There are around 700,000 people on the autism spectrum in the UK. But while experts agree that more boys than girls have autism, views on the exact ratio vary widely.
Some put it at 16:1, 7:1 or 4:1 but others, including headteacher Sarah Wild, believe that 2:1 is nearer the mark – “which means there are lots of undiagnosed girls”.
“They are masking it, trying to fit in, trying to be like everyone else,” explained Ms Wild, who has been head at Limpsfield Grange School, the only state boarding school in the UK for girls with autism, since 2012.
“We need much better awareness of what autism in girls and women looks like. Just because the girls aren’t obsessed with Thomas the Tank Engine or lining things up in neat rows doesn’t mean they are not on the spectrum.
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