- Conference
- 2025 National Women's Conference
- Date
- 17 October 2024
- Decision
- Carried
Until recently, it was considered that the overwhelmingly majority of people with autism spectrum condition (ASC) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were ‘men and boys’. This is of course not accurate, and we now know there are many women, girls and non-binary people with ASC and ADHD.
In the words of the National Autistic Society “Although we now know much more about the experiences of autistic women and girls, society’s understanding of autism has been limited by outdated stereotypes and incorrect assumptions. Although autism research and professional practice are slowly catching up to the realities of life for autistic women and girls, many barriers to diagnosis and support remain.”
Research by University College London (UCL) 2018 stated that men and boys are 3-6 times more likely to get a diagnosis and that the average age of diagnosis for women is in their late 30’s to early 40’s, compared to age 7 for boys.
It is reported that ASC and ADHD present differently in women and girls, and this results in them being more likely to be diagnosed with a mental health condition or a condition such as fibromyalgia. Many of the symptoms overlap and because of historical misinformation, women and girls are wrongly diagnosed.
Receiving the right diagnosis can be empowering and can assist with workplace reasonable adjustments as it is a protected under the Equality Act 2010.
Women who are members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender plus (LGBT+) community are also more likely to be neurodivergent. The main theory supporting this phenomenon is that neurodivergent people are less likely to adapt to ‘social norms’ and as a result are more likely to explore their gender identity and sexual orientation.
Conference calls on the National Women’s Committee to
1)Liaise with the National Committee’s of the LGBT+, Disabled Members, Black Members and Young Members Self Organised Groups (SOG’s) to formulate a fact sheet specific to neurodivergent women members’ rights at work.
2)Work with Regions and branches to promote awareness of the need to focus on women’s specific challenges and needs related to neurodiversity and potential diagnosis.
3)Establish and facilitate a campaign to both raise awareness to challenge the myths related to women with neurodiversity, and ensure there is a focus on the need to improve the outcomes for women when they approach healthcare professionals.