​When looking at the research, different studies, together with anecdotal evidence, there are various results in ratios between males and females identified as autistic, ranging from 2:1 to 16:1, respectively!   
 
So why are there such differences across studies? There are several possible reasons for this, some of them being:

• More subtle presentation in females (though subtle presentations can present in males also)
• Assessment measures, diagnosticians and trainers are not recognising certain autistic experiences, with some of the more common assessment tools not evaluating traits often found in autistic girls and women.
• Autism is often not considered as an explanation for the difficulties experienced by women (the specific questions are not being asked)
• Other diagnoses are often used to explain autistic experiences

 
The below table illustrates the differences between more obvious characteristics of Autism compared to more subtle characteristics (National Autistic Society):

Often, I hear parents say that their daughter’s teachers don’t notice any ‘problem’ in the classroom, and in fact, they’re considered the perfect student! This is often quite distressing for parents as their child may to experience intense emotional outbursts the moment they arrive home.

Girls tend to mask their behaviours quite well, as they are more motivated to engage socially. They spend excessive amounts of energy doing so at school, as to not get noticed and fly under the radar. Because of this mental and emotional exhaustion, here comes the meltdowns when they finally feel like they can be ‘themselves’. 

The expressive language used by autistic females is often exceptionally good, which can then mask their difficulties processing verbal information. Their eye contact might also be quite good, they may do ‘small talk’ well and can be very chatty, though these tend to be quite exhausting and when their energy is not replenished, can cause significant distress and other mental health conditions over time.

Females who seek therapy present with mental health issues such as eating disorders, personality disorders, depression, anxiety and self-harming behaviours that can divert the clinician’s attention away identifying these individuals as autistic.
 
Mothers who identify with having autistic characteristics are typically the ones who bring their young daughters into therapy or for assessment, as they notice the difficulties in their child as similar to their own difficulties, and don’t want their child to go through the same challenges as they did growing up.
 
Our mission at Hopscotch and Harmony is to smash the stigma of mental health conditions and a big part of our work is working with young children, teens and adults who are autistic.

There is so much support out there and this will continue to grow as our understanding of autistic needs deepens.  Listening to so many autistic individuals talk about their relief and enhancement of self-understanding when the assessment process identifies them as autistic are some of the benefits of going through the formal assessment process. Though this is not true for everyone.

​Some people identify with having autistic characteristics or self-diagnose as being autistic, and are content with being aware of their strength and struggles, and don’t want a formal assessment. Some people may overly-identify with a diagnosis and feel like ‘something is wrong with them’. This is where clinical judgement and parental intuition come into play… there is never a black and white answer, is there?
 
Many psychologists at Hopscotch and Harmony are highly skilled in the autism assessment process. If you want more information on this process, please complete our assessment booking enquiry form FOUND HERE

When speaking to the parent of an Autistic  child, it's important to be mindful and respectful of their experiences and feelings. Here are some things you should never say to the parent of an Autistic  child:

1. "I'm sorry": While you might be well-intentioned, saying "I'm sorry" can imply that being Autistic is a negative thing, when actually, it’s a set of differences and Autistic individuals have individual strengths just like all others. Rather than saying sorry, you could ask how the parent is doing with this new news, and offer your support if they express they’re having a hard time with it.

 

1. "He/she doesn't look Autistic ": Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition, and there is no set of physical characteristics or “look” associated with Autism. Avoid making assumptions based on appearance.

 

1. "Have you tried X treatment?": Autism is a set of differences, not deficits, and it can’t be cured - we shouldn’t even want that! Every child with autism is unique, and whilst all individuals can benefit from support, the kinds of support that one Autistic individual needs or benefits from might not work for another. Avoid offering unsolicited advice or recommendations.

 

1. "He/she will grow out of it": Autism is a lifelong condition, and while individuals with Autism can develop coping strategies and skills, it is not something they will simply "grow out of."

 

1. "He/she just needs more discipline": Autism is not a behaviour issue, and discipline is not a cure. A cure isn’t possible, and isn’t something that should be sought. Avoid making assumptions about the child's behaviour or suggesting that they simply need more discipline.

Instead, focus on offering your support and understanding. Ask the parent how you can help or what they need, and listen without judgement. Let them know that you are there for them and that you care about their child. By showing empathy and understanding, you can help create a warm and supportive environment for the parent and their Autistic child.

​Bullying: The National Centre Against Bullying (NCAB) define it as when an individual or a group of people with more power, repeatedly and intentionally cause hurt or harm to another person or group of people who feel helpless to respond. Therefore bullying is not a single episode of rejection, acts of nastiness or mutual arguments, disagreements or fights.

​What is Autism Spectrum Disorder?

Autism Spectrum Disorder is characterised by difficulties in the core areas of social communication and language, together with restricted, repetitive behaviours, interests, or activities.

The presentation of Autism Spectrum Disorder varies considerably between individuals. Therefore, a comprehensive assessment is needed.

Who Makes a Diagnosis?

In Victoria, best practice for an Autism Spectrum Disorder Assessment involves a multidisciplinary team. This means that multiple professionals work together to carry out a wide-range of assessments.

A multidisciplinary team usually includes: a paediatrician or child psychiatrist, a psychologist, and a speech pathologist. In addition, other professionals might also be included, such as an occupational therapist. All professionals come together to bring insight based on their areas of expertise.

What might be involved in a comprehensive Autism Spectrum Disorder Assessment?

An Autism Spectrum Disorder Assessment involves an in-depth analysis of your child’s
developmental and medical history, as well as an assessment of your child’s current strengths and challenges. Each professional gathers this information over multiple sessions. Generally, they will do this through:

• A parent/caregiver session, whereby the professional will ask you about your child’s developmental history and current presentation. Each professional will ask you questions about your child’s development in their own areas of expertise.
• Screening questionnaires, which are forms completed by parents/caregivers and teachers regarding your child. These help to gain further information regarding characteristics and behaviours that may be associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
• Child observations, where the professionals will meet your child and complete formal assessment tasks and observations. Areas that the professionals may assess and observe, include your child’s communication, social interactions, play and behaviours.
• Talking with teachers and/or completing classroom observations. With your consent, the professionals may liaise with your child’s childcare staff or teacher to help gain an overall picture of your child’s development.

Each professional will use the information they have gathered to write a report outlining the assessment results. These assessment results will be discussed with you and you will receive a copy of the report.

Once each of the professionals has completed their assessment report, the paediatrician or child psychiatrist will bring all the results together and make the final decision as to whether the criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder is met.

Where do I start?

If you would like to discuss your situation and the possibility of Autism Spectrum Disorder, please book in an appointment with one of our psychologists experienced in the assessment and diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Alternatively if you are sure you would like an assessment you can make an appointment to see your G.P. and request a referral to see a paediatrician. The paediatrician will do an initial assessment of your concerns and may then refer you to a psychologist and a speech pathologist for a multi-disciplinary ASD assessment. 

This simple 5 minute clip is a great introduction to autism! With an aim to raise awareness amongst those who don't really understand the condition, this short film is a good place to start.

Who might benefit from watching?

1. New teachers: Many graduate teachers have very little training and guidance when it comes to teaching students with special needs. Given how prevalent autism is, it is very likely that teachers will have at least one autistic child in their classroom within their first few years of teaching. If teachers have not personally had a connection with autism prior to entering the classroom, they may not understand the condition and be ill-equipped to support these students. Videos like this can be helpful so teachers can better differentiate behaviour that stems from autism and behaviour which stems from other causes. 
2. Parents of a newly diagnosed autistic child: Parents going through the diagnostic process with their child have a varied level of understanding about autism. Some parents are very familiar and are better prepared as they may have a close family member with the diagnosis. Other parents are completely blind sided when a health professional suggests that their child may have autism. This video is for them as a first step to help start the understanding and acceptance process.   
3. Children: Your child may have heard the term Autism at school, or know that a child in class has Aspergers, but lacks the understanding of what that means. It can be difficult to answer the question "What is autism?' when you, as the parent, may not have a solid understanding yourself. Watch this video with your child and start a conversation about individual differences and how people with autism may experience the world around us.   

Share widely, and together we can demystify autism and move a little closer to living in a world where all individuals are treated with understanding, compassion and acceptance!

In Term 1 we ran our first Lego Social Skills Group. We had 10 participants from ages 5-13 across two sessions. The children quickly warmed up and became engaged and enthusiastic to belong to the group.

The group members had a diverse set of interests, skills and personalities, and we enjoyed getting to know them all. Parents generally enrolled their children because they felt a need for the children to learn more effective social skills and that meant different things for different families. 

For some children this meant learning assertiveness or knowing how to make and keep friends. For others, the parents were concerned about limited cooperation, sharing and turn-taking skills.

While many of the children had a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder and/or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), this was not a criteria for group entry. The one thing all children had in common was their love of Lego and eagerness to work on the group projects.

​We started each session with a mini-lesson. These lessons included topics such as: tone of voice, assertiveness, communicating with our eyes, and how to fill someone's 'bucket' with our kind words and actions. 

In groups of three, children then began their group Lego projects. One child was the engineer (in charge of reading the instructions), one child was the supplier (had to find the pieces) and one child was the builder (put the pieces together). These roles changed each week. The children had to communicate clearly, wait their turn, practice frustration tolerance, and do their job in order for the project to be successful. They also got to celebrate together and felt a joint sense of pride when they achieved their goal.

The role of the psychologists was to facilitate the interactions and assist the children with problem solving, task behaviour, joint attention, effective communication and adaptive coping strategies when things weren't going their way, and provided positive reinforcement for appropriate social interactions.

The content of our group sessions was guided by research that has shown Lego-based interactive therapy in this format improves social competence over the long-term. 

In the final weeks of term, we taught the children how to make stop motion animations using the Lego Movie Maker app. Children worked in pairs to decide on characters, build a set, create a plot and take the photos to make their movie. Again, the psychologists coached the children to use their social communication skills during this project.