Educating and Supporting Autistic Girls: A Resource for Mainstream Education and Health Professionals

Autistic girls, especially those educated in mainstream environments, have often been missed or misdiagnosed. There is now, however, greater awareness of how autism can present in females, why these girls can remain ‘invisible’, and what education and health professionals can do to provide better support.

Fully revised and updated, this practical book shines a light on the insights, opinions and experiences of autistic girls and women, providing a rich insight into school life from an autistic perspective. It explores the difficulties and disadvantages that autistic girls can face in educational settings and offers guidance on how to best support them, with a wealth of strategies reflecting good practice in the field of autism and education. The resource also contains a broad range of worksheets and activities on key issues and includes new sections on anxiety, masking, home life, social media, gender and sexual identity.

Key features include:

• A wealth of case studies to illustrate different topics
• Guidance on best practice when working with autistic girls
• New audits to help staff and pupils to identify strengths and areas to improve
• Easy-to-implement strategies and tips to help professionals adapt to environments and policies for autistic students
• Activities and resources for young autistic females to support them in developing self-awareness, coping strategies and learning skills

With the voices of autistic girls and young women woven throughout, drawing upon their experiences of education – from learning and communication, to friendships, transitions and interpreting the world – this is an essential resource for education and health professionals working with autistic girls, particularly in mainstream environments.