80% of autistic women are undiagnosed by the time they enter adulthood at 18 

42% of women with autism are misdiagnosed at least one time before receiving their diagnosis

The CDC claims autism is 4x more likely in males than females, however, the diagnostic criteria for autism only screens for common symptoms in autistic males due to early studies consisting almost entirely of males. 

The male-to-female autism ratio is often sited as 4:1, but McCrossin’s mathematical projections in 2022 suggest the true male-to-female ratio is 3:4 when taking diagnostic bias into consideration.

Substantial evidence indicates that the diagnostic processes are less likely to identify women, especially in the absence of a co-morbid intellectual disability.
Autistic females with average to high IQs are even less likely to receive a diagnosis of autism

On average, autistic females fortunate enough to receive a diagnosis are diagnosed much later in life than autistic males.

While autistic females are much less likely to receive a diagnosis, they are more likely to have complications and risks associated with autism. This results in very concerning decreased ability to receive support despite an increased risk of complications. 

25% of autistic males are diagnosed before 6 years old compared to only 8% of autistic females 

50% of autistic males are diagnosed before 11 years old compared to only 20% of autistic females

Autistic females…..

-Mask symptoms 3-4x more than males

-Are more likely to show internalized symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and low self esteem. These symptoms are also commonly seen as a result of the extensive effort put into camouflaging/masking.

-Have a higher likelihood of experiencing more sensory issues with less of the typical "social-communication" deficits seen largely in autistic males 

-Are at a higher risk of being the victims of bullying, abuse, and sexual assault

-Are at a higher risk of suicide than autistic men and neurotypical females.
One large study found that while autistic males were 6.5x more likely to die by suicide, autistic females were 13x more likely to die by suicide

-Are at a higher risk of developing PTSD.

-Often experience forms of chronic fatigue, migraines, and other physical ailments, but are often labeled a hypochondriac or attention seeking.

Autistic females are also more likely to experience health issues than autistic males and neurotypical males and females.

It is more likely physical ailments will be dismissed or untreated without an autism diagnosis. Health issues that are more prevalent among autistic females include:   

• Epilepsy
• Endocrine disorders
• Reproductive health issues
• Neurological conditions
• Metabolic disorders
• Gastrointestinal issues
• Nutritional issues
• Immune and autoimmune conditions

Autistic individuals also have an increased risk of:

• Heart disease
• Cancer

 

It’s time to change the outdated, biased diagnostic criteria to increase support for all forms of autistic presentation. 

There is enough evidence on the difference in symptoms and presentation between autistic males and females, and the scientific community is clearly aware of the increased risk factors associated with autistic females, so why are they continuing to increase these risks by not correcting this detrimental error in diagnostic criteria that is preventing 80% of autistic females from receiving an accurate diagnosis? 

Accurate diagnosis and support saves lives 

You don’t know if one of your loved ones could be suffering in silence because of this issue. 

Please sign this petition to help amplify the voices of all of us who have suffered from this so we can fight to prevent the suffering for others in the future. 

You can also follow the link below for detailed instructions on how you can submit a formal proposal to make changes to the DSM-5

Submit official proposal to make changes to the DSM-5

 

(The use of male and female is strictly referring to biological sex for the sake of clarity)