Autistic women and girls face barriers to early diagnosis, an oversight that leaves them without vital early support and reduced support options as adults. It’s estimated that 80% of autistic women remain undiagnosed at 18, having learnt to conceal, or ‘mask,’ more commonly acknowledged symptoms as children.
This results in many women receiving a diagnosis only after presenting with co-occurring mental health conditions like anxiety or depression, due to intense feelings of difference or stress when navigating a neurotypical world.
Cathy Wassell, CEO of Autistic Girls Network, said: “We are diagnosing people in crisis because we haven’t recognised them as autistic before that.
Lee Gibbons’ work, as operating manager of charity ASD Helping Hands, reflects the important part charities play in plugging this gap.
The charity offers a combination of social groups, training and workshops for parents and employers and well as support navigating diagnostic processes.
When Gibbons began working at the charity in 2010, he exclusively saw children but adult referrals have spiked over the past four years, making up 40% of the charity’s cases.
He emphasised that a lack of support means that diagnosis is never the finishing line.
Gibbons said: “After an initial wave of relief, many people experience self-doubt and questioning. You get offered three to four sessions of therapy, which often raises more unanswered questions… It can be an isolating and lonely experience.”
Read more at SWLondoner.co.uk.
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