Have you ever noticed some peculiar abnormal behavioral signs as a woman and wondered what they could be?

You might just be suffering from critical symptoms of autism in women that need some urgent remedy.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a condition related to brain development that impacts how a person socializes with people, causing problems in social interaction and communication.

ASD is a condition that arises from certain neurobiological factors.

It is characterized by a lifelong set of developmental malfunction in the domains of communication and social interactions and is accompanied by a couple of restrictive and repetitive behaviors.

It is diagnosable in both men and women.

Although autism in women is rarer than in men, because of this, fewer women have been included in studies.

So, how do you know if, as a woman, you have been showing critical signs of autism?

Causes of Autism In Women

The causes of autism in women are mostly unknown. 

However, it is a highly heritable disorder that is also linked to other environmental factors like the type of drugs taken by the birth parent during pregnancy. 

Autism in women can also result when a child is born to older parents usually an older father. 

A premature girl child may also develop some signs of autism.

Signs of Autism in Women 

Autistic women find it difficult to make friends and when they manage to do, they are unable to sustain their friendship.

They also find it hard to understand what others are feeling or thinking and often misconstrue peoples' intentions.

Also, autism in women makes them overly anxious in social situations, which leads to having the same routine every day and depression when it's changed.

Common behavioral symptoms of autism in women include; obsessive-compulsive disorder, sleeping disorder and over-sensitivity to sounds and noise, emotional breakdown, and cognitive issues.

All these signs help in the diagnosis of autism in women. Below we explain in detail different types of behavioral disorders associated with Autism in women.

Behavioral Signs of Autism in Women

Many people may not realize that autism can also be "hidden," so to speak, with major symptoms going unnoticed until adulthood. 

If you're concerned about the behavior of your child, there are several signs that you should be looking out for. 

Difficulty Communicating Verbally and Non-Verbally

Autistic people have a hard time understanding what others are saying to them and in turn, have trouble expressing themselves verbally or non-verbally.

This might manifest as avoiding eye contact, not making eye contact, fidgeting with the tags on their clothes or other body parts, or talking very loudly or softly when they do speak.  

Hard Time Accepting New Foods 

Many autistic people have a hard time accepting new foods because they don't understand how they taste; they may not like broccoli and won't try it unless it's prepared with cheese and bacon added. 

When someone has an autism diagnosis, their parents often will notice that their child's favorite food is always something different than what everyone else likes to eat. 

They might also refuse to eat certain foods.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Autism in women can be the major reason for obsessive-compulsive behavior in them. 

Women who are autistic are usually obsessive in their thoughts and overly distorted in their emotions which leads to compulsive behaviors.

These obsessions perpetually intrude on their thinking.

Sleeping Disorder

Women who have autism mostly have difficulty sleeping due to issues of sensory neurons, such as high sensitivity to noise or light at night, which makes them uncomfortable and aggressive in some cases. 

Autism in women also causes some to be highly intolerant of other peoples' presence while sleeping.

Emotional Distortion And Breakdown

Emotional meltdown is one major sign of autism in women, as this usually makes it hard for them to stay comported and think rationally in sensitive cases or situations. 

They usually have extreme emotional reactions to situations that might result in them losing their temper.

Hard Time Maintaining Social Circle 

Autism in women usually causes difficulty in their rationalizing situations and they most often misconstrue peoples' intentions around them as they liberally tend to take a literal meaning to comprehension of things, thoughts, and their environment at large.

Anxiety Disorder And Depression

Anxiety Disorder is a key sign of autism in women. 

Women with autistic disorder get easily overwhelmed, upset, and overly anxious about unfamiliar situations, and easily get depressed when made to function outside their routines. 

Also, the inability of starting a conversation or keep one going increases the preference for being alone, which leads to isolation and depression.

Inability To Perform Cognitive Tasks

Autism in women usually leads to the inability to excellently take charge of their self-control or understand the mechanisms of performing complex mental processes and impulse inhibitions and even tasks as common as preparing breakfast are usually difficult. 

This also includes the inability to make facial gestures and respond actively to their names, respond to common prompts, follow simple directions or even be able to comprehend non-verbal forms of communication.

Conclusion

It must be reiterated that autism is not a degenerative disease. 

In general, people with autism build skills as they get older and can better handle their condition with an enabling environment for social communication among other related therapies. 

There's yet to be a worldwide treatment for autism at the time this article is being written, but medications can help manage comorbidities—certain related symptoms or disorders that may occur with autism.

It is equally promising that researchers are moving more towards understanding women and girls experiencing autism and so do available resources still, so much is yet unknown, and as such many more studies must be needed to draw a further form of conclusion about autism in women.

However, if you suspect that you may have underlying symptoms of autism, start talking to your doctor or psychologist who will better understand your symptoms and concern. 

You may also consider reaching out to other autistic women.

Resources 

^{https://www.verywellhealth.com/autism-in-women-5209272}

^{https://www.healthline.com/health/autism-in-women#:~:text=How%20are%20the%20symptoms%20different,end%20of%20the%20autism%20spectrum.}

^{https://autismhampshire.org.uk/about-autism/women-and-girls-on-the-autism-spectrum}