We’re frequently asked why we host webinars which focus solely on girls and women, when neurodivergence is something which affects both sexes. You are absolutely right that it does, but until recent years it was never acknowledged! Historically both autism and ADHD were primarily seen as a boys only condition. In fact, ADHD was not even recognised in the UK until 2000 which is why so many adult females are now being late diagnosed.
It’s important to remember how things have been in the past as those attitudes can still prevail today. While the understanding about neurodivergence is growing, if you engage with members of the older generations be it in schools or healthcare, you may still find these attitudes to still be prevalent.
Studies show that boys are up to four times more likely to be diagnosed with autism and ADHD than girls. This statistic doesn’t necessarily reflect the true prevalence but rather the diagnostic bias rooted in male-centric research.
Is autism different between boys and girls?
Yes – we know that girls can present in very different ways. We have a live webinar coming up on Tuesday 3 December hosted by Dr Rachel Moseley on the topic of autism in women and girls. You can book onto the webinar here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/803956484487
This infographic sums up some of the differences we can see in a female presentation.
Neurodivergence is not unique in being male focussed
The neglect of female experiences in healthcare is not unique to neurodivergence and there’s some crazy examples throughout history. A Guardian article gave the example of a study in the early 60s: “Observing that women tended to have lower rates of heart disease until their oestrogen levels dropped after menopause, researchers conducted the first trial to look at whether supplementation with the hormone was an effective preventive treatment. The study enrolled 8,341 men and no women.”
This wasn’t even an isolated incident and until the 1990s, clinical trials in the UK and the US predominantly excluded women, assuming male responses to drugs would suffice. This has led to drugs being less effective or more harmful for women.
We also know that women’s experiences of things such as pain is often under-recognised and undertreated. Endometriosis, a horrifically painful and debilitating illness, takes an average of seven years to be diagnosed.
This systematic dismissal of female experience means that many neurodivergent girls are misdiagnosed with conditions like anxiety or eating disorders because healthcare professionals are unfamiliar with how autism and ADHD manifest in females.
The impact of hormones
We know that for many women hormone fluctuations can impact on executive function, mood and sensory processing. If you are then neurodivergent and have a condition which already impacts upon these areas, it’s clear to see that you might suffer even more but that’s just not been explored yet to any great extent.
However, there are signs that an understanding is emerging with studies now beginning to identify a link between hormone changes and an exacerbation of autistic or ADHD traits.
This is why…
It’s a huge subject and that’s why we dedicate specific time to focus on the experiences of girls, women and those assigned female at birth. The more we can discuss and learn the better we can support people in targeted, specific ways which address the needs they have.
