Off the spectrum Why the science of autism has failed women and girls

The scientific community has helped construct a binary, male-centric view of autism that has overlooked girls and women with the condition for decades, according to this rigorous study. Neuroscientist Rippon (The Gendered Brain) contends that since the first mention of autism in scientific literature in 1943, research "skewed by lack of female participants" and narrow diagnostic criteria has centered on such symptoms as self-isolation, an obsession with routine, and a fascination with "obscure sets of information." Yet recent research has revealed that women with autism tend to fly under the radar because their symptoms are likelier to be invisible (autistic women report higher rates of sensory sensitivity), or "camouflaged" to fit cultural norms. For example, autistic women report devising complex social scripts to skate over communication difficulties, often damaging their self-esteem in the process. Rippon shows how the "new 'vision' of female autism" and its complex interactions with the "structures and functions of the social brain" sheds fresh light on the condition and how to study it, including the value of participatory research, which involves asking for autistic people's input on diagnostic questions and which populations to study. Peppered with the author's original research and backed by a comprehensive overview of the condition's history, this immersive treatise will enlighten anyone whose life has been touched by autism. (Apr.)