April is World Autism Awareness Month and I’ve been really struck recently by the number of women, in particular, who are receiving diagnoses in their 40s, 50s and 60s.
Some have told me that they “always knew I was different”. One told me that when she was little, she was convinced she was an alien from outer space because no-one could understand her.
We now know that there are many types of autism, that’s why autism spectrum disorder (ASD) refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication.
We also now know that autism has historically been diagnosed based on the way it presents in men – not women – resulting in women and girls often being overlooked or misdiagnosed.
So it was great to meet the Women’s Institute, who have launched their ‘Thinking Differently: Autistic and ADHD Women and Girls’ campaign, to take action to improve the diagnosis process for women and girls 
