‘The girls are out there’: professional perspectives on potential changes in the diagnostic process for, and recognition of, autistic females in the UK

Abstract

There is widely growing recognition of autism in girls, and both researchers and community members have called for improvements in the diagnostic process. What is not yet known is whether these recommendations are being taken up by professionals. In this study, nine semi-structured interviews were conducted with a variety of professionals involved in the autism diagnostic process. The collected data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Three main themes were identified: gendered differences; lack of services; and informal change. Our study found that diagnostic professionals are aware of gender differences in presentation, and they make a range of informal adaptations to their processes for girls. While this is positive for those girls who interact with knowledgeable professionals, our data highlight the need for more systematic changes to ensure equality of access to diagnosis and post-diagnostic support.