Women and Girls with Autism Spectrum Disorder

I've recently discovered that it's likely I'm autistic and I'm along the way of getting an official diagnosis through the NHS. I found this book in a bookshop and got it cheaper on Amazon which I was very happy about every page had something that resonated with me so strongly and I have covered it in highlighters and I will be taking it with me to my in-person appointment. It has great awareness of autism in women and as a 30 year old I am prepared now more than ever to do with the stereotypical assumption of what autism looks like and how to combat that it's really educational easy to read full of useful information and personal experiences of other people that have blown my mind of how much I related to stuff in this book it's been reassuring and helpful interesting and has really helped me feeling less nervous about the appointment. I recommend this for anybody who is going through the process themselves but also for professionals who deal with autism so that they can have a broader idea of what to look out for as women mask so much better and if all doctors and professionals were educated and aware of how autism differs in each person and gender the process would be so much smoother for everybody

As a 60yr old who has only now plucked up the courage to seek an ASD referral, this is a very relatable and useful resource. As I write I am about halfway through the book, but reading the example quotes is definitely helping me remember experiences from my younger life while helping me frame them as evidence. The book is logically set out and progresses through life stages. While previous reading on autism has provoked "me too" moments, this book helps me to categorise my evidence into a logical framework that will hopefully assist both myself and any assessor to understand my personal journey. The writing style is very approachable, and peppered with quotes from both other autistic women and parents of autistic children. It's probably the most helpful text I have read during my two year journey to this point. Thoroughly recommend it!

of an important topic. So useful to look at a timeline of how autism may display over a person’s life, as well as by topic (eating, how to live well).

This is a brilliant book for any female who thinks they might be autistic or has recently had a diagnosis. I’ve listened to the audio book - which is a bit annoying due to the constant references that have to be read out and that led me to purchase the physical book. I’m not at all disappointed and often go back and re-read this book. The author also has some really good YouTube videos on the subject and is very knowledgeable.

I wanted to like this, or perhaps get more out of it, than I did. It's a good book and covers some of the basics with examples from women with lived experience. However, if you've already spent a reasonable amount of time online researching there's a chance this won't reveal anything particularly new. I'd recommend this if it's your first (or an early) resource and perhaps to give to a partner or relative. For someone looking for information for/about themselves, and already embarked on that journey, it may be a bit less valuable.

Packed with lots of useful information and identification thank you. This was really useful whilst going through the assessment stage and my onward journey.

I discovered the truth about female autism from a course a few months ago, so had some knowledge but wanted more. I read "Spectrum Women" but found it had too much anecdote and unqualified statements, so then red this which backs up all it's declarations with evidence. Often the author backs up her generalisations with several quotes from autistic women, but equally she draws upon statistics and literature, and where studies have been done these will be referenced; the five-page bibliography is worth the money on its own! I particularly liked that the book dealt with ageing - so far as evidence exists - as this is something never dealt with before in the male-centric autism literature, yet seems to be of profound importance in the way female symptoms manifest themselves. I loved this book so much I was disappointed when I'd finished it. I hope there's another book's worth of developments for this author to write about in a few years.

This is an excellent basic information book explaining how ASD differs in women and girls from the stereotype of ASD being a predominently male condition. No one would say that women think like men or behave like men so why would they think women with ASD should present like men with ASD? Unless women and professionals are more informed, many women will struggle through life undiagnosed or worse, misdiagnosed with anxiety or other things. Reading this might help those who suspect they are ASD to decide whether to go forward for assessment. This is not an academic work, but for those with degree level education, there is an excellent paper by Lucy Anne Livingston and Francesca Happe Conceptualising compensation in neurodevelopmental disorders: Reflections from autism spectrum disorder September 2017 in the journal of neuroscience and behavioural reviews, This paper describes the compensatory strategies women use in order to 'appear normal', and how exhausting that can be in the long term. I would also highly recommend Sarah Hendrickx to any woman seeking an assessment for aspergers (she has an aspserger diagnosis). She has a warm and friendly manner and her prices are reasonable. Also, there is so little information on women and girls with ASD.

Great book, especially if you’re a late diagnosed autistic woman. There’s so many things that ring true and that you can learn from by reading this book.

This is a great book to understand autism across genders. A good book to read. Dr. Alfredo Garcia

one of the best books I ever read... if you are an autistic woman or care for one, it is THE book.

Un livre complet, pertinent, d'une finesse et d'une justesse rarement égalées. Le TSA chez la femme est mal diagnostiqué, peu connu, victime de biais sexistes qui ont des conséquences graves pour ces personnes. Tous les sujets essentiels sont abordés même la sexualité et l'approche est vraiment loin des clichés que peuvent nous rabâcher même de soit-disant spécialistes.Ainsi par exemple, la notion d'"abus" vis-à-vis de la personne avec TSA n'est souvent abordée que concernant la question sexuelle. Alors qu'il n'y a pas que ça et que ce n'est pas forcément le problème majeur de ces femmes dans leur vie quotidienne. L'abus de naïveté, de vulnérabilité peut revêtir bien d'autres formes et avoir des conséquences dramatiques (notamment l'extorsion financière). Une personne avec TSA qui parle de ce qu'elle connaît puisqu'elle le vit tout en étant apte à le théoriser. Finalement, des personnes comme elle sont bien mieux placées que la plupart de celles qui prétendent parler des premières sans vivre avec ce handicap, avec une vision souvent déformée par leurs propres biais psychosociaux. Merci à Sarah Hendrickx pour ce remarquable travail.N'hésitez pas à me faire savoir si ce commentaire vous a été utile :)

I found out about Sarah Hendrickx and her work via YouTube. I found this book very helpful with understanding my childhood experience as an undiagnosed autistic, high masking child and teen. In fact, her work helped me to reconnect with my special interests and put support measures in place for my autism. There was definitely a grieving process but it opened up my world in a whole new way. Highly recommend. Note: I do appreciate that Hendrickx does acknowledge the limitations of her work especially for women of color and the unique challenges they may face due to socialization and systemic inequality.