Exploring the Lack of Research About Autistic Women

Abstract

Literature about autistic females remains scant despite the amount of research about the autism spectrum substantially increasing over the previous decade. This chapter begins with an examination of the discrepancies between research about autistic males and females. It then examines three reasons why autistic females have rarely been researched, followed by some of the main topics that have been researched about autistic females. This chapter concludes with several suggestions for the creation of research about autistic females.

The original contribution that this chapter makes to the field of autism spectrum research is to explain the lack of research about autistic females. This objective is accomplished by presenting a synthesis of the literature about some of the barriers that prevent females from being diagnosed as autistic.

Citation

Bennett, M. and Goodall, E. (2022), "Exploring the Lack of Research About Autistic Women", Addressing Underserved Populations in Autism Spectrum Research, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 27-37. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80382-463-520221005