I agree. There is a male bias in diagnosis, particularly when it comes to the narrow interests and repetitive behaviour side of autism. Girls are socialised in different ways to boys via the influence of family, school, peers, TV, wider culture. Children with higher functioning forms of ASC are usually not impervious to this, and so girls are more likely to develop intense interests in fiction, dolls, film stars, beauty and image, etc,. They can therefore fall through the net. There is also confirmation bias at play - girls are not expected to have autism so the the signs are overlooked and explained away as just 'girly' behaviour.
I agree. There is a male bias in diagnosis, particularly when it comes to the narrow interests and repetitive behaviour side of autism. Girls are socialised in different ways to boys via the influence of family, school, peers, TV, wider culture. Children with higher functioning forms of ASC are usually not impervious to this, and so girls are more likely to develop intense interests in fiction, dolls, film stars, beauty and image, etc,. They can therefore fall through the net. There is also confirmation bias at play - girls are not expected to have autism so the the signs are overlooked and explained away as just 'girly' behaviour.
