Why are women with autism getting diagnosed later in life?

This post is contributed by a guest author.

A diagnosis of autism is beneficial when discovered at an early age, however for 42 percent of women and girls they don’t have this option available to them. These females are misdiagnosed as having a mental or eating disorder, rather than being autistic. Why is there such a large percentage of the female population not getting the correct diagnosis?

Hiding in plain sight

One of the obstacles of diagnosing females with autism is that they mask traits of autism by copying the social behaviours of non-autistic individuals. They will practice phrases that they will use when socially interacting with others, make a conscious effort to make eye contact when talking to others, and imitate gestures. This is more characteristic of female Aspergers or high functioning autism which displays itself differently in men according to Autism Parenting Magazine.

Other reasons for delayed or misdiagnosis

• Most research studies are centered around male characteristics and based on research projects which consist primarily of males and boys.
• Girls’ behavioral issues are less noticed, and the signs and symptoms aren’t as severe.
• The strong interests in women are socially acceptable i.e., age, books, dolls, and celebrities, boys are more peculiar i.e., trains, dinosaurs, and how machines and other things work.
• In some cultures, parents refuse to admit when their child needs help

The aftermath of masking

The act of social camouflaging in females begins at a very young age because girls are more apt to strive to be socially accepted by their peers. As they get older, the task of masking their true identity becomes exhausting, leaving these women and girls feeling lonely, depressed, suicidal, and miserable. For some women, they begin to socially isolate themselves and withdraw from the world because of the stress they feel from masking who they are.

According to surveys of women with ASD, hiding their true selves leaves them vulnerable to substance abuse and sexual abuse. This correlates with the imitation of social cues from others, and not understanding that some of the behaviours are not socially acceptable.

The doctor is not helping

Oftentimes autistic girls are diagnosed as being ADHD, bi-polar, borderline personality disorder, or having eating disorders. The common misconception was that girls couldn’t be autistic because it was something that only boys had, so common autistic signs that a little girl has is overlooked or given a delayed diagnosis. After all, a doctor is hesitant in diagnosing girls with ASD. 

I have an 18-month-old son with an ASD diagnosis and will begin ABA therapy in a month. My sister has an 8-yr-old daughter that exhibits the classic signs of autism (a lot like my son), and she has been diagnosed as having ADHD. Her neurologist told her point-blank that although he did see traits in her of ASD (my sister showed videos of my niece’s behaviour), he didn’t want to give her that diagnosis yet. Instead, he increased her ADHD medication, and said,” let’s see how she does with that. ” She’s been in speech therapy and has had an IEP for the last 3 years. 

This is a prime example of being a lost girl, the signs are in plain sight and her doctor refuses to acknowledge them. Instead, she’s put further behind because she’s not getting the support or resources that she needs. Meanwhile, my son who is under 2 yrs-old, not in school and is nonverbal has access to unlimited resources to help with his developmental delays. 

Conclusion

Delayed diagnosis creates missed opportunities for females to get the support and therapy that they may need. It is important to raise awareness for autistic females so that the number of resources, such as therapy and support groups will grow. 

Only within the last couple of years researchers and other medical experts felt the need to raise awareness of autism in women and girls. Which is a step in the right direction. However, more steps should be taken to diagnose women sooner, rather than later.