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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,...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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A Support Group for Parents of Tween Girls with Autism Spectrum Disorder
The gender imbalance among those diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is 4 to 1 boys to girls. When considering those diagnosed with ASD without intellectual disability, the imbalance is even greater - 7:1 (Skuse & Mandy 2015). One consequence of this gender imbalance is that parents...
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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...
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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...
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Empowering Young Women with ASD to be Successful in the Workplace
Like their neurotypical peers, young women with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) truly desire to be independent. To seek her potential and independence, most young women with ASD need to work for money, even if it is for 15 hours a week. Women transitioning from school to adulthood need to stretch,...
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The Unique Interpersonal Demands for Women with ASD: Implications for Gender-Specific Supports for Adults
Over the past several years, there has been increased interest in gender differences within autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and how these differences impact initial diagnosis as well as treatment across the lifespan. According to recent research conducted by Kreiser and White (2014), females...
