Who Gets Autism?

Diagnosing autism spectrum disorder can be difficult because there is no medical test—like a blood test—to detect the disorder. Doctors draw on an individual’s developmental history and behavior to make a diagnosis. But some populations receive notably more diagnoses than others. It is not clear how many individuals with autism may be overlooked, which means not all who are affected are equally likely to be treated. We know that four times as many boys as girls are diagnosed with autism. In this episode, we talk to a researcher who is challenging that gender ratio by working to establish a broader context for the intersectionality of female gender and autism. Her hope is to create a better roadmap that includes autistic females in research, advocacy, and service delivery.

Released on November 21, 2024.

Episode Transcript

Guest

Ruth B. Grossman is a speech and language pathologist, a professor at Emerson College, and the director of the FACE Lab. She was the 2023–2024 Mary Beth and Chris Gordon Fellow at Harvard Radcliffe Institute.

Related Content

Ruth B. Grossman: Fellowship Biography

FACE Lab

Fellow's Talk: Intersectionality of Gender and Autism

Credits

Ivelisse Estrada is your cohost and the editorial manager at Harvard Radcliffe Institute (HRI), where she edits Radcliffe Magazine.

Kevin Grady is the multimedia producer at HRI.

Alan Catello Grazioso is the executive producer of BornCurious and the senior multimedia manager at HRI.

Jeff Hayash is a freelance sound engineer and recordist.

Sky Jung is a multimedia intern at HRI and a Harvard College student.

Heather Min is your cohost and the senior manager of digital strategy at HRI.

Emerson Prond is a multimedia intern at HRI and a Harvard College student.

Lily Roberts is a multimedia intern at HRI and a Harvard College student.

Anna Soong is the production assistant at HRI.

Special thanks to Cabin 3 Media for their invaluable contributions to the editing of this podcast episode.