Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is often misdiagnosed among women due to its historical association with males. This gender bias creates a significant gender gap, leaving approximately 80% of women with undiagnosed or misdiagnosed ASD up to the age of 18, making timely intervention almost impossible. This under-diagnosis results in serious consequences on women’s mental health as they often get treated for the wrong disorders like depression or anxiety.
This discrepancy arises because most diagnostic tools are designed for male symptoms. However, in females, ASD presents differently, needing different diagnostic criteria tailored for women. Addressing such discrepancy requires a deeper look at the unique challenges women face and how they affect the presentation of autism in them. This recognition plays a significant role in providing relevant support to women dealing with ASD.
Let’s understand autism spectrum disorder among women and how clinicians can progress to recognize it earlier, providing better support to autistic women.
Why Autistic Women Are Often Misdiagnosed?
Diagnosing autism spectrum disorder in girls and women is quite difficult as it manifests differently as compared to males. Several factors contribute to such higher rates of misdiagnosis. Some of the most prominent ones are:
1. Masking or Camouflaging
Masking is often observed in autistic women as they develop coping mechanisms to mimic neurotypical behavior very well. Such sophisticated coping mechanisms help them blend in effortlessly, making their autistic traits less obvious. Many women, due to their upbringing, are quite capable of suppressing emotions, which helps them easily hide self-stimulatory behaviors by imitating normal social behaviors. Such hidden traits often get overlooked by traditional diagnostic tools, leading to misdiagnosis.
2. Internalized Symptoms
Unlike autistic males who show aggression and hyperactivity, females internalize their struggles, which hides autistic variances among women. This internalization manifests itself as different mental health conditions like isolation, depression, or anxiety and gets misdiagnosed as such. Clinicians often go towards treating these as a separate condition rather than a symptom.
3. Social Expectations From Women
Our society expects women to be nurturing and adept. Such unrealistic expectations often conceal autistic traits among women trying to meet these expectations. Females are often expected to be more lively and friendly, which pressurizes them to mimic social behaviors even if it's mentally exhausting or draining for them.
4. Gender Bias in Diagnostic Criteria
As stated above, most autistic variances and support strategies are designed for autistic males. The disorder was assumed to be more prevalent among males, hence, autistic women have never been studied in any clinical research before. This resulted in biased diagnostic criteria that overlooked subtle traits that manifest in women specifically.
Advancements in the Diagnostic Criteria for ASD in Women
Fortunately, the awareness about misdiagnosed ASD in women is rapidly spreading. Therapists have recognized this bias and are working to develop more inclusive and practical strategies for the diagnosis and treatment of ASD among women. Here are a few advancements that capture female autistic traits better to provide relevant support:
1. Revised Diagnostic Criteria
In the previous years, many new researches have been made that included studying autistic traits of women. These researches resulted in outcomes that recognized the broader spectrum of autism, which were successfully incorporated into the latest version of DSM-5. It’s still not up to the mark but there are significant developments.
2. Gender-Specific Assessments
Therapists and clinicians are working toward developing assessment criteria that can specifically identify autistic traits and interests in women, which generally align with social norms. New screening tools like FASST (Female Autism Spectrum Screening Tool) are being developed for gender-specific assessment by considering unique manifestations of autism in females, which will lead to timely identification and intervention of ASD for all genders, improving their quality of life as autistic people.
3. Enhanced Awareness and Training
Over the last decade, many efforts have been made to spread awareness about the autism variances and their diverse representation in different genders and ages. At Core Wellness, there are several courses to spread awareness and train clinicians about the diverse nature of the autism spectrum.
A beloved clinical therapist, Dr. Christina Marsack-Topolewski, offers her expertise in supporting individuals with disabilities and comorbid conditions in both live and on-demand courses.
Why Early Intervention is Necessary?
Many women across the globe suffer from great mental anguish due to their misdiagnosed autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Living with autism can be super draining and exhausting, often making women tired due to constant masking. Unknowingly, these women try to blend in, which is often draining. Hence, it is crucial to identify such symptoms accurately and timely to offer life-changing benefits. Here are a few benefits of timely support to autistic women.
Improved Mental Health
Autism often manifests with many co-occurring conditions like depression or anxiety. Understanding the underlying cause helps manage these conditions as well. Rather than treating these symptoms as individuals, they can manage them better, knowing what’s causing them. This way they can address the root cause, successfully being capable of living a far better life than before.
Empowerment and Confidence
Understanding the underlying conditions affecting their mental health empowers women to speak up for themselves and get access to the relevant resources they need to have a better life. Women will become more independent and confident with effective tools to manage their struggles. This will result in better life decisions and help them pursue their goals with confidence.
Access to Accurate Treatment and Support
An accurate diagnosis leads to accessing accurate resources that are specifically made for women to manage their autistic traits. Rather than guesswork, women will be able to ask for tailored support that can help them manage life better with therapy and training that are targeted toward their specific needs.
Self-Awareness and Validation
Not knowing mental health conditions often leads to self-blame and a victim mindset. An accurate and timely diagnosis helps women feel validated about their challenges and unique experiences that may have made them feel like outcasts earlier.
Final Thoughts
The gender gap in diagnosing and treating autism in women is a significant issue that must be addressed as quickly as possible with practical strategies that consider the overlooked subtle signs of autism in women. The only way is to spread awareness, develop new strategies and gender-specific diagnostic tools, and offer relevant support to autistic women to make their lives better.
You can find many advanced courses at Core Wellness, specially designed to address specific challenges and unique experiences of autistic women to spread awareness and learn advanced therapeutic approaches. You can take these courses at your convenience by opting for live or recorded classes addressing the most overlooked and misdiagnosed disorder among women. Visit Core Wellness today and become well aware of ASD in women to provide better care to autistic women!
