Autism in women and girls

Currently, more men and boys are diagnosed with autism than women and girls. The most recent studies suggest that the ratio of autistic males to females is estimated to be 3:1. Although attitudes towards autism and gender are changing, there is still a long way to go and many autistic women and girls struggle to get the support they need.

Why are more males diagnosed as autistic?

There are several theories surrounding this question. It is thought that there is a ‘female autism phenotype’ that in simple terms means autistic females have characteristics which don’t fit with the typical profile. Women and girls tend to be better at ‘masking’ – hiding their difficulties from others – and it is perhaps due to this that autism traits are under-reported in girls.

Girls and Autism: Flying Under the Radar

The National Association for Special Educational Needs (nasen) have produced a guide about autism in females, which identifies key issues for girls who have autism spectrum conditions and provides strategies for support in school. ‘Flying Under the Radar’ identifies that girls are “diagnostically overshadowed” with Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC). Females experience more barriers to diagnosis than males with a similar level of impairment and research has shown higher levels of misdiagnosis, delayed diagnosis, difficulty in accessing diagnosis and lack of diagnosis in women and girls. You can read Flying Under the Radar here. (You will need to register with nasen to access, registration is free)

#NowIKnow

The National Autistic Society (NAS) recently launched a campaign to highlight late diagnosis of ASC. #NowIKnow features powerful photography and films of both autistic women and non-binary people who share their experiences of late diagnosis of autism. The campaign was inspired by the words of Dawn Mills, who was diagnosed at the age of 56 and is one of the individuals who took part. She said: “I always knew who I was, now I know why I am.” The campaign tells the stories of six people, photographed in spaces reflecting their personalities and interests. In addition, the photos were taken by an autistic photographer. The NAS invites other autistic women and non-binary people to share their stories across social media under the hashtag

#NowIKnow. You can find out more about the campaign here and additional stories on the NAS Instagram.

Looking for personalized support to help your child succeed? Meet Charlotte, a teacher for 11 years and qualified SENCO. She currently teaches in a SEND School, supporting children with ASC and GDD. Learn more about Charlotte and how she can make a difference in your child’s education journey: Charlotte

Excellent caring teachers who work together with parents and students to put together the best supportive plan possible. Would highly recommend.

Stephanie Sercombe

Ione Inness
Ione is the Director at SEND Tutoring and has over 20 years’ experience working with children and young people. In the last 10 years she has worked with children of varying different needs, including: Autism, Pathological demand avoidance (PDA), Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Attention deficit disorder (/ADD), Social, emotional and mental health needs (SEMH), Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia, Speech and language delays or difficulties, Cerebral palsy, Nonverbal, speech/communication delays, Challenging behaviour, Profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD), Anxiety, Cognition difficulties, Learning difficulties.

If you’re looking for support for a child or young person with special educational needs or a disability, book a free call with us today and find out how we can help.