{"title":"Journey to diagnosis for women with autism","authors":"Dori Zener","doi":"10.1108/AIA-10-2018-0041","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to review the barriers that girls and women face in receiving an accurate and timely autism diagnosis. The journey to late-in-life diagnosis will be explored with a focus on mental health and well-being. The aim is to improve the awareness of the female autism phenotype to provide access to early identification and appropriate supports and services.Design/methodology/approachThe author’s clinical experience as an individual, couple and family therapist specializing in girls and women with autism informs the paper. Research on co-occurring mental health experience and diagnoses are reviewed and combined with case examples to outline the themes leading to and obscuring autism diagnosis.FindingsFemales with autism are less likely to be diagnosed or are identified much later than their male counterparts. Living with unidentified autism places significant mental strain on adults, particularly females. Achieving a late-in-life diagnosis is very valuable for adults and can improve self-awareness and access to limited support.Practical implicationsMental health professionals will develop a better understanding of the overlap between autism and psychiatric conditions and should consider autism in females who are seeking intervention.Originality/valueThis paper provides a clinical approach to working with autistic girls and women. This knowledge can complement the existing research literature and help build the foundation for a greater understanding of the female autism phenotype.","PeriodicalId":43640,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Autism","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1000,"publicationDate":"2019-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1108/AIA-10-2018-0041","citationCount":"29","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Advances in Autism","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1108/AIA-10-2018-0041","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"PSYCHOLOGY, DEVELOPMENTAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 29
Abstract
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to review the barriers that girls and women face in receiving an accurate and timely autism diagnosis. The journey to late-in-life diagnosis will be explored with a focus on mental health and well-being. The aim is to improve the awareness of the female autism phenotype to provide access to early identification and appropriate supports and services.Design/methodology/approachThe author’s clinical experience as an individual, couple and family therapist specializing in girls and women with autism informs the paper. Research on co-occurring mental health experience and diagnoses are reviewed and combined with case examples to outline the themes leading to and obscuring autism diagnosis.FindingsFemales with autism are less likely to be diagnosed or are identified much later than their male counterparts. Living with unidentified autism places significant mental strain on adults, particularly females. Achieving a late-in-life diagnosis is very valuable for adults and can improve self-awareness and access to limited support.Practical implicationsMental health professionals will develop a better understanding of the overlap between autism and psychiatric conditions and should consider autism in females who are seeking intervention.Originality/valueThis paper provides a clinical approach to working with autistic girls and women. This knowledge can complement the existing research literature and help build the foundation for a greater understanding of the female autism phenotype.
期刊介绍:
Advances in Autism is unique in its focus on the health and care aspects and outcomes for people with autism. The journal''s content is international in focus and peer-reviewed. It includes the following: research-based articles evidence-based clinical and support articles articles on policy and advances in services where these can be internationally applied. Key areas of research covered include: clinical developments people''s experience through qualitative research policy debates and outcomes inclusion and quality of life developmental issues population and epidemiological studies services developments evidence-based reviews of key practice issues.