Autism

How young girls struggle with Autism

Autism is a neurodevelopment condition that affects how a person communicates, interacts socially, processes information and experiences the world.

How does this affect young girls?

Autism can affect young girls in ways that are sometimes different from boys. Many girls are under diagnosed or diagnosed later because their traits can be less obvious or expressed differently

Girls often mask their traits by copying others around them, such as facial expressions and forcing eye contact

Their special interests may look “typical” for young girls such as animals, dolls, reading.

Autistic girls may be:

Easily overwhelmed by noise, crowds or textures

Very sensitive to clothing tags, tight clothes or certain fabrics

Distressed by unpredictable environments

Social interaction

Autistic girls want friends too but social rules/expectations feel confusing or tiring

They may copy others to fit in

Prefer a few close friends or solitary play

Autistic girls can focus deeply on specific interests for longer periods of time

Attention problems come more from anxiety, sensory overload or needing structure

Emotional meltdowns come from a build up of emotions and they come from overwhelm and not impulsivity.

Autistic girls struggle with social understanding, sensory processing, predictability and focused interests