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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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Working While Masking: An Autistic Professional in the Neurotypical Office
Opening Act: The Choreography of Office Life Today’s office culture is a choreography of managed impressions. It rewards employees who can handle small talk with practiced ease, tolerate fluorescent lighting without flinching, and treat every ritual — from over‑the‑top celebrations to...
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Challenges in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Older Autistic Women
Autism has a unique neurological structure with a wide variety of expressions. This diversity of strengths, challenges, and experiences is why autism is considered a spectrum disorder. It’s also what makes it challenging to diagnose and treat because the myriad of symptoms manifested in any given...
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Late-Diagnosed Autism and Camouflaging in People Assigned Female at Birth
It is becoming increasingly understood that there are marked differences in autism between genders. This has led to people assigned female at birth (AFAB) to being diagnosed in adolescence or adulthood at a higher rate compared to people assigned male at birth (AMAB) (Wood-Downie et al., 2020). I...
