User:Jmacmac/Societal and cultural aspects of autism

Autistic women
Autism is thought of as a condition mostly affecting males, with males up to four times more likely than females to be diagnosed as autistic and among those with Asperger syndrome or "high functioning autism", males are up to ten times more likely to be diagnosed. This may be due to the fact that many of the diagnostic tools used to diagnose autism have been crafted through the observation of males on the autism spectrum and are therefor more likely to identify men and boys with autism then their female counterparts. For many autistic females the lack of diagnosis or a late diagnosis results in them missing out on supports and interventions that are most valuable when implemented at a younger age. For those females who do receive a diagnosis and are provided with those supports, often have to face the many of them have been created with males in mind and may not acknowledge the physical, psychological and societal differences that females face. Some autistic women find themselves misdiagnosed with personality disorders, such as borderline personality disorder, avoidant personality disorder and schizoid personality disorder. Autistic females are "research orphans" according to Yale's Ami Klin; some drugs used to treat anxiety or hyperactivity that may accompany autism are rarely tested on autistic females. Autism may express differently in the sexes, with many females on the spectrum presenting more subtly then males and may be more adept at developing more sophisticated social masking behaviours, as such females with more prominent difficulties are more likely to be diagnosed then those who present differently. Autistic females are more likely to develope a more sophisticated social camouflage for a variety of reasons. One theory as to why is that women as a whole face more complex social expectations then men, creating a greater need to "prepare more thoroughly for social situations, or risk ostracism". Another theory suggests that women on the spectrum have a more inborn need for social interaction then their male counterparts, leading many women and girls to be more invested in creating social camouflage strategies. '''These strategies are developed in a variety of ways such as, observing and copying the social interactions of those around them as well as creating strategies to attempt to "go undetected". These coping mechanisms can take an immense amount of time and energy to learn and practice and can as Dr. Shana Nicols states "more often then not lead to exhaustion, withdrawal, anxiety, selective mutism and depression". Autistic girls who have "normal"''' intelligence may be more socially disadvantaged than males because of the "rising level of social interaction that comes in middle school," when girls' "friendships often hinge on attention to feelings and lots of rapid and nuanced communication." Autistic girls may suffer additionally by being placed in specialized educational programs, where they will be surrounded by males and further isolated from female social contacts. Females on the autism spectrum often "internalize feelings of frustration and failure" and are believed to suffer higher rates of certain comorbidities such as anxiety and Depression (36 and 34 percent respectively), '''due in large part to the desire for along with the difficulties in finding social inclusion along with other social and sensory challenges. Lack of diagnosis can also lead autistic females to have higher rates of depression, anxiety and self-esteem issues as they are left without a clear understanding as to why they do not "fit in" with their peers. Females on the spectrum also seem to have higher rates of eating disorders, such as anorexia then other females. This may be related to social isolation and elevated levels of anxiety along with a need to control their environment more fully. Although both males and females on the spectrum have a higher risk of experiencing bullying, these experiences often present differently based on gender.''' Although sample sizes are too small to draw firm conclusions, one study suggests that autistic women are less likely than males over the long term to marry, have families, go to college, have careers and live independently. An intense interest in specific topics plays a significant factor in the lives of those on the Autism spectrum of both genders. Females on the spectrum may focus on different topics then their male counterparts; autistic females rarely have interests in numbers or have stores of specialized knowledge, the intense interests of autistic females can be overlooked as they are often seen to be more applicable to a broader section of society. Both males and females with autism deal with the same core symptom, but when those symptoms are mixed with ideas of gender, they can offer very different lived experiences for females then their male counterparts.

Notable individuals
See also: Retrospective diagnosis § Retrospective diagnoses of autism

Some notable figures on the autism spectrum are, American food animal handling systems designer and author Temple Grandin, American Pulitzer Prize-winning music critic and author Tim Page, Australian musician, lead singer and only constant member of rock band the Vines Craig Nicholls, English actor and filmmaker Paddy Considine and Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg are autistic.

Thunberg, who in August 2018 started the "School strike for climate" movement, has explained how the "gift" of living with Asperger syndrome helps her "see things from outside the box" when it comes to climate change. In an interview with presenter Nick Robinson on BBC Radio 4's Today, the then-16-year-old activist said that autism helps her see things in "black and white". She went on to say:"It makes me different, and being different is a gift, I would say. It also makes me see things from outside the box. I don't easily fall for lies, I can see through things. I don't think I would be interested in the climate at all, if I had been like everyone else. Many people say that it doesn't matter, you can cheat sometimes. But I can't do that. You can't be a little bit sustainable. Either you're sustainable, or not sustainable. For way too long the politicians and people in power have got away with not doing anything at all to fight the climate crisis and ecological crisis, but we will make sure that they will not get away with it any longer."Scottish singer Susan Boyle was diagnosed with Aspergers at the age of 51, Boyle was originally believed to have suffered slight brain damage at birth. Boyle rose to fame after appearing on the talent show Britain's Got Talent in 2009. Her debut album I Dreamed a dream, released in 2009, became the fastest selling debut by a UK artist of all time. American actress Daryl Hannah, star of movies such as Splash, Steel Magnolias and Wall Street, was diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum as a child. Diagnosed at fifteen, Heather Kuzmich appeared on America's Next Top Model in 2007. Although she did not win the competition, Kuzmich was voted the viewers favourite a remarkable eight weeks in a row. She has since been signed to Elite Model Management. New Zealand born musician Ladyhawke aka Phillipa Margaret Brown and gold medal winning British Paralympic swimmer Jessica-Jane Applegate are also autistic.

Additionally, media speculation of contemporary figures as being on the autism spectrum has become popular in recent times. New York magazine reported some examples, which included that Time magazine suggested that Bill Gates is autistic, and that a biographer of Warren Buffett wrote that his prodigious memory and "fascination with numbers" give him "a vaguely autistic aura." The magazine also reported that on Celebrity Rehab, Dr. Drew Pinsky deemed basketball player Dennis Rodman a candidate for an Asperger's diagnosis, and the UCLA specialist consulted "seemed to concur". Nora Ephron criticized these conclusions, writing that popular speculative diagnoses suggest autism is "an epidemic, or else a wildly over-diagnosed thing that there used to be other words for." The practice of diagnosing autism in these cases is controversial.

Some historical personalities are also the subject of speculation about being autistic, e.g. Michelangelo.