Women and Girls on the Autism Spectrum, Second Edition

How to begin

Choose your current question and use the contents to find a relevant section. For questions arising in adulthood, start with recognition and life history. Record differences as well as similarities; recognition alone does not establish a diagnosis. We have read pages 11–13 of chapter 1, 14–18 of chapter 2 and 90–94 of chapter 4, not completed a review of the whole book, and do not endorse specific health practices on that basis.

Directions for your reading

• Recognition and life stages: place experiences on a timeline.
• Relationships and roles: compare personal needs with outside expectations.
• Education, employment and health: connect questions to relevant support.

Questions to take with you

• Which particular experience resembles my own?
• Which questions need an assessment or health consultation rather than a conclusion from reading alone?

Further reading

1. Autistic women and late recognition: why you can seem fine and still be struggling

   “I have friends, so why am I always so exhausted?” Starting from that question, we look at why some women are recognised late, what the research can and can’t tell us, and how to make sense of your own experiences and ask for help — without treating “this sounds just like me” as a diagnosis.

2. Why am I so tired when I seemed perfectly at ease?

   Keeping a constant eye on your face, your gaze and what to say next takes a lot of energy. Work out which part is most tiring, then decide what you could do less of.

3. Could I be autistic? What can a self-test tell me?

   A self-test can help you decide whether to seek a proper assessment, but a score can’t diagnose you. Check which questionnaire you’re using, note down how things affect your life, and take that to the right service.