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This page is an AI-assisted Turkish summary of the study presented at the 26th World Congress of Psychiatry. The study belongs to the presenting authors; please refer to the original source when citing it.

EV0636

Exploring the autism diagnostic journey of late-diagnosed autistic women and gender-diverse individuals

EXPLORING THE AUTISM DIAGNOSIS PATHWAY FOR LATE-DIAGNOSED AUTISTIC WOMEN AND GENDER DIVERSE PEOPLE

Women and gender-diverse individuals pursuing an autism diagnosis in adulthood in the United Kingdom face barriers to diagnosis because of clinicians’ stereotyped expectations of autism and non-standardised diagnostic pathways.

The study aims to explore the experiences of autistic women and gender-diverse individuals who navigated the autism diagnostic pathway as adults in the United Kingdom. Its rationale is that, although published data report a 1:1 ratio in autism prevalence across genders, women and gender-diverse individuals receive a diagnosis later than men, and this disparity may reflect barriers to accessing support. A total of 208 individuals who had received a diagnosis, had not received a diagnosis, or were still awaiting assessment were recruited through online forums, social groups, and university networks. They completed qualitative surveys covering referral consultations in primary care and autism assessments in secondary care, and two researchers analysed the data iteratively using reflexive thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke, 2006). The analysis identified two overarching categories: misconceptions about autism and a lack of standardisation in the diagnostic pathway. Themes in the first category included clinicians’ expectations of stereotyped behaviours, differing thresholds for participants to be believed, autism being assessed solely in terms of functional impairment and distress, and participants spending years receiving treatment for psychiatric misdiagnoses that addressed symptoms rather than their underlying cause. The second category highlighted geographical variation in post-diagnostic support and experiences of good care as a matter of chance rather than a planned standard. The authors conclude that equitable access requires stronger training for healthcare professionals on adult presentations of autism, gender, and the complex relationship between autism and mental health, alongside standardised post-diagnostic support.

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