What can the retrospective experiences of autistic women reveal about supporting autistic or potentially autistic girls in school?

Purpose: Girls are diagnosed with autism less frequently and later on average than boys, meaning some girls go through their school years without having access to support that could benefit them. This study involved in-depth interviews with late-diagnosed autistic women to explore their experiences of schooling and examine how schools can best support autistic and potentially autistic girls. Methods: This qualitative study used reflexive thematic analysis to analyse interview data from ten late-diagnosed autistic women.Results: Participant responses suggested that schools may need to improve pastoral support, build positive relationships, review available accommodations, improve stakeholder communication, and apply strengths-based pedagogical approaches to improve outcomes for autistic or potentially autistic girls. The implications of these findings are discussed with suggestions for future research and practical implementation within mainstream settings.Conclusion: Schools should proactively look to address the issues autistic girls face by adopting neuro-affirming modifications. Improving support during autistic girls’ formative years may have a lasting impact on their lives. This is particularly important for autistic girls, as they face marginalisation on two levels: neurotypical expectations for females and stereotyped expectations of autism.