Description
The history of autism is male. When autistic girls meet clinicians, they are often misdiagnosed with anxiety, depression, personality disorders, or are missed altogether. Many women only discover they have the condition when they are much older, missing decades of support and understanding. Autism's 'male spotlight' means we are only now starting to redress this profound injustice.
In The Lost Girls of Autism, renowned brain scientist Gina Rippon delves into the emerging science of female autism, asking why it has been systematically ignored and misunderstood for so long. Generations of researchers, convinced autism was a male problem, simply didn't bother looking for it in women. But it is now becoming increasingly clear that autism is manifestly different for women and girls, and that camouflaging - hiding autistic traits to fit in - is far more widespread than we thought. Urgent and insightful, this groundbreaking book is a clarion call for society to recognize the full spectrum of autistic experience.
About the Author
Gina Rippon is Emeritus Professor of Cognitive Neuroimaging at the Aston Brain Centre, Birmingham. Her research involves state-of-the-art brain imaging techniques, investigating how the brain interacts with its world. She is an outspoken critic of outdated gender stereotypes in the field, and is the author of The Gendered Brain.
Reviews
Highly accessible . . . important -- The Observer on The Gendered Brain
Excellent . . . It will put weapons in the arsenal of those trying to tackle sexism -- The Sunday Times on The Gendered Brain
A treasure trove of information and good humour . . . thought-provoking -- Cordelia Fine, author of Testosterone Rex, on The Gendered Brain
Book Information
ISBN 9781035011629
Author Gina Rippon
Format Hardback
Page Count 336
Imprint Macmillan
Publisher Pan Macmillan