While not as many females as males are diagnosed with autism, girls who are diagnosed with it grow into women who have it. Take our Aspergers test to find out if you have traits of the neurodivergence.
According to a 2013 study that was carried out by Doctors Thomas W. Frazier, Stelios Georgiaides, Somer El Bishop (all PHD) and Doctor Antonio Y. Hardan (MD), autism “often goes undiagnosed in girls.”
From 2013 onwards, anyone who has displayed traits of Asperger syndrome has been given the official diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Other people often misunderstand their words or actions
Being perceived as cold-natured, self-centred or unfriendly
Being very outspoken at times
Being very shy or mute
Will shut down in social situations once overloaded like their male counterparts
They do not go out very much. If they have a partner or children, they would only want to go out with them
They will not have many female friends or do “girly” things such as shopping
They will have a close friend or friends at school, but not in adulthood
They may or may not want to be in a relationship
If a female with Asperger’s likes a male person, she can find it awkward to let him know she likes him due to fixation on him
They often prefer the company of animals to people
If you experience any of these signs, try taking our online am I autistic quiz.
Autism and Sex Differences Webinar
Nat Hawley, our Head of Community, has hosted a webinar about the sex differences of autism. The webinar discusses the differences of autism between males and females.