“You Were Never Too Much — You Were Just Unrecognised.”

#UnmaskMe is a movement giving voice to late-diagnosed women and neurodivergent mothers who’ve spent their lives hiding in plain sight.

Watch: #UnmaskMe campaign video below

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Why We’re Unmasking the Truth:

80% of Autistic Women Are Diagnosed After Age 21

Research indicates that nearly 80% of autistic females remain undiagnosed by age 21. This delay is often due to gender biases in diagnostic criteria and the tendency of women to mask symptoms.

Lockwood Estrin, G., Milner, V., Spain, D., Happé, F., & Colvert, E. (2020). Barriers to Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis for Young Women and Girls: a Systematic Review. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 8(4). Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40489-020-00225-8.

ADHD in Girls Is Often Missed or Mislabelled

ADHD symptoms in girls frequently go unrecognized or are misdiagnosed. A consensus statement noted that girls with ADHD are less likely to be identified and referred for assessment, leading to underdiagnosis and unmet needs.

Young, S., Adamo, N., Ásgeirsdóttir, B.B. et al. Females with ADHD: An expert consensus statement taking a lifespan approach providing guidance for the identification and treatment of attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder in girls and women. BMC Psychiatry 20, 404 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-020-02707-9

16:1

Clinic referrals: Male-to-female ratios range from 3:1 to 16:1.

18x

Females with ADHD have elevated risk of criminal convictions—18x higher than non-ADHD peers.

50%+

50% of girls with ADHD reported being bullied. Peer rejection, relationship difficulties, and lower self-esteem are common.

Early Intervention Changes Lives — But It Starts with Recognising the Signs

Early intervention is crucial for children with autism and ADHD. A meta-analysis demonstrated that early comprehensive treatment models significantly improve cognitive, language, and behavioural outcomes in children with ASD.

15+

Children with autism who received early therapy gained an average of 15 IQ points.

1.3

Early behavioural therapy reduced autism symptom severity by up to 1.3 standard deviations.

1

Language skills improved significantly,
Expressive and receptive language gains exceeded 1 standard deviation. (Effect sizes: 1.12 and 1.11 respectively – very large effects)

Parents

Programs involving parents produced better outcomes in IQ and social skills
than those led by therapists alone.

Shi, B., Wu, W., Dai, M., Zeng, J., Luo, J., Cai, L., Wan, B., & Jing, J. (2021). Cognitive, language, and behavioral outcomes in children with autism spectrum disorders exposed to early comprehensive treatment models: A meta-analysis and meta-regression. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12, Article 691148. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.691148