Student presentation from my 1:54 Autism Spectrum Class on Women & Autism
Here is the youtube link https://youtu.be/xLW6au-_dLQ
The other conditions can come from girls trying to mask or fit in and not understanding why they are different from neurotypical girls or classmates, which can be exhausting and depressing for some. In addition, they may be made fun of for expressing themselves differently.
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ADHD is often treated with medications, while autism isn’t directly treated with medication. Certain behaviors like focusing may be treated with medication, but there is a range of other treatment options and accommodations that girls with autism may not have access to if they are misdiagnosed.
Another misdiagnosis is OCD. there are many similarities between how ASD and OCD present, but there are differences in how OCD symptoms are treated through therapy or other treatments. Women with ASD may also have OCD, but without a distinction made in diagnosis, they, again, may not have access to the right accommodations.
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Women who are diagnosed later in life may face more challenges in society as they were not given early support during fundamental social interactions in school, and may have never felt accepted by friends or peers because they felt different or were even made fun of for differences they couldn’t identify. These can have long lasting effects on someone’s self esteem or the way they navigate social interactions or build relationships with people or children if they have children eventually.
Some girls and women with autism experience being diagnosed multiple times by different providers who are not able to give them an accurate diagnosis. This shuffling and lack of consistency can also be harmful to girls who are younger and still developing their personalities and interests.
The police investigated but did not press charges, which is the most common outcome when a person with intellectual disabilities is raped. The regional center did not offer any supports. Later they filed a lawsuit but due to privacy laws, the investigator could not test the caregiving facility workers for STDs.
“That’s why it’s so important to catch that one person and stop that multiplier effect. But with a population that is so vulnerable and cannot communicate, everything is just “suspected.” You can change all the laws you want but serial abusers will not show up in criminal background checks because accusations don’t stick.”
Difficulties in communicating & interacting, including not understanding social cues and responding in ways that could be perceived as odd or disrespectful unintentionally could lead to situations where the person gets into a dangerous or victimizing situation. Compliance behaviors taught from an early age make autistic individual less likely to resist an offender’s demands or communicate that they have been victimized. They may not realize that the situation was considered a crime.
