April is Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month, a time to shine a spotlight on the autistic community and its diverse needs. While the month brings valuable attention to autism in general, it’s essential to acknowledge the unique experiences if young girls with autism, who often face distinct challenges. Among these challenges, the act of masking-where an autistic individual hides or suppresses their natural behaviors to fit into societal expectations-is one that frequently affects young girls. Masking can be especially exhausting, leading to mental health concerns and delayed diagnosis. This month, let’s take a moment to reflect on how masking affects young girls with autism and why it’s crucial to make space for their stories.

Autistic girls often face considerable delay in diagnosis compared to boys, in part due to gendered expectations of behavior. While boys with autism are often more likely to exhibit overt symptoms, girls tend to present their autism in subtler ways, which can lead to them flying under the radar of healthcare providers, teachers, and even parents. A key factor in this is the tendency for girls to mask their symptoms in social situations. They may imitate social behaviors they observe in others, suppress stimming, and attempt to conform to societal expectations. Masking helps them blend in but also usually leads to meltdowns after leaving the situation due to hiding who they truly are. It can take years or decades for an accurate diagnosis which delays the support these young girls need.

The disparities in diagnosis extend beyond gender, as there are significant gaps in the identification of autism among people of color. Studies show that children of color are often diagnosed later than their white peers. This delay is further exacerbated for girls of color, who may already be contending with overlapping social pressures related to their gender and race. A lack of culturally competent healthcare professionals, along with systematic biases in education and medical systems , leads to these girls being underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed. This is happening with my daughter. The result is a significant gap in access to services, which can negatively impact these girls’ mental health and overall quality of life.

Masking, combined with a delay in diagnosis, often means young girls with autism and people of color have to navigate a world that doesn’t understand or accommodate their differences. The toll that this takes on their well-being cannot be overstated. However, during Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month, it’s crucial that we move beyond awareness and work towards acceptance-acceptance of all forms of autism, in all individuals, regardless of gender or ethnicity. This means creating spaces where young girls, especially those who mask, can feel safe to be themselves, where their experiences are validated, and where they have access to the resources they need to thrive. Only through embracing their full humanity can we hope to create a world where everyone is understood and valued for who they are.