Off the Spectrum: Why the Science of Autism Has Failed Women and Girls

A cognitive neuroscientist reveals how autistic women have been overlooked by biased research—and makes a passionate case for their inclusion.

Who comes to mind when you think of an autistic person? It might be yourself, a relative or friend, a public figure, a fictional character, or a stereotyped image. Regardless, for most of us it’s likely to be someone male. Medical and social systems systematically under-diagnose, under-research, and under-serve autistic women—to devastating effect.

In Off the Spectrum cognitive neuroscientist Gina Rippon sheds light on how old ideas about autism leave women behind and how the scientific community must catch up. Generations of researchers, convinced autism was a male problem, simply didn’t bother looking for it in women, creating a snowball effect of biased research.

To correct this “male spotlight” problem Rippon outlines how autism presents differently in girls and women—such as how they tend to camouflage autistic traits, or how their intense interests may take a form considered more socially acceptable. When autism studies don’t recruit female subjects, Rippon argues, it’s not only autistic women who are failed; it’s the entire scientific community. Correcting a major scientific bias, Off the Spectrum provides a much-needed exploration of autism in women to parents, clinicians, and autistic women themselves.