Off the Spectrum

A cognitive neuroscientist reveals how autistic women have been overlooked by biased research--and makes a passionate case for their inclusion Who comes to mind when you think about an autistic person? It might be yourself, a relative or friend, a public figure, a fictional character, or a stereotyped image. Regardless, for most of us, it's likely to be someone male. Autistic women are systematically underdiagnosed, under-researched, and underserved by medical and social systems--to devastating effects. In Off the Spectrum , cognitive neuroscientist Gina Rippon sheds light on how old ideas about autism leave women behind and how the scientific community must catch up. Generations of researchers, convinced autism was a male problem, simply didn't bother looking for it in women, creating a snowball effect of biased research. To correct this "male spotlight" problem, Rippon outlines how autism presents differently in girls and women--like their tendency to camouflage their autistic traits, or how their intense interests may take a form considered to be more socially acceptable. When autism research studies don't recruit female participants, Rippon argues, it's not only autistic women who are failed; it's the entire scientific community. Correcting a major scientific bias, Off the Spectrum provides a much-needed exploration of autism in women to parents, clinicians, and autistic women themselves.

A cognitive neuroscientist reveals how autistic women have been overlooked by biased research--and makes a passionate case for their inclusion Who comes to mind when you think about an autistic person? It might be yourself, a relative or friend, a public figure, a fictional character, or a stereotyped image. Regardless, for most of us, it's likely to be someone male. Autistic women are systematically underdiagnosed, under-researched, and underserved by medical and social systems--to devastating effects. In Off the Spectrum , cognitive neuroscientist Gina Rippon sheds light on how old ideas about autism leave women behind and how the scientific community must catch up. Generations of researchers, convinced autism was a male problem, simply didn't bother looking for it in women, creating a snowball effect of biased research. To correct this "male spotlight" problem, Rippon outlines how autism presents differently in girls and women--like their tendency to camouflage their autistic traits, or how their intense interests may take a form considered to be more socially acceptable. When autism research studies don't recruit female participants, Rippon argues, it's not only autistic women who are failed; it's the entire scientific community. Correcting a major scientific bias, Off the Spectrum provides a much-needed exploration of autism in women to parents, clinicians, and autistic women themselves.