-
How Gender Differences Influence the Needs of Girls on the Autism Spectrum
I have often argued – and will never tire of arguing – that people on the autism spectrum are human first, rather than primarily autistic. Being human means many things, but we shouldn’t forget one of its most fundamental aspects: Relating to the surrounding world through our bodies, wherein...
-
The Social Needs of Women on the Autism Spectrum
Current research on adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) without intellectual disability suggests that outcomes for adult women with ASD are especially poor relative to those of men (Taylor, Henninger, & Mailick, 2015). These findings stand in sharp contrast to recent findings that women...
-
“Labels Do Not Describe Me” Gender Identity Among Women on the Autism Spectrum
A large number of women with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are currently undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. In the United States, for every four males diagnosed with ASD, only one female is diagnosed (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012). While there is likely to be a true sex difference in...
-
The Unique Needs of Women and Girls with Autism
My own experience perhaps gives an insight into the repeatedly similar tales I hear from other autistic women and parents of girls. I came to the field of autism via employment in education and then as Training Manager of a specialist Asperger mentoring project for young people. By this point,...
-
How Autism Manifests Differently in Girls: What Families Need to Know
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2010 The Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network released data that showed “ASD prevalence…was 4–5 times higher among boys than girls” (http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss6302a1.htm)....
-
The Initiative for Girls and Women with Autism Spectrum Disorders at Yale
In the summer of 2013, a program for building relationships and promoting community for teenage girls and women with autism spectrum disorders began at the Yale Child Study Center, supported by a gift from Jim and Marilyn Simons. The initiative was conceptualized as a means of bringing together...
-
Women at Work
When I founded Yes She Can in November 2013 I created the motto: Women with Autism. We work. With you. It was my vision that with proper training and support, women with autism could and should join the competitive workforce and work side by side with neuro-typical peers, whether it were shelving...
-
Sex Differences in Autism: A Treatment Perspective
Sex differences in prevalence have been reported in several mental disorders. For example, the prevalence of trichotillomania, anorexia nervosa, and bulimia nervosa are reported to be as much as 10 times more common in girls than boys (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). By contrast, autism...
-
Special Challenges and Creative Solutions When Providing Services to Females with Autism
The majority of individuals with autism are male, and females with autism are often overlooked in discussions of needs and program planning. Special challenges exist in serving individuals with autism who are female. In addition, females may be vulnerable in ways that are often not acknowledged or...
-
Perspective and Advice from a Young Woman in College with ASD
Why is it sometimes difficult to identify females with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)? Have they taught themselves to behave differently in social situations? Have they mastered the act of a social fake? Or have they simply figured out how to seek refuge and escape? In working with students with...
