{"id":19787,"date":"2021-07-21T15:05:52","date_gmt":"2021-07-21T13:05:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/?p=19787"},"modified":"2021-07-21T15:05:55","modified_gmt":"2021-07-21T13:05:55","slug":"autism-in-women-what-signs-to-look-for","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/autism-in-women-what-signs-to-look-for\/","title":{"rendered":"Autism in Women: What Signs to Look For?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In recent years, there is a growing discussion around not just mental health, but the wide range of possibilities of how a human brain can operate. One topic that comes up in these discussions is autism. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Autism Spectrum Disorder<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to the American Psychiatric Association, Autism Spectrum Disorder<\/a> \u201cis a complex developmental condition that involves persistent challenges in social interaction, speech, and nonverbal communication and restricted\/repetitive behaviours. The effects of\u00a0 ASD and the severity of symptoms are different in each person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ASD is typically diagnosed in young children and is typically thought to be more common in males than females. While that may be true, there is also a growing amount of cis-women and AFAB (assigned female at birth) who are being diagnosed as adults.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Autism is often pathologized, or thought of as a disease, or something negative. This is not the case for many people on the autism spectrum. Instead, they think of it as something positive or neutral. It simply means that their brain works differently than what most people consider \u201cnormal\u201d. This is where the term \u201cneuro-diverse\u201d comes into play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You may be familiar with the term Asperger\u2019s as a form of \u201chigh functioning autism.\u201d This term, however, is no longer used. Now, this set of neuro-diverse traits is simply referred to as ASD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many cases of ASD in females are overlooked because the signs may be less obvious than they are with males. It\u2019s fairly common knowledge that many scientific studies in general focus only on males, which limits the information we have around female health. This extends to psychiatric and neurologic studies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Autism Differences in Women<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Because autism in women is so misunderstood, they often go years without being diagnosed or receive misdiagnoses like Bipolar Disorder.<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This misdiagnosis means many women end up taking medication that does not help them, leaving them feeling frustrated and helpless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many of these women have always felt different, felt like they\u2019ve had to try extra hard in social situations, or avoided them altogether. They may be used to concealing their traits, and don\u2019t match the general stereotype of what people believe autism looks like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because of the societal expectations for girls and women, female teens with autism may have worked extra hard to adapt and be seen as normal, making diagnosis even more complicated. Growing up, they may have opted for solitude and focused on their hobbies, prioritized comfort over fashion, fantasizing or escaping from reality, were mute in certain situations, and had a special interest or aptitude for specific subjects. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Autism: What Signs to Look For<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you think you might be autistic or love someone who is, here are some signs to look for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n