Autism and Women
This article on women and autism is really interesting.
Autism is seen as a 'male' condition, although it affects women too. Granted, men are far more likely to have it - but is that simply because they're far more likely to be diagnosed?
There are some really interesting points in there:
women with autism often struggle at work because they lack what is often taken for granted in women - the intuitive ability to understand where people are coming from and how to manage situations. Because of subtle sex differences, we tend to "expect" more of women in the workplace in terms of smoothing things over, of saying the right thing; and whereas we would excuse a man who lacked these abilities, we are subliminally a lot less forgiving of a woman who has similar shortcomings.
and
Female "invisibility" in the autistic spectrum should be a feminist issue. For all the struggles with employment, family relationships and individuality that "normal" women face every day, we face these too - and more besides. You only have to look at the lists of famous people who, it has been speculated, were in the autistic spectrum - Isaac Newton, Ludwig van Beethoven, Albert Einstein, - to see how boys' autistic traits are synonymous, to some extent, with success. For girls like me who have been affected by autism, the challenge is to stand up for ourselves in the male-dominated world of the autistic spectrum, yet reassure ourselves that we are still normal girls.
EDIT - To clear up confusion - the two points above are from different parts of the article. It's better to read the whole article, for context.
1 - women are less likely to be diagnosed than men (because autism is assumed to be a 'male condition'.)
2 - undiagnosed women find life much harder than undiagnosed men (because characteristics of autism are seen as 'typically male')
You would assume that point 2 would mean that women would be diagnosed more, but this isn't the case. This is WHY the writer suggests that diagnosis of female Autism should be a feminist issue.
Autism is seen as a 'male' condition, although it affects women too. Granted, men are far more likely to have it - but is that simply because they're far more likely to be diagnosed?
There are some really interesting points in there:
women with autism often struggle at work because they lack what is often taken for granted in women - the intuitive ability to understand where people are coming from and how to manage situations. Because of subtle sex differences, we tend to "expect" more of women in the workplace in terms of smoothing things over, of saying the right thing; and whereas we would excuse a man who lacked these abilities, we are subliminally a lot less forgiving of a woman who has similar shortcomings.
and
Female "invisibility" in the autistic spectrum should be a feminist issue. For all the struggles with employment, family relationships and individuality that "normal" women face every day, we face these too - and more besides. You only have to look at the lists of famous people who, it has been speculated, were in the autistic spectrum - Isaac Newton, Ludwig van Beethoven, Albert Einstein, - to see how boys' autistic traits are synonymous, to some extent, with success. For girls like me who have been affected by autism, the challenge is to stand up for ourselves in the male-dominated world of the autistic spectrum, yet reassure ourselves that we are still normal girls.
EDIT - To clear up confusion - the two points above are from different parts of the article. It's better to read the whole article, for context.
1 - women are less likely to be diagnosed than men (because autism is assumed to be a 'male condition'.)
2 - undiagnosed women find life much harder than undiagnosed men (because characteristics of autism are seen as 'typically male')
You would assume that point 2 would mean that women would be diagnosed more, but this isn't the case. This is WHY the writer suggests that diagnosis of female Autism should be a feminist issue.