Autism affects some groups of people differently. And sometimes this means unequal access to diagnosis, treatment, and support. It’s important to understand autism disparities, or differences, to ensure that all people – regardless of gender, race, or sexual orientation – have equal access to autism care.
Autism in women
Autism can sometimes be different for women compared to men. Compared to men, autistic cisgender women might:
Your doctor may not have as much knowledge about diagnosing girls or women with autism. Since many symptoms are focused on men with autism, this can make it harder to tell if a girl or woman has autism. Because of this, girls and women with autism may be misdiagnosed or missed entirely. As experts become more aware of this, the estimates of how many men have autism compared to women has gotten smaller.
Autism and racial and ethnic differences
Since 2000, the CDC has closely monitored the number and characteristics of children with ASD in the U.S. Recent reports show that more Black and Hispanic children are diagnosed with autism compared to white children. Despite higher rates of autism among Black and Hispanic children, these groups have significantly less access to autism resources than white children with ASD. Reasons for this may include::
LGBTQ+ and autism
Research shows that people with autism are more likely to identify as a part of the LGBTQ+ community than people who don’t have it. People in this group who also have autism are more likely to face discrimination, issues with getting medical care, violence, and cultural stigmas. This can create greater mental health complications for LGBTQ+ individuals who are autistic and already at a higher risk for these complications.
