At a Glance
Autism in women is often overlooked due to subtle, internalised traits. GPs frequently misinterpret or miss signs like masking, burnout, sensory sensitivities, and co-occurring conditions. These overlooked symptoms lead many women to face late or incorrect diagnoses. That’s why it’s important to understand female autism symptoms that GPs and other healthcare practitioners sometimes miss and how gender-sensitive assessments can help.
Gender Gaps in Diagnostic Criteria
Neurodiverse conditions, such as autism, have been predominantly studied using male cohorts. Initially, this shaped much of the autism discourse over the years, including the formalisation of diagnostic categories in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).
However, with time, more studies concluded that women exhibited autistic traits differently from men. The narrow criteria used in earlier studies had led to a lack of proper understanding of female autism symptoms. As a result of this, many women received a late diagnosis or were misdiagnosed with other mental health conditions.
Plus, many clinicians fail to notice how autism presents differently in women. Why? Simply because they aren’t familiar with the subtler, more internalised presentation of female autistic traits. Women are more likely to use coping mechanisms such as masking, camouflaging, and performing, which makes it difficult even for experts to observe symptoms and make an accurate diagnosis.
Here are 10 female autistic traits that GPs commonly miss and how gender-sensitive autism assessments help identify them early on.
Why is Autism in Women Frequently Missed by GPs in the UK
GPs have learned to look for overt, commonly observable signs of autism that fit the classic autism stereotype. These include stimming, challenges with reading social cues and communication, or struggling to maintain eye contact.
However, autistic women, especially those with high-functioning autism, do not always meet this description. They’re generally skilled at navigating social situations, often blending in and appearing “normal”. These coping mechanisms can be stressful and exhausting, but because autistic burnout is internalised, many GPs may miss female autism symptoms.
Plus, many women with autism are initially diagnosed with co-occurring mental health conditions like generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), depression, and eating disorders. This complicates the self-understanding process for an autistic woman, which contributes to a lack of clarity. In the absence of observable traits, many GPs treat undiagnosed autism in women based on visible signs without exploring deeper neurodevelopmental differences.
At Connect To Autism, I understand the struggles of autistic women and use gender-sensitive diagnostic tools to carry out private autism assessments tailored specially for women. I conduct these assessments online over a video call, giving you a private and convenient way to access my professional services.
I also offer a free 30-minute consultation, so you know what to expect before you commit. To learn more about my services, get in touch today.
Female Autism Symptoms
Not all GPs are trained to recognise the clinical presentation of autism in women. Without a nuanced gender sensitive approach, they may struggle to understand how autism shows differently in women. This can lead them to treat conditions like chronic fatigue, eating disorders, and other female autism symptoms in isolation, increasing the likelihood of a misdiagnosis.
If you believe you have autistic traits or you’re looking to learn more about how autism shows differently in women, the following list can help improve your understanding. This can also serve as a checklist you can use if you’re considering discussing your experiences and potential diagnosis with a GP or an experienced clinician like Anne Marie at Connect To Autism.
Here are the 10 subtle signs of autism often missed in women:
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Masking or camouflaging to blend in socially
Autistic women try hard to blend in by mimicking social behaviours. You might copy other people’s facial expressions, tone of voice, or gestures, using masking techniques to avoid scrutiny and to present an image of someone who is socially well-adjusted.
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Intense but socially acceptable special interests
Women with autism choose hobbies or personal interests that are typically female-centric and gender-appropriate. You might take an interest in socially acceptable or culturally valued topics, which can mask the intense passion or dedication that you have for the subject. GPs might view this as just a hobby, often missing the tell-tale signs of female autistic traits.
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Exhaustion after social interaction
Autistic women can experience fatigue and burnout after social interactions because they’re using masking and camouflaging techniques to cover their traits. This is usually followed by a need to isolate or ‘alone time’ to recover.
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Difficulty maintaining deeper or long-term friendships
Women with undiagnosed autism can experience loneliness in life as they struggle to communicate and reciprocate in interpersonal relationships, despite a strong desire to build meaningful connections. You may have lots of acquaintances but feel that you lack deep or long-term friendships.
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Heightened sensory sensitivities
It’s common for autistic women to experience heightened sensory sensitivities in their environment. For instance, you might hate the feeling of scratchy clothing labels and the smell of strong perfumes, or feel sensitive to loud noises and bright lights. Your GP may view or dismiss this as general anxiety rather than a struggle with sensory overload.
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Struggles with identity and self-understanding
A lifetime of constantly masking and performing to blend in can leave autistic women disconnected from their true selves. This can manifest as low self-esteem issues or be mistaken for borderline personality disorder.
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Overcompensating in academic or professional settings
If you constantly double-check your work or push yourself to perform perfectly, you might be compensating for underlying neurodevelopmental differences. While being successful is important to most people, for women with autism, outward success can be a cover for neurodiversity that helps them appear competent.
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Communication differences
Women with autism are good at communicating verbally, but may miss other forms of non-literal communication as they can sometimes struggle with understanding sarcasm or jokes. They might also overthink these and misunderstand the context in which they were presented.
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Co-occurring conditions such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, or eating disorders
Both men and women with autism find it difficult to navigate a neurotypical world with a neurodiverse condition. The chronic stress of masking or camouflaging takes a toll, leading to co-occurring conditions like depression or eating disorders
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Emotional intensity, meltdowns, or shutdowns
Women with autism experience emotions with greater intensity than others and tend to withdraw or have a meltdown. This may look like a panic attack or be mistaken for mood swings when, in fact, they result from sensory overload.
These 10 signs, while not definitive, provide a snapshot of what undiagnosed autism in adult women looks like and what they experience daily.
Many studies suggest that internalised autism symptoms and gender gaps in autism assessments have contributed to the underdiagnosis of autism in women. To tackle this, it’s important to break stereotypes by being self-aware and proactive in seeking the help you need if you suspect you have autism. A professional diagnosis can help you understand yourself and access the right support.
Ready to Take a Formal Autism Diagnosis? Contact Connect to Autism
If you think you might be autistic or know someone who could be, you’re not alone. Now that you have a better understanding of female autism symptoms in women, you might be ready to work towards getting a formal autism diagnosis and assessment provided by an experienced therapist.
Connect to Autism provides online autism assessments and ADHD screening assessments for adults aged 16 and over, with a special emphasis on adult females with autism. The service is led by Anne Marie Gallagher, a Speech and Language Therapist with over 25 years of experience in autism diagnosis and assessments.
Our professional autism assessments include comprehensive evaluations and detailed reports, with the aim of helping you better understand yourself and develop tailored strategies for your emotional and psychological well-being.
To learn more, book a free 30-minute consultation today.