Women with Autism Overlooked?

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I've read underdiagnosis of girls and women is an issue, experienced it slowing down professional understanding of me, and seen it slow down professional understanding of my daughter. It shouldn't have to take so long to see it in us. This isn't about sexism it's about finding a way to fix a problem.

That's because Autism is still not genetically defined, unlike Rett Syndrome for example; there's no genetic/blood test for it - its diagnosis is purely clinical and subjective based on a behavioral list - is it possible that there's gender bias because of this? It could be, but that doesn't explain the gender gap in LFA autism- because I doubt they would be able to mask their autism whether they're girls or boys.

If your theory is true: that even AS is totally presented differently in girls and therefore that's why diagnosticians are often failing to see it; then the AS/Autism in girls has to become a separate diagnosis in the books and to be treated as a separate different condition.

I think the male/female ratio in HFA is greater than 1:1.
I think the female autism thing is overblown, esp. in popular media.
There are brain differences between males and females in general, so there are brain differences between autistic males and females.
I agree with this person's quote from the article:

These articles cite experts and research
https://iancommunity.org/cs/simons_simp ... m_in_girls

http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/pro ... en/6570896

How is it a different condition if it produces the same kind of wiring "anomalies" in the brain as it does in autism in males, but the symptoms show differently because of the different way most women (especially women who were children many years/decades ago and are adults now) were raised and socialized as children? Autism produces hyperconnected areas in some parts of the brain and hypoconnections in others that are measurable with fMRIs, and those differences have been measured in the brains of both autistic girls and autistic boys, so can you shut up about women not having the real kind of autism that men have, please? Especially in the Women's Discussion forum--you are being rude and disruptive to this discussion, and are making autistic women feel unwelcome on this site and it is NOT COOL. Back off.

It's interesting, they used to say dyslexia predominantly affected males, too. Now, apparently that's changed. Same for heart attacks, the presentation may be different in women and therefore a heart attack not diagnosed, or at least not promptly. I think often men are studied first for various reasons and then an assumption is made that something looks a certain way, and that may not be the case for women. There isn't any good reason to say it's a different entity, though, according to what is known.

I don't know why you feel the need to be so "protective" and so insulting as well - did anyone hire you to be a bodyguard here?

What's with all this over defending tone? - Playing the Knight much? I am not going down this silly Testosterone showing off of yours, and you are not going to scare me with your yelling either.

And you're wrong: http://www.medicaldaily.com/autism-boys ... ism-351218

"Girls with autism spectrum disorders have distinct characteristics, and these gender differences link directly to the brain: study. Reuters"

So there's the possibility that they may be two different conditions with overlapping characteristics.

95% of Rett Syndrome cases are girls, for genetic reasons (related to a gene on X), and it was lumped with Autism before - so why you see it so impossible that Autism might be more than one thing? And why you perceive talking about this possibility as offensive?

Boo can't you please stop twisting things into extremes that no one is saying? Please stop trying to create an argument.

How is calling you rude and disruptive insulting when you are indeed being rude and disruptive? And I would ask you to take notice that I am not the only person telling you this in this thread. Stop disrupting this discussion--it is rude and no one is asking for your opinion on this issue in the WOMEN's DISCUSSION FORUM.

Also, could those gender differences in the brain of autistic children not be accounted for because of the different way boy children and girl children are raised and socialized? I believe that they could (as do neurologists) so your argument is moot. The fact is, women with autism have measurable differences in connections from neurotypical brains, just like men with autism do. Woman can have autism, and some of those women come here for support. Please leave the discussion now if you can't contribute to that support.

Actually wilburforce started the argument...and I'm sorry girls but men do have the right to post here and people have the right to disagree, that's called debating.

let's please treat each other with respect. Otherwise this thread will be locked.

Your yelling tone and telling me to shut up is insulting - and no one is denying Women's Autism here, you're putting words in my mouth.

My argument wasn't moot, it may be correct , your argument may be correct too, a combination of both might be correct too, did you even check the study article in the link - and debate civilly instead?

So men can come in here and say what they want, even when the women in the thread tell them that they are making them feel unwelcome here by what they are saying?

I'm going to blow everyone's mind right now: I am actually a woman. I decided to present myself as male when I joined this forum because I thought presenting as an autistic woman might cause me problems and I didn't want to have to justify my presence here as a woman. This thread and posters like Boo are some of the reason why I thought it might be easier to just pretend I'm a guy, that I might feel more accepted if I told everyone I was a guy. Well, I'm not a guy. I'm just an autistic woman who was looking for a place to belong, for people to talk to that might understand my experiences and challenges in life. I guess I came to the wrong place and should look for an autistic forum that is more welcoming to women, because my experience here has been that WrongPlanet certainly is NOT welcoming or supportive to women. I will be sure to share that in future any time I meet other autistic people, especially women.

And I have just proved you wrong, I would confront anyone who's being insulting to me and putting words in my mouth - regardless of their gender.

Perceiving you as a male, didn't change anything in the way I would respond to your rudeness and to your constant attacks on me (except of thinking of you a hypocrite male who doesn't want me to post here while he's posting here).

It's your attitude the problem, not your gender.

If men are able to come in and derail a thread what's the point of even having a women's forum? It'd be better just getting rid of it altogether as opposed to giving the illusion of a safe place for women to speak their mind. Or just re-title it Forum to Complain About Women-- that'd be more accurate at least.

i never thought you were a man anyway. You have a history of rabid posts aimed at men, whose zeal can be only compared with katy the troll. Consider this an official warning. Tone it down and treat members with respect regardless of their gender and regardless of whether they agree with you or not.

actually, if you read the thread you will see that Boo posted an opinion, and then wilburforce went ballistic at him, just for stating an opinion.