Why autism is often missed in women and girls
929,394 views | Kate Kahle • TEDxAustinCollege
Women and girls with autism spectrum disorder often don't display the behaviors people typically associate with neurodivergence, greatly impacting when, how -- and if -- they are diagnosed. Autism acceptance advocate Kate Kahle makes the case for more research into this gender discrepancy, sharing her personal experience with masking, being diagnosed as a teenager and how it allowed her to better understand herself. "Autism is not a disease, and it doesn't need to be cured," she says. "It's just a different way some brains can work."
Promote autism acceptance. This means seeking to understand autism, listening to autistic individuals and understanding that neurodiversity makes us different —not less-than. You can do this by using resources that center autistic individuals rather than those that speak over autistic individuals and promote "cures."