The impact of socio-cultural values on autistic women: An interpretative phenomenological analysis.
Stella Mo, Nina Viljoen, Shivani Sharma
PMID 34388943WHAT IT FOUND
Eight autistic women described how unspoken cultural rules and gender stereotypes made their struggles invisible.
They felt pressured to change to fit in, often being judged as rude or exaggerating. Supportive relationships helped them separate from these harmful expectations and build a more authentic sense of self.
Key findings
01Participants felt their autism was obscured by stereotypes, leading others to dismiss their needs or view them as exaggerating difficulties.
02Gendered socialisation created pressure to be agreeable and conform, causing distress when women could not meet these implicit cultural expectations.
03Meaningful connections with others, particularly through shared interests or supportive relationships, helped participants develop a more integrated and authentic sense of self.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The sample was small (n=8) and homogeneous, consisting mainly of White women without intellectual disabilities, so findings may not apply to autistic women from different ethnic, cultural, or cognitive backgrounds. The study did not explore how the age of diagnosis (childhood vs adulthood) influenced the experience of culture. Findings are based on self-report and may not generalise to all autistic women.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest and received no financial support for the research.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat these themes as universal facts about all autistic women. The study involved only eight participants, mostly of White ethnicity, so the specific cultural pressures described may not apply to patients from different backgrounds.