy. These women are often successfully employed and married or with partners. They might have children and be involved in working with schools on their children’s behalf. Some might have struggled in jobs or...
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The Gulf Coast Burnout Queen
Ten years ago, we began to sense that women on the spectrum had largely gone unnoticed and, therefore, undiagnosed to degrees that might actually be beyond our imagination. It was like waking up to find out that the nightmare was real. Thanks to the cultural realities of gender expectation,...
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Empowering and Supporting Women with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Women with autism spectrum disorders present with a complex social and behavioral profile that can differ from men. It is important to understand some of the diagnostic differences between women and men so that we can help empower women with autism spectrum disorders not only to address their...
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Navigating the Later Stages of Life with Autism and Aging
Something that we as a community have yet to fully turn our attention to is the question of “how do we help our autistic elders thrive and live in dignity as they age?” As a late-diagnosed autistic woman, I am a pretty good example of what growing up and growing old without any...
