ASD in Girls
There is bias in the diagnosis of autism for men and boys compared to women and girls of around 3:1. In the SEND Parenting Podcast Episode 5 Catherine shares her journey to a diagnosis of ASD and ADHD of her daughter, if you haven’t listened please click here https://sendparenting.com/episodes/autism-and-adhd-a-mother-and-daughters-jourey .
This article looks at the theories behind this and provides a checklist that you can use if you suspect your daughter might have un-diagnosed ASD.
Autism.org.uk has listed some current theories as to the why behind more males are diagnosed than females:
· There is a ‘female autism phenotype – in other words autistic females have characteristics which don’t fit the profile
· The ‘extreme male brain’ theory of autism, which focuses on the effects of foetal testosterone on brain development
· A range of biological and environmental factors may mean men and boys have a higher prevalence of autism
· Women and girls are often better at masking or camouflaging their difficulties
· Autism traits in girls are under-reported by teachers
As a parent with a child who is struggling the theory is really irrelevant and rather the indications that their daughter might have ASD is much more relevant. Although there are no definite, absolute signs and symptoms, there are some indicators.
Social
· Reliance on other children to guide and speak for them at school
· Avoiding or not seeking interaction at school
· Being seen at school as excessively shy – perhaps acting passively in situations
· A highly developed imagination and enjoyment of fiction, pretend and fantasy play
· Play can be one-sided, or overly controlled
· High imagination and enjoyment in imaginative play
· Copying or mimicking others’ speech and actions in social situations
· Having a very limited number of close friendships
· A tendency to become very intense and possessive in friendships, which can also end very suddenly
Interests
· Narrow and restricted things that interest her which are very specific
· Enjoys sharing her topics of interest but doesn’t look for or listen to another person’s response
Behaviour
· Gets frustrated easily and has age inappropriate tantrum which can be very disruptive at school
· Different behaviours at school versus home. Masking at school leads to meltdowns at home
· Very sensitive to sensory challenges such as loud noises, strong smells and bright lights
· Repetitive behaviours
Emotional
· Depression, anxiety or other mental health symptoms
These signs are not exhaustive and children can exhibit one or more of them. They are indicators or a starting point that would lead a parent to seek professional help to investigate further.