Girls and Autism: Educational, Family and Personal Perspectives

Often thought of as a predominantly ‘male’ disorder, autism has long gone unidentified, unnoticed and unsupported in girls – sometimes with devastating consequences for their social and mental well-being. As current research reveals a much more balanced male-to-female ratio in autism, this book provides crucial insight into autistic girls’ experiences, helping professionals to recognise, understand, support and teach them effectively.

Drawing on the latest research findings, chapters consider why girls have historically been overlooked by traditional diagnostic approaches, identifying behaviours that may be particular to girls, and exploring the ‘camouflaging’ that can make the diagnosis of autistic girls more difficult. Chapters emphasise both the challenges and advantages of autism and take a multidisciplinary approach to encompass contributions from autistic girls and women, their family members, teachers, psychologists and other professionals. The result is an invaluable source of first-hand insights, knowledge and strategies, which will enable those living or working with girls on the autism spectrum to provide more informed and effective support.

Giving voice to the experiences, concerns, needs and hopes of girls on the autism spectrum, this much-needed book provides parents, teachers and other professionals with essential information to help them support and teach autistic girls more effectively.

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Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

About the Editors

Contributors

Preface – Professor Sheila, the Baroness, Hollins

Foreword – Sophie Walker

PART 1: Introduction

1. Where are all the autistic girls?: an introduction - Barry Carpenter, Francesca Happé and Jo Egerton
2. What does research tell us about girls on the autism spectrum? - Francesca Happé

PART 2: Girls and autism – the lived experience

3. The advantages of autism: a personal journey - Katie Buckingham
4. Raising the voice of the lost girls - Carrie Grant
5. Introducing ‘What we want the world to know’ from the girls of Limpsfield Grange School - Girls of Limpsfield Grange School and Sarah Wild, Head Teacher
6. Black girls and autism - Venessa Bobb
7. Girls Group: respecting the female identity of girls with autism in a school setting - Sharonne Horlock

PART 3: Girls, autism and education

8. Leadership issues in the current educational climate - Rona Tutt
9. Building a specialist curriculum for autistic girls - Sarah Wild
10. Included or excluded?: school experiences of autistic girls - Jane Friswell
11. Girls who ‘can’t help won’t’: understanding the distinctive profile of Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) and developing approaches to support girls with PDA - Ruth Fidler

PART 4: Autism, adolescence and social networks

12. What do we know about the neuroscience of autism in girls and women? - Meng-Chan Lai
13. Mental health and girls on the autism spectrum - Tina Rae and Grace Hershey
14. Friendships on the autism spectrum - Felicity Sedgewick and Liz Pellicano
15. Help us make our own way: talking to autistic women and girls about adolescence and sexuality - Gillian Loomes

PART 5: Autistic girls – looking to the future

16. Girls for the future: transitions and employment - Jo Egerton, Helen Ellis and Barry Carpenter
17. Supported teachers supporting girls: a whole-school model of support for the education of young people with autism - Sarah-Jane Critchley
18. Run the world, girls: success as an adult autistic female - Rachel Townson and Carol Povey
19. Epilogue: a call for action - Wenn Lawson

"This book provides an excellent combination of personal experience and current research to highlight the importance of understanding girls and women on the autism spectrum. Throughout the chapters the issues of importance that are presented over and over again are about the need to value strengths and individuality; develop relevant strategies; be flexible; and build supportive networks, including ‘true’ friends; to ensure autistic girls grow into strong and self-reliant young women who can be whatever they want to be. I would recommend this book to anyone teaching, working with, or supporting young autistic women, who wants to contribute to their future success."
- Dr Debra Costley, Associate Professor of Education, University of Nottingham, UK.

"This book is essentially very positive despite the unflinching descriptions of the complexities of life and school and the barriers that exist for girls with autism. It maintains a focus on what is possible and what is achievable even with the current reality for the majority of poorly coordinated support and insufficient services. It is a highly recommended read both for parents and for professionals working in or with schools, colleges, career services, as well as the health and social care sectors. "
- Dr Rob Ashdown, Editor, PMLD Link

"A very well-timed book for the field, it deals a topic that is extremely underrepresented, girls with autism. It offers a thorough exploration of the topic that has a strong foundation in research. It is a very comprehensive analysis, which is particularly powerful when you read the lived experience section. Congratulations to the authors on producing a coherent, engaging and important book."
- Phyllis Jones, PhD, Professor in the department of Teaching & Learning, University of South Florida, USA.

"What stands out most from this new, highly informative and skilfully edited collection are the lived experiences of the contributors; presented as honest and open accounts by girls, young and adult women describing the way autism affects their relationships with the world around them… For any social worker with an interest in the life course development of girls to adolescents to young adults this book will provide a heartfelt and highly informative insight into the lives of vulnerable and often marginalised females."
- Mark Goodman, British Journal of Social Work

"The subject of girls with autism has so far been under represented and this timely book addresses the knowledge gap with a thorough exploration of the topic and up-to-date research… Giving voice to the experiences, concerns, needs and hopes of girls on the autism spectrum, results in a text that will help to provide parents, teachers and other professionals with essential information to support and teach them more effectively."
- Early Years Educator (EYE)

""Girls and Autism by Carpenter, Happé and Egerton brings together an important blend of personal and family experiences and the current research evidence. The focus of this book is specifically on girls and women on the autism spectrum, an area that has up to now been neglected, due to the attention on boys and men… This book makes an important and new contribution and is relevant to practitioners working in education, health, social care and independent sectors supporting young women with autism."
- Professor Michael Brown, Learning Disability Practice