The difference that gender makes in the diagnosis, life, and experiences of an individual on the autism spectrum is extremely significant. In this widely revised second edition, Sarah Hendrickx combines the latest research with personal stories from girls and women on the autism spectrum, presenting a picture of their emotions, thoughts, and experiences at every stage of their lives. She describes the potential influence on autistic women and girls throughout their lives. Hendrickx examines all issues, from diagnosis, childhood, education, adolescence, friendships, and sexuality, to employment, pregnancy, parenting, and aging. With updated content on image cultivation, diagnostic processes in later stages of life, and new focus on trans and non-binary voices, it also delves into specific health and wellness parameters, including menopause, PCOS, hypermobility/Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, autistic burnout, and alexithymia. This book is an invaluable ally for professionals, as well as a guiding light for autistic women to understand and interpret their experience in context.
