How Is Autism Different In Girls?

Stereotypes Can Interfere

Stereotypes have hampered research into autism and the way it presents as a neurodivergence. The most common stereotype of a child with autism is a nonverbal or barely-verbal boy who doesn't play with friends, has sensory meltdowns, and obsesses over trains of bugs. And it's true some children with autism do look like this. But what researchers are now finding is that this image represents only a tiny sliver of the actual population dealing with autism. By focusing on rigid stereotypes, the medical field has failed to explore the other ways autism symptoms can present. This issue doesn't just affect girls; it also affects boys whose symptoms aren't stereotypical. For autism to be better understood and more accurately diagnosed, medical professionals need to do away with stereotypes and learn about alternative symptom presentations.

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