Autism Vox

June 3rd, 2008

How Invisible is Autism in Women?

Writes Bridget Orr, a young woman with Asperger’s Syndrome in a piece accompanying It’s not just boys who are autistic, an article in the June 4th Guardian:
Female “invisibility” in the autistic spectrum should be a feminist issue.
Selina Postgate, 53, was only diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome last summer; she expresses a similar sentiment:
“Being an autistic woman […]

By Kristina Chew, PhD -- 38 comments

May 12th, 2008

Mutated Gene Linked to Epilepsy and Intellectual Disabilities in Women

Researchers at Adelaide’s Women’s & Children’s Hospital and the University of Adelaide, Australia, have found that a mutant gene causes epilepsy and intellectual disabilities specific to women. As noted in Science Daily, the study links a “large family of genes known as protocadherins with a condition known as ‘epilepsy and mental retardation limited to females’ […]

By Kristina Chew, PhD -- 1 comment

January 23rd, 2008

Is Autism Underdiagnosed in Girls and Women?

ABC’s Nightline is airing a special on girls with autism tonight, on ABC News World News with Charles Gibson at 6:30pm (ET) and on Nightline, Wednesday, January 23, 2008 at 11:35pm (ET/PT). Aspie Dad posts a summary:  

…in a surprising twist, correspondent John Donvan and producer Caren Zucker talk to several researchers and psychologists who believe […]

By Kristina Chew, PhD -- 28 comments