Did you know that Women may be less likely to be diagnosed with Autism than men – and if they are diagnosed, it is more likely they will be diagnosed in their audit years than during their childhood.
Like their male counterparts, common barriers women may face in attempting to receive a diagnoses of Autism are finding a provider who can make an accurate diagnosis of autism in adults, along with the prohibitive cost that women must pay out of pocket as most insurances will not cover screening for autism.
if women can overcome the aformentioned barriers, there are 6 additional factors that contribute to women either being misdiagnosed or forced to live life as an undiagnosed Autistic adult.
Diagnosis Criteria
Many people would argue that the main reason women are more likely to go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed is that the Autism diagnostic criteria have historically been developed based on studies of predominantly male populations resulting in criteria that may not fully capture how Autism manifests in females.
Additional reasons why women are more likely to go misdiagnosed or undiagnosed as Autistic include symptoms of Autism in women tend to be more subtle than in men.
Fewer Social Difficulties
Autistic women may have fewer social difficulties than men. Autistic women may be more motivated to form friendships than men. They may also be better at understanding verbal and nonverbal communication than men, and Autistic women may be better at modifying their behavior based on the situation.
Better Development of Coping Strategies
The decrease in social difficulties for Autistic women may be attributed to their ability to develop coping strategies to mask their difficulties in social situations, such as:
- Forcing themselves to make eye contact
- Preparing jokes or phrases ahead of time
- Mimicking the social behavior of others
- Imitating expressions and gestures
More Acceptable Interests
While many men on the spectrum have interests that are focused on specific objects or things, women who are on the spectrum may have interests that are more socially accepted including an interest in animals, art, culture, celebrities or even literature. Females on the spectrum tend to obsess over their interests, even in adulthood and often have a need to know every fact and focus on every detail.
A Difference in Repetitive Behaviors
for women on the spectrum repetitive behaviors may be less obvious than in their male counterparts.
while common repetitive behaviors, also can be called stimming, in autistic men include
Hand flapping. Rocking, Bouncing, Repeating words, Flicking or snapping fingers, Spinning or twirling, Head banging, staring at lights or moving objects, Following a strict schedule and sticking to routines along with Getting stuck on a topic or idea
Repetitive behavior in women may appear as perfectionist tendencies or as eating disorders.
Women’s Eating Disorders May Be Different Than Men’s
While both Autistic men and women can develop eating disorders. Research indicates that eating disorders are more common in Autistic women than in Autistic men. Eating disorders may be more common in females due to a combination of biological, psychological, and social factors,
Common co-occurring eating disorders for Autistic women include avoidant-restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID).
Autistic women who are underweight or struggle to meet nutritional needs from food may meet the diagnostic criteria for ARFID. ARFID is a recent DSM-5 diagnostic category and specific research is limited.
ARFID can look like other eating disorders, such as anorexia or bulimia nervosa.
