The Lost Girls of Autism

Why is the history of autism male? This is a question asked by neuroscientist Gina Rippon whose eponymous book delves into the emerging science of female autism.

Autistic girls are often misdiagnosed with anxiety, depression or personality disorders because they are more likely to camouflage or hide autistic traits to fit in.

Gina points to autism’s ‘male spotlight’ meaning that we are only now starting to redress this injustice and recognise that autism is different for women and girls.

She says many women only discover they have the condition when they are older, missing decades of support and understanding.

Her groundbreaking book The Lost Girls of Autism is a clarion call for society to recognise the full spectrum of the autistic experience.

Gina Rippon is at the Festival on Saturday 18 October at 2.00pm.