Ideas about Autism may vary amongst people in our society with some being positive and others negative.
Autism can represent itself differently in both males and females. In girls the condition tends to be subtler, making diagnosis more difficult. Often it can be misdiagnosed in girls, presenting as anorexia or other eating disorders [1]. Autism is more common in boys, however there is a rise in girls with the condition [2]
The brains of typical boys and girls differ, making it more difficult to distinguish the effects of autism in females. Hormones in the womb may be partly responsible for shaping boys’ and girls’ brains differently. These observations have led to the ‘extreme male brain’ theory, which links factors like attention to detail, language delays and low levels of empathy to high levels of prenatal testosterone [3].
Female representations of autism are not highlighted well in the media. In film, documentaries and research there is a strong gender focus towards males. Slowly the gender gap is getting better, but more does need to be done to promote depictions of women with autism. Of interest one of the few media representations featuring an Autistic woman as the lead was ‘Please Stand By Me’, the film discussed in previous blogs.
In regards to age, [4] it has been shown that autism is hard to diagnose before 24 months, with symptoms often surfacing between 12 and 18 months. Children with obvious signs such as hand flapping, no eye contact or speech are more easily diagnosed. Diagnosis becomes less frequent in adults. This suggests the majority are diagnosed early, and the decrease in age of diagnosis over time is happening more rapidly for higher functioning children with ASD. It’s striking how in the media there is little to no mention of Autism in adults. Often autistic adults fade into the world either managing to lead an ordinary life or being high enough on the spectrum to forever be treated in an infantile manner. It’s observable, Autistic people in general are treated as if they’re younger than they are. They are often discriminated against in adult spheres of life such as seeking to find a job, [5]
In the case of race there are many views on Autism. In some ethnicities there is a stigma that if the child has a disability it’s the mother’s fault. Possibly for these reasons coloured children with Autism are diagnosed 1.5 years later on average compared to their white counter parts [6].This is exacerbated by the issue of families from minority backgrounds feeling unable to reach out for help as they believe there’s less support to them rather than the majority of the population [7] .
Similar phenomena are prevalent in various religions, never the less its often confined to the most extreme believers within them. Due to these beliefs those with Autism are often ostracised or hidden from the public. On the other hand due to their alternative thinking style Autistic people are less likely to be religious [8].
In addition, there is a class divide in the treatment of Autism, in so much that those from more affluent backgrounds have the money and often education to seek out therapies to alleviate the condition. Unfortunately, many working-class families struggle to afford methods such as specialist diets and professional help. This is where media such as YouTube can really come into its own to help close the gap.
1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3735388/
2 https://www.spectrumnews.org/features/special-reports/sexgender-in-autism/
3 https://nyaspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1749-6632.2009.04467.x
5 https://www.janinebooth.com/content/review-removing-barriers-autistic-workers
6 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1047279717306610
7 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/104420730101200103
Jacob's Time 
I’ve never come accross any portrayal of a female with autism of any age…..
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