Name: Jasmine Baker
Position: Behaviour Support Practitioner
Area of Interest: Autism Spectrum Disorder in Teenage Girls
Supporting teenage girls with autism spectrum disorder
Growing up in a neurodivergent household has really fueled my passion for my job and desire to support people to live their best life. My particular life experiences are predominantly based with individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Through this lived experience I have developed a keen interest in learning about and supporting individuals with ASD, specifically teenagers and teenage girls.
The gender gap in autism diagnoses
The number of girls being diagnosed with neurological and developmental disorders such as ASD, have increased significantly over the last few decades, though it is reported that diagnosis of boys with ASD still outnumber girls 4:1 (CDC, 2024). I feel these statistics are often echoed in many people’s experiences, including my own. I remember vividly being told a story about my parents being informed that I certainly did not have ADHD as a child, as I was able to sit still in the medical office, despite a classroom teacher raising concerns and urging that my parents seek a diagnosis due to inattentive behaviours and difficulties in remaining focused and on task in the classroom.
Why are girls being overlooked?
So why is there such as gap in diagnosis amongst girls? It could be as simple as girls being overlooked in screenings due to their symptoms being more internalised than those of their male counterparts, girls simply don’t “tick the box” for behaviours that are typically seen in males that often make up the diagnostic criteria. This can often lead to misdiagnoses of mental health concerns such as anxiety and depression, rather than being recognised as Autism. Girls are also socialised from a young age to engage in social etiquette, which increases their engagement in mirroring, mimicking and masking, further impacting a diagnosis as they are seen as not suffering from social impairments, which is a domain that is typically significantly impacted in people with Autism.
The impact of misdiagnosis
The frequent misdiagnosis of young girls can lead to increased mental health concerns and emotional exhaustion later on into adolescence and further into adulthood. Social communication becomes more complex and contextual, which can increase challenges in understanding and reciprocating social interactions, increasing social isolation and bullying and leading to a much later diagnosis of Autism. These same girls, now as adolescents, are finally observed to display social issues externally that in reality, have always been present, just internally. Without the opportunity for early intervention, adolescent girls who were diagnosed later in life, can take additional time and support to undo learned behaviours and habits of coping with their challenges to relearn positive strategies that better support their wellbeing.
Working as a Behaviour Support Practitioner
My passion lies in working with these girls to recognise their strengths and incredible abilities to cope with struggles and challenges that have been previously overlooked.
Working as a behaviour support practitioner allows me to put my interest into perspective with working alongside teenage girls who live with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder.
Reference list:
Arky, B. (2023, October 30). Why many autistic girls are overlooked. Child Mind Institute. https://childmind.org/article/autistic-girls-overlooked-undiagnosed-autism/
Data and statistics on autism spectrum disorder. (2024, May 16). Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). https://www.cdc.gov/autism/data-research/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/data.html