Overview of Autism in Women

Autism in women typically presents differently from autism in men. Women with autism may have fewer restricted interests and repetitive behaviors than men with the disorder. They also tend to have better language development and social skills than men with autism.

Women with autism often have difficulty managing their emotions and communicating their feelings to others. They may feel overwhelmed by the demands of daily life and have difficulty focusing on tasks for long periods of time.

Women with ASD are more likely than men to be diagnosed at an older age than men with ASD. A study comparing boys and girls diagnosed with ASD found that girls were three times more likely than boys to be diagnosed after age 10; approximately one-third of girls were diagnosed after age 10 compared to only 8 percent of boys (Baron-Cohen et al., 2009).

Females are four times more likely to be diagnosed with an ASD than males are at the age of 8 years old or younger, according to the CDC’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network Report ADDM Network Report 2015 Summary. However, this gap narrows as children grow older; by age 14 years old there is no longer a significant difference between male and female rates of diagnosis with ASDs.

There are many theories about why autism is diagnosed more often in males than females — although none have been proven yet. One theory suggests that there is an inherent difference between male and female brains caused by hormones during pregnancy or birth; another suggests that boys may be more likely to be diagnosed with other disorders like ADHD or oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) which could overlap with early signs of autism.

Common Signs of Autism

There are many signs and symptoms of autism, but they don’t always show up at the same time or in the same way.

Common signs of autism include:

• Problems with verbal and nonverbal communication. This includes:
• Not pointing at objects to show interest (for example, not pointing at an airplane flying over)
• Not using gestures (for example, not waving goodbye)
• Losing previously acquired language skills (such as not being able to follow simple instructions)
• Repeating words or phrases spoken by someone else (echolalia) — this behavior usually goes away around age 4 or 5 years old
• Not using eye contact when interacting with others — for example, looking down instead of at someone when talking to them

Communication Difficulties

Communication is the ability to express and exchange thoughts, feelings and ideas with others. It is a complex process involving a combination of verbal and nonverbal methods which vary in complexity. Communication skills are crucial to social interaction and relationships.

Communication difficulties can be very challenging for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Their communication problems occur across all modes of expression – spoken language, gestures, facial expressions, body movements and written language. These difficulties can affect their ability to communicate needs and wants, understand what other people are saying and enjoy social interactions.

People with autism can have many different kinds of communication difficulties. These may include:

• Lack of eye contact or interest in looking at other people’s faces
• Difficulty interpreting facial expressions and body language
• Trouble understanding non-verbal cues such as a smile or nod
• Difficulty using gestures or facial expressions to communicate feelings and emotions
• Trouble reading other people’s body language and understanding social cues, such as when someone is bored or upset
• Difficulty with conversation, keeping a conversation going, taking turns talking and listening well.

Behavioral Differences

People with autism have different behavioral tendencies than people without autism. There are many different types of behaviors that can be seen in people with autism. The behavioral differences in people with autism may include:

• A higher incidence of sleep disorders
• Difficulty regulating emotions or expressing emotions appropriately
• Difficulty with social interactions and relationships, including language and communication problems
• Preferring sameness and routines to change and new situations

Sensory Differences

A person with autism may be hypersensitive or hyposensitive to sensory input. This can impact behaviour and make life more challenging for them. Difficulties in processing sensory information can occur in many areas, such as:

Sight : bright lights and loud sounds may be overwhelming; some people with autism feel pain when they eat certain foods or touch certain textures; others may have difficulty interpreting facial expressions or reading body language.

Hearing : some people are hypersensitive to sounds while others are hyposensitive (they don’t respond to things that we would normally expect them to). Some people with autism may not react when spoken to, or they may react badly if they are touched unexpectedly by someone they do not know well.

Touch : some people are hypersensitive (sensitive) while others are hyposensitive (insensitive) to touch. For example, some people may not enjoy being hugged or cuddled by their parents but other children with autism love it!

Understanding Autism in Women

Yes! Autism can affect each person differently and symptoms can vary from person to person, so it’s important to recognize that while some women may share similar traits or experiences with other women with autism, there are no two people who experience autism exactly alike. That said, there are some common themes among women with autism:​

Women with autism often have a harder time expressing emotions verbally than men do and tend to use words less frequently than do men with ASD (American Psychiatric Association). This may make it difficult for them to express what they’re feeling both verbally and nonverbally — for example, if someone asks how someone else is feeling, they may not know how to answer because they haven’t learned how others express emotion through verbal cues (e.g., “I’m fine,”).

Causes and Diagnosis

Autism Causes

No one knows what causes autism, but there are many theories. Research suggests that genetics play a role in the development of autism, but environmental factors also may be involved. Some studies have shown that exposure to certain medications or infections during pregnancy can increase the risk of having an autistic child. However, most babies with autism have no risk factors at all.

Autism Diagnosis

There is no single diagnostic test for autism; diagnosis requires observation and evaluation by a qualified clinician. The doctor will look at your child’s behavior from birth through his or her third birthday and make a determination based on clinical presentation of symptoms along with known medical history of your child and family members.

Support and Treatment

There are various types of autism support and treatment available. Some children with autism may need ongoing therapy to help them develop better social skills and learn how to communicate more effectively. Others may benefit from special education classes or individualized interventions at home or school. Still others may not need any additional support beyond what their families can provide.

The goal of autism support is to help the person on the spectrum reach their full potential so they can live happy, healthy lives in the communities that they choose to live in.

There’s no cure for autism yet, but treatments and therapies can help children and adults with autism improve their symptoms.

Treatment for autism generally focuses on helping individuals develop skills that are essential for independent living, such as communication, social interaction and self-care. Therapies can also help with challenging behaviors such as aggression or self-injury.