To many, autism can be a scary and unfamiliar concept to wrap their head around. You may be a parent or a teacher with a child that is displaying behaviours that are making you question if there is something else going on. Whatever reason has brought you to this blog, I hope I can shed some light on autism in girls, what autism is and why it is harder to spot in females.
An overview of autism
Autism is not an illness or something to be ashamed of, it simply means the brain works differently to other peoples. Autism is something you are born with and cannot be ‘cured’, anyone trying to tell you that is trying to sell you lies. Even though an individual with autism will have autism for their whole life, it does not mean they can not lead a normal life like any other individual.
There is a lot of discrepancy around the statistics of girls diagnosed with autism in the UK. The statistics in most studies state the ratio of autistic boys to autistic females range from 2:1 all the way to 16:1, the most recent study suggests a ratio of 3:1. As you can see from the statistics, it is far more common for boys to be diagnosed compared to girls, which makes it challenging for girls with undiagnosed autism to get the support they need.
Signs that may suggest autism:
Relying on other children: Is your child relying on people around her (most likely other girls) to speak for her? This is a sign more likely to be spotted when the child is in social situations such as the playground or when interacting with family at home.
Intense but limited interests: She may feel very passionately about a specific interest such as a TV show, hobby or celebrity/ person. She might show little interest in other areas but have a deep fascination with a select number of things.
Sensitive to her environment: People with autism typically feel, smell and hear the world differently to others, so she may be over sensitive to bright lights, loud noises or intense smells.
Easily frustrated: She may find it hard to manage her feelings and emotions, often resulting in a ‘meltdown’, this is likely because she is unable to communicate her thoughts and so her way of communicating is through her behaviour.
Why is autism harder to spot in females?
There is no short and fast answer to this question, but there are some theories as to why boys are diagnosed more than girls. One of the more prominent theories is that girls have honed the skill of ‘masking’ their autism.
This means they essentially mirror the social behaviours of those around them to hide their autism. They may do this through behaviours such as: copying facial expressions of their peers, making eye contact with others despite the internal discomfort it may cause, or intentionally suppressing self-stimulating behaviours such as clapping or hand flapping.
Girls may mask their autism to try fit in with their peers and avoid standing out from the crowd. In the long term, masking can cause social and emotional distress for the girl, imagine constantly being on alert about how you are acting in public; draining stuff right?
Masking in these social situations make it extremely difficult for teachers and parents to spot the subtle signs of autism. But even when they are spotted, will the diagnostic tests for autism come out with a correct diagnosis? When the diagnostic criteria and understanding of autism is generally centred around the male brain, it makes it incredibly hard to diagnose.
In conclusion...
Autism can be a tricky path to navigate, even more so if you are a female. Autism is on a spectrum for a reason, it affects everyone differently. Girls are much better at hiding or ‘masking’ their autism compared to boys which makes diagnosing much more challenging. If you suspect a girl in your care has autism, look out for masking behaviours in social situations, talk to them about how they are feeling, and keep in contact with the parents or school. Although it may be a daunting process, a diagnosis can open up many doors for support.
If you suspect your child may have autism it is important you don’t self-diagnose, you need the opinion of a professional to determine what is happening. They will be able to advise you how best you can support your child. The first port of call should be your child's class teacher/SENDCo. However, there can be challenges with this, depending on your school and how proactive and supportive they may be. You can seek further advice and support through your local GP, who may refer you to a psychologist or a paediatrician. Alternatively, you can pay to get a private assessment, but this can be pricey (range is around £1500-£2500). In the meantime, if you want to learn a little more about how you can support your child, there are some fantastic resources online, here is a list of a few to get your started:
The key thing is to not lose hope and to not worry in silence. Please keep an eye out for my upcoming article on the practical steps you can take if you are concerned that your child may have an additional learning or social/emotional need that you require assessment or support for. It is worth noting that, with or without a diagnosis, being 'different' from their peers can impact girls' confidence and lead to negative mindsets if support is not provided with positive affirmations and a space to talk. Among others, I offer 1:1 tuition and mindset coaching for children dealing with any struggles in this area as well as their parents. Please feel free to visit my services page for details.
For now, thanks for reading and please do feel free to share!
Lucy x