Girls are sometimes better than boys at hiding their autism symptoms. Girls with autism may also be misdiagnosed with a different disorder like ADHD or depression.
Many of them are misdiagnosed with conditions such as borderline personality disorder, depression, eating disorders, bipolar disorder and anxiety. Girls are more likely to be diagnosed if they have additional intellectual disabilities or behavioral issues.
ASD often presents early but can be difficult to diagnose in some cases. There are other brain disorders that mimic autism symptoms, like ADHD and anxiety disorders, including selective mutism. Autism can be misdiagnosed as another disorder with some shared symptoms.
Social factors make it harder to diagnose autism in girls and they may need to have more behavioral issues or cognitive disability than boys in order to be diagnosed. Girls with autism may score the same on indicators of friendship or empathy as boys, but not the same as typically-developing girls.
Children on the autism spectrum often keep crying as long as it seems to work for them. When it doesn't, they eventually quit. If they are upset about something, we want them to learn to handle their feelings in more powerful ways.
According to the Asperger/Autism network, a female with ASD may: Know that she is different, noticing that her interests veer away from those of her peers. Prefer having only one or two friends, or to play in solitude, having an appreciation of and focus on specific interests.
Conditions That Can Be Mistaken for Autism. These include: Speech delays, hearing problems, or other developmental delays: Developmental delays are when your child doesn't do things doctors expect kids their age to be able to do. These can include language, speech, or hearing problems.
If you've got a young child you think might have autism, it's best to take them to a mental health specialist with training and experience with autism in kids. You can also ask for a second opinion if you think your doctor is missing something.
Autism affects females, too — it just affects them differently. Sometimes symptoms don't show up in the same way they do in boys. In some cases they are more severe; in others, they're less obvious.
Research over the last several years has shown that smaller genetic errors, or mutations, and fewer of these errors, are associated with ASD among boys - while more pronounced and severe genetic mutations are observed when girls are diagnosed with autism.
There is emerging evidence that girls with autism need more extreme genetic mutations than boys to develop autism. However, there is a growing body of work that indicates that autism just presents differently in girls and therefore often goes unrecognised, especially in verbally fluent girls with normal intelligence.
Likewise, a child with autism may not speak, look at other people or play with their peers. Both shy children and those with autism may appear quieter and more reserved than other children, and may find it harder to make friends.
A high level of anxiety is common among girls with Autism. The world can be a confusing and unpredictable place. To minimize this, they may need to exert a high level of control on their environment and the people in it.
Some believe that autistic people aren't interested in romantic relationships or aren't capable of romantic love. However, this is far from the truth. In fact, autistic people can make wonderful partners.
Girls with autism tend to have more mutations than boys with the condition. And boys with autism seem to inherit their mutations from unaffected mothers more often than from unaffected fathers. Together, these results suggest that girls need a bigger genetic hit than boys to have autism.
In conclusion, a person with autism can absolutely live a normal life with the right support and resources. Early intervention, education, and community support are key factors in helping people with autism achieve their goals and lead fulfilling lives.
ADHD is diagnosed when a patient has symptoms of inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and/or impulsivity. For an ASD diagnosis, however, the patient must have clinically significant difficulty with social interaction or communication, and unusually restricted or repetitive patterns of behavior or interests.
Autism is more common in boys than girls. Research from 2021 found that autism is about 4.2 times more prevalent in boys than girls. This means that for every girl with autism, there are 4 boys with autism.
Some signs of high functioning autism in females include: Difficulty with social communication, such as maintaining eye contact or understanding sarcasm. Strong interests in specific topics, often related to science or technology. Difficulty with transitions or changes in routine.
Children with autism have also been shown to prefer musical learning compared to visual or auditory learning. Autistic children have a keen interest in music and remarkable musical abilities, which makes it easier for them to learn when music is made part of their learning.