Recognizing Autism in Women & Girls: When It Has Been Hidden Well

Autism has long been considered a boys' condition, but there is more to this story. The truth is, autism looks different in women and girls. They're much better at "pretending to be normal" by masking their autistic characteristics.

How can we look behind the mask to recognise autism, when it has been so well camouflaged? Recognizing Autism in Women and Girls: When It Has Been Hidden Well provides the perspective needed to see how autism manifests in gendered ways, allowing for a more accurate diagnosis.

In addition to describing each point in the diagnostic manual to include feminine presentations, Dr. Marsh has created “Seven Fictional Female Figures” who’ve been misdiagnosed because they also display symptoms of other similar conditions. She describes their behaviours, both obvious and hidden, from early childhood to adulthood, and demonstrates how these behaviours meet diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder. The “Behind the Mask” section provides helpful questions to ask during the autism assessment process to allow the professional to recognise autism, even when it has been successfully masked. In addition, each chapter contains “In Her Own Words,” written by autistic women who describe their personal journeys from masking to diagnosis, and what it means to them.

Being recognised at last for who they truly are frees autistic women to stop hiding behind a mask and begin opening doors to success.

Table of Contents

Introduction: The Myth, The Mask, The Message

PART I: SOCIAL COMMUNICATION AND INTERACTION

1. RECIPROCITY...A Two-Way Street
2. NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION...You Don't Say
3. RELATIONSHIPS...It's Peopley Out There

PART II: REPETITIVE PATTERNS

4. STEREOTYPED BEHAVIORS...If You're Happy and You Know It, Flap Your Hands
5. RIGIDITY...If It's Worth Doing, It's Worth Doing the Same Way Every Time
6. INTERESTS...If You Love Something, Never Let it Go
7. SENSORY...If It Sounds Like a Duck, Wear Ear Plugs

PART III: ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

8. DEVELOPMENTAL...Has ASD Always Been There?
9. IMPAIRMENT...Does ASD Get in the Way?

10. OTHER CONDITIONS...Could it be Something

"In the last ten years, we have become increasingly able to identify how autism may be expressed differently in girls and women. This new comprehensive and engaging resource outlines those differences and may encourage parents and autistic adults to seek a diagnostic assessment, which should, in turn, improve the diagnostic abilities of clinicians. The lives of so many girls and women will be transformed by recognising their autism."
- Tony Attwood, Professor, Griffith University, Australia