HANNAH
For too many years there has been a persistent untruth that autism is rare in girls and women. The use of classic autistic male characteristics for diagnostic parameters has meant that generations of women have been overlooked and often arrive at a diagnosis decades after their male counterparts. These women may have careers, relationships and families of their own. I wanted people to understand the very real differences that they have been carrying with them throughout their lives, masking their true selves to enable them to pass for ‘normal’ in a neurotypical society that has not acknowledged or supported them – at the cost of their mental health.
This group of women, the majority here diagnosed within the past four years, are the least likely to be believed to be autistic. The irony is that their struggles are often greater because of their achievements, often in education or work, meaning they are even less likely to be believed and more likely to be misunderstood. I wanted to enable these women to tell their stories and to challenge our understanding and acceptance of different neurotypes in a society where there are so few opportunities to be seen or heard.
