Talk: Autism & Women

Uncover why autistic women have been overlooked and the new research transforming our understanding, with Q+A.

Autism has long been seen as a condition affecting boys and men, leading to the assumption that women and girls couldn’t be autistic at all. However, recent research shows that autism often presents differently in girls and women, challenging outdated stereotypes. While the old ratio was thought to be 12 boys to every girl, new figures suggest it’s closer to 3-to-1.

This talk explores the male bias in autism research, showcasing the new knowledge about autism in girls and women that has developed in the last decade, and look at some of the support strategies which are being developed specifically to help this group with their unique experiences.

Doors open at 7pm, talk starts at 7.30pm – come down early to grab a bite to eat!

Speaker bio:

Dr Felicity Sedgewick is an autism and neurodiversity researcher and academic at the University of Bristol. She has worked with autistic and neurodivergent people for over a decade, particularly with autistic women and girls. Her research has focused on gender differences in autism, relationships, and mental health, as well as experiences in higher education. Her projects are all co-designed with autistic and neurodivergent people, and the goal is always for her research to have a meaningful and positive impact. Working with autistic co-authors, she has written two books on Autism and Masking, and Autistic Relationships, and regularly gives talks, podcasts, and writes for national and international media.