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Genetics, Diagnosis, and the Male-Female Gender Gap in Autism
I hesitated to write this article. What business does a psychologist like me have writing about genetics and the gender gap in autism? I am not a geneticist. At most, genetics plays a small role in my professional life. But questions kept nagging at me. Some are specific to autism spectrum disorder...
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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...
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Demystifying Autistic Gender
Search online to learn about Autistic gender and you’ll find a range of allistic (nonautistic) articles stating that the link between autism and gender “diversity” and “dysphoria” are “not so clear.” Researchers apparently “do not yet understand why” there’s a strong correlation...
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#DisabilityStillTooWhite: A White Autist Examines Representation in the Disability Movement
I identify as White, non-binary, neuro-queer, autistic, and disabled. I believe it is crucial to be transparent as soon as possible about (my) positionality when discussing intricate and delicate concepts (and always starting with my Whiteness to highlight how my White privilege directly and...
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Meeting the Unique Needs of Women on the Autism Spectrum
The research on adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) 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 research reports that find women and men with primary ASD are...
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Giving Girls a Chance: Educating Females with Autism
While autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is more prominent in males, females are also diagnosed at much lower rates (Autism Speaks, 2019). Females diagnosed with ASD require similar services in addition to diverse gender specific supports from their special education teachers and related service...
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Girls and Autism: Overcoming the Gender Gap to Ensure Best Outcomes
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that 1 in 59 children has autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with boys being four times more likely to be diagnosed than girls (Mandy et al., 2012). Recently, through a meta-analysis of epidemiological studies, it was concluded that the true ratio may be...
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The Failure to Accurately Diagnose Girls with Asperger’s Syndrome
The work of Dr. William Mandy has explored the traditionally accepted gender ratio regarding the prevalence of Asperger’s Syndrome in and girls; most studies cite a higher ratio of boys as having Asperger’s Syndrome (AS). The research of Dr. Mandy and his associates show that girls with...
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“Give a Spit” to Help Scientists Uncover the “Female Protective Effect” for Autism
For years, we’ve known that four times as many boys as girls are diagnosed with autism. More recently, genetic research has surprisingly shown that the various genes that cause autism are equally distributed in boys and girls. So what explains this difference - why do some girls who have the...
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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...
