Being seen and heard is a basic requirement of every human being. However, the fear of being misunderstood or judged is a constant nightmare for females with high-functioning autism.
If you are someone with autism or you know someone who is living with this, then you most likely understand that autism is a complex experience. Diagnosis of autism in girls and women is even more complicated, mainly because of how the symptoms and characteristics can differ in women than in men.
To make sure you don’t overlook it, let’s explore autism and signs of autism in adult women to help yourself or someone else better.
What is High Functioning Autism?
High Functioning Autism (HFA), currently known as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) level 1, is a term used to describe individuals with milder autism symptoms.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that can impact how you communicate, behave, or interact with others. It is known as the “spectrum” because it covers a range of symptoms, capabilities, and challenges from mild to severe.
People with High Functioning Autism (HFA) also experience those capabilities and challenges but with less visible symptoms, especially women.
High Functioning Autism in Women
Historically, autism has always been seen as a male condition, but it is present differently in men and women. Women are so often stereotyped as shy, quiet, or tidy that they can flawlessly mask the symptoms and challenges of autism.
Women with HFA are less likely to show repetitive behaviors, restricted interest, and social withdrawal as compared to autistic men. These behaviors can be present but may not look the same in autistic women.
Women often experience their autism internally, which can make “masking” and “camouflaging” a natural way for them to hide their autism behavior. They mimic and mask behavior often while trying to fit in.
The fear of being wrong and upsetting or hurting someone’s feelings can turn women with HFA into people pleasers. Unfortunately, this can sometimes lead to abuse or being taken advantage of in relationships more frequently than other neurotypical people.
Major Symptoms of High-Functioning Autism in Women
Symptoms of ASD in women can be easily overlooked by others because women experience a wider range of unique symptoms than men. These symptoms are less recognizable but deeply impactful. Some of those unique symptoms of autism in adult women are:
Masking or Camouflaging
Masking is a coping mechanism used by individuals with HFA, particularly women, to mask their autistic behavior in social settings. Common camouflaging behaviors include mimicking social cues, suppressing stimming, and rehearsing conversations. While it can help you fit in with your neurotypical peers, it also comes at an emotional cost.
It can lead to burnout and the feeling of disconnection from yourself. Due to the pressure of societal expectations, women with HFA can struggle with anxiety and depression from excess engagement in internalizing behavior. Many people experience emotional fatigue and a reduced ability to express emotions naturally due to masking.
Additionally, camouflaging often leads to delayed diagnosis in women as the main task of it is to hide autistic behavior. It is essential to create a supportive and inclusive environment for a woman with HFA to provide her with a safe space to be her authentic self.
Difficulty in Social Communication
Social interaction can feel puzzling and exhausting for women with HFA. They may struggle with understanding non-verbal cues such as gestures, facial expressions, and tone of voice.
While they want to connect with others more deeply, it is challenging for them to understand casual small talk and social cues. This can leave them feeling out of place in groups and overly focused on analysis of past conversations to check if they missed any social rule.
To empower a woman with high-functioning autism, you can help her by recognizing and supporting her social interactions. Open and direct communication, social skills training, and an inclusive social environment are a few things that can help her overcome social communication challenges.
Sensory Sensitivities
Sensory sensitivity to external stimuli is a common experience among individuals with HFA, especially women. This means that light, sound, texture, taste, smell, or even touch that other people may not notice or find normal can be overwhelming for women with HFA.
This can lead to many changes and challenges in the daily life of women with HFA. The loud and busy environment can feel overwhelming, and they might avoid going to places like crowded malls or busy restaurants. They may start avoiding certain types of fabrics in clothing preferences and start leaning more towards soft, comfortable fabrics.
This sensitivity can make them feel overwhelmed and cause significant distress by affecting them while performing daily tasks. Further, this can also lead to sensory fatigue from prolonged exposure to intense sensory stimuli.
Intense Focus
Research shows that autistic men often have a preference and desire to understand and build systems, typically related to technical and scientific fields. On the other hand, women often develop deep interests in socially accepted topics, like literature, psychology, research, problem-solving, and creative arts. Women with HFA experience intense focus and passion for topics that fascinate them.
They can absorb a large amount of information and demonstrate a deep understanding of their topic of interest. Women with HFA can channel their intense passion and focused attention in a positive way and become experts in the field of their interests.
Additionally, these symptoms can be seen as a strength, as women with HFA have exceptional abilities for focus and attention to detail.
Emotional Sensitivity
High-functioning autistic women exhibit traits like heightened emotional sensitivity and deep empathy. They may have the ability to sense and understand the emotions of other people, which can leave them emotionally overwhelmed. They may experience deep emotional responses in social situations and feel overwhelmed by their own and other’s emotions.
Absorbing the emotions of others around you can lead you to emotional exhaustion, but if handled in the right ways, your empathy can help you. It can help in fostering deep, meaningful, and fulfilling relationships where people understand each other.
There are some common misconceptions that people with autism lack empathy, while women with HFA can feel deep emotional connection and empathy towards others. Understanding the good aspects of emotional sensitivity can help in creating the right strategies for handling emotional overload and turning this symptom into a strength.
Difficulty with Non-Verbal Cues
Though women with HFA adapt to social situations through social making, understanding and interpreting subtle social cues can still be difficult for them. Non-verbal cues like body language, gestures, tone of voice, or implied meanings can be harder for them to understand.
They might find maintaining eye contact or engaging in reciprocal conversations somewhat difficult. This can lead women with HFA to second-guess their social behavior and misunderstandings in social settings.
Unlike men with autism, women with HFA are better at hiding these difficulties by mirroring the behaviors and facial expressions of the people they observe. Through mirroring and masking, they build strategies for the smooth navigation of social situations.
Need for Routine and Structure
Routine and structure are essential tools for women with HFA because they provide them with a sense of security in the unpredictable world. The reliance on the need for routine often stems from difficulties with executive functions such as planning, organizing, or managing time.
Maintaining a daily routine or a structured workflow system can help them manage anxiety and daily tasks better with a sense of control. Having a consistent routine serves as a comfort zone that can also help them face daily life with more confidence.
Men with autism also experience a similar need for routine and structure, but their specific focus can be on highly specific topics or hobbies. On the other hand, Women with HFA may exhibit the same trait but with a focus on social settings and self-care practices.
Diagnostic Challenges in Autistic Females
Diagnosing HFA in females can be a challenging process, especially in adulthood. Traditionally, the diagnostic criteria were primarily based on studies done by observing the male behavior pattern. Since women experience different symptoms than men, there are more chances of misdiagnosis and underdiagnosis of autism in women.
Sometimes, autistic women can get misdiagnosed with anxiety, ADHD, or depression when they have HFA. Moreover, undiagnosed autism in women can lead to females struggling to understand their life experiences. They might feel different or wrong without knowing “why.”
An accurate diagnosis can be life-changing. The first step is recognizing autism, its symptoms, and how it affects your life. The next step can be accepting it as a condition, finding support, and working patiently with it to create helpful solutions.
Finding a Community and Resources
There are many available options as community and resources for women with HFA. You and your families need to explore all the available options and choose the one that suits your needs and requirements. Some of those options are:
Therapies and Interventions
You can start with therapies and interventions that can help with the specific needs of females with autism. Some commonly used therapies and interventions are:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): In CBT, you learn how to identify and reshape negative thought patterns and behaviors in yourself. Additionally, you will learn how to manage anxiety better, improve your social skills, and ease the navigation of social interactions.
- Speech-language therapy: Speech-language therapy can help you understand subtle social cues, which can result in better social interactions and communication skills. Working with interventions like social skills training can help you understand social situations and develop meaningful relationships.
- Occupational Therapy (OT): Occupational therapy addresses sensory sensitivity, which is crucial for developing strategies for managing sensory overload. Further, OT can also help you enhance your motor skills and build independence to live a fulfilling life.
Support Groups and Online Communities
Finding support from others who share a similar experience can help you learn practical strategies for navigating through the challenges of HFA. You can find a safe space for emotional support in support groups and online communities of high-functioning autistic women.
A sense of belonging is created when people share similar experiences, challenges, and successes. In fact, some groups even share reading materials, toolkits, and links to websites from where you can learn more about HFA. You can exchange your insights and strategies in return to foster personal growth and empowerment.
Initiatives and Organizations
As said before, traditionally, autism research and awareness were mainly focused on the observation of male behavior. This bias led to misunderstandings and misconceptions and limited the support for women with HFA.
However, advocacy and empowerment initiatives played an important role in spreading awareness and advocating for the rights and needs of women with HFA. They are aimed at clearing those societal stereotypes surrounding autism in adult women while ensuring acceptance, support, and inclusion.
In addition, organizations like Amen University further aim to support the well-being of women with HFA by providing specially designed courses. These courses provide valuable insights into autism, helping you discover answers that are often difficult to find.
The course introduces simpler ways to care for individuals with autism. By the end of the course, you will have healthier, happier relationships with your loved ones on the autism spectrum—or with yourself if you are experiencing challenges due to ASD.
Wrapping Up
High-functioning female autism can feel like a lonely journey, but it doesn’t have to be. Many people experience autism and get through the challenges by finding support and understanding from the community and online resources.
All you have to do is find the kind of support that empowers your situation and feels right to you. Moreover, it is important to approach the topic with openness and respect, as every individual experiences autism in unique ways. Explore our Autism Online Course and start your journey today.
Thanks for reading!
