The healthcare experiences of middle and older age autistic women in the United Kingdom.
Amy Gillions, Elizabeth O'Nions, Hassan Mansour and 3 others
PMID 40792546WHAT IT FOUND
Middle-aged and older autistic women described healthcare as exhausting and dismissive.
Professionals often misread their autism as mental illness or ignored sensory needs. Women masked their difficulties to avoid conflict, leading to delayed diagnoses and avoidance of preventive screening like mammograms.
Key findings
01Participants reported that healthcare professionals lacked understanding of female autism presentations, leading to misdiagnosis of autistic traits as anxiety, depression, or personality disorders.
02Sensory sensitivities to pain and touch were cited as a primary barrier to attending routine women's health screenings, such as cervical smears and mammograms.
03Many participants engaged in 'masking' to appear compliant and avoid being perceived as a burden, which often concealed their true difficulties and resulted in inadequate care.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The sample was small (n=15) and not representative of the wider autistic population. All but one participant identified as White, limiting insights into racial and ethnic intersections. Participants were recruited online, excluding those without internet access or digital literacy. The majority had a degree-level education, potentially biasing findings towards a more affluent demographic. Autism status was based on self-report or diagnosis without verification of diagnostic criteria.
Declared interests
None declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not generalise these findings to all autistic women or assume that every autistic patient has had negative healthcare experiences. This is a small qualitative study of a specific demographic (mostly White, educated, UK-based) and describes themes of experience, not prevalence or efficacy of interventions.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →