Why do some people think that Autism is a “boy thing”

Autism was first used to describe a pattern of behaviour that had only been seen in boys. It was thought that only boys could have autism. Early research into autism focused a lot on males. Over time, we now know that girls and women can be autistic too and that they can present differently to males. Difficulties with social communication and social interaction, and flexibility of thoughts/behaviours are still there, but may look different for females.

Compared to boys with autism, girls may:

  • Have better social and communication skills.
  • Be more socially motivated.
  • Be better at camouflaging or masking autistic differences.
  • Be more involved in pretend play and possibly have a more active imagination.
  • Appear to have a group of friends, although often feeling they are on the edge/ not fully part of the group OR have intense friendships, possibly with a different quality to their neurotypical peers.
  • Be better able to initiate friendships, but struggle to keep friends.
  • Show more difficulties with socialising at secondary school when socialising becomes more complex.
  • Appear to have fewer difficulties in school (e.g. behaviour that challenges) resulting in less concerns reported. Girls may not show that they are struggling. 
  • Have intense interests that appear similar to their peers.
  • Be less repetitive and rigid in their thinking.

Girls are also more likely to have been diagnosed with certain mental health conditions, such as anxiety, depression or an eating disorder. A lot of autistic women say that the mental health diagnoses they were given never seemed to fully explain their difficulties.

Evidence suggests that on average females are diagnosed later than males. Females that have undiagnosed autism can then develop stress because their needs related to being autistic are not known and supported. 

Camouflaging and masking

Camouflaging/masking refers to autistic people using strategies to minimise looking autistic. This is more commonly seen in females but still happens for males too. Here are some ways autistic people camouflage: 

  • Copying peers that are good at socialising - mimicking the way they speak, their body language, and fashion sense, etc.
  • Learning how to behave in social interactions from films/ TV shows/ books
  • Forcing themselves to make eye contact
  • Practicing facial expressions
  • Following a script in conversations
  • Supressing repetitive movements or 'stimming'
  • Stopping themselves from talking about particular interests 
  • Using analytical thinking in social interactions rather than intuition

Negative effects of camouflaging can include: 

  • Exhaustion 
  • Low mood
  • Anxiety 
  • Low self-esteem 
  • Loss of sense of self
  • Increased risk of self-harm and suicide

Puberty and menopause

Puberty and menopause are significant times for girls and women. During these times there are a lot of changes in the female body and in how the person looks. Sensory sensitivities may increase. Emotions may seem more out of control. It is also impossible to know when these natural parts of life will actually happen. When a girl starts her periods, she will have to get used to using sanitary products which may feel uncomfortable.  

Although puberty in autistic girls has been thought about in the literature, the effects of menopause on autistic women is only just starting to be thought about by researchers and is a very new area of knowledge.  

Resources

Videos to watch:

  • Women and autism - Josh Ward | YouTube Link here
  • Girls and women and autism: What's the difference? - Sarah Hendrickx | YouTube Link here
  • Autism Documentary: Inside the UK's only school for autistic girls | YouTube Link here
  • Differences autistic boys and girls- Purple Ella | YouTube Link here
  • Autism and masking Purple Ella | YouTube Link here
  • Periods: girls with autism spectrum disorder | YouTube Link here
  • Autism and adolescence - Purple Ella | YouTube Link here

Websites:

  • Welcome to the Autistic Girls Network Link here
  • Women in Autism | Autism Research Institute Link here
  • Autism in girls and women: Advice and Support for autistic girls Link here

Quick guides:

  • Autism,  Girls & Keeping it all inside| Booklet Link here
  • Girls and autism: flying under the radar | Booklet Link here

Books to read:

  • Girls Growing Up on the Autism Spectrum - What Parents and Professionals should know about the pre-teen and teenage years by Shan Nicols (2009).
  • Aspergirls: Empowering Females with Asperger Syndrome by Rudy Simone (2010).
  • Asperger's and Girls by Tony Attwood and Temple Grandin (2006).
  • Safety Skills for Asperger Women: How to save a perfectly good female life by Leanne Halliday (2011).