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She Isn’t Misbehaving – She May Be in Pain: Menstruation and Emotional Communication in Autistic Girls
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition. Autistic people may experience differences in communication, sensory processing, and their responses to change. These differences can affect how an autistic girl experiences menstruation and how she communicates pain or...
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I Was 63 When I Learned I Was Autistic. Suddenly, My Entire Life Made Sense
When I was a little girl, I often played alone. While other children instinctively understood the social dance of the playground, I hovered at the edges, unsure of the rules. Teachers described me as bright but socially awkward. Report cards noted that I did not always "play well with peers." I...
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When Special Interests Look Typical: Understanding the Hidden Intensity in Autistic Girls
Most autistic individuals develop special interests—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 Disorders...
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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,...
