Misunderstood, excluded, and othered: Lay constructions of autistic women

Abstract

This qualitative investigation explored lay constructions of autistic women, a group that has been invisible from the making of “autism,” as it is constructed by society. Thirty-one neurotypical adults living in Australia (aged 19–65 years) responded to a written vignette about a fictional autistic woman. We performed a constructionist thematic analysis and developed three themes that positioned autistic women as misunderstood, excluded, and othered. We interpreted the results through the lenses of dominant gender constructs, ableist discourse, and intersectionality theory. Our interpretation of the findings illuminates the prevailing influence of male-dominant discourses of autism, hegemonic ideals of womanhood, and medicalised understandings of disability that people draw upon to make sense of autistic women. This novel research underscores the need for more education and awareness about this group.