I first recall putting on my own invisibility cloak around the age of eleven. At the time, it seemed like the most practical solution: after some negative experiences, I had begun to associate being autistic with not being a ‘proper girl’, and had heard too many people refer to autism as a male disorder. For a long time, I didn’t dare tell anybody I was autistic and tried to be as ‘normal’ as I possibly could. I tried to remain invisible throughout school, although I secretly longed to be seen – to be perceived by my peers as funny, cool, confident, and basically perfect. Unsurprisingly, that fantasy never worked out!

As time went on, I began to tell more people that I was autistic. Eventually, I made the decision to take off the invisibility cloak, and at last ‘come out’ to the world as autistic! I still find myself wearing it in social situations, but it does feel lighter than it used to, and I don’t feel so afraid to be seen.

Being represented in mainstream culture can help groups of people feel seen. It’s fair to say that autistic women are still woefully underrepresented in popular culture. I like to think things are changing, slowly but surely. In recent times, we’ve seen examples of incredible autistic women in the public eye – including environmentalist Greta Thunberg, TV personality Anne Hegerty, and comedians like Hannah Gadsby and Bethany Black, to name a few favourites. Seeing these women on screen has certainly made me feel less alone.

I hope to do my bit to represent autistic women through our charity’s Stories from the Spectrum interview series. Stories from the Spectrum was created by Florence Leslie, autistic journalist, and host of our Spectrum Live series. You can read Florence’s story here.

Through our stories, we’ve been able to spotlight some amazing autistic women and girls and their families. The women who take part in Stories from the Spectrum come from a diverse range of backgrounds. So far, we’ve spoken to autistic female writers, scientists, entrepreneurs, artists, advocates, and more. Many of them discussed their diagnosis, and the extra layer of invisibility that comes with being an autistic woman. 

Here’s what some of them had to say: 

You can read more about autism and gender identity here, and hear stories from non-binary and transgender autistic people, including psychologist Dr Wenn Lawson, pianist Madge Woollard, actor Talia Grant, and Sophie Gribben, an engineering student.

International Women’s Day is a fantastic opportunity for us to celebrate the achievements and interests of women and girls. It is a chance for us all to feel a little less invisible, regardless of our gender, background, or neurotype. I really hope we can work towards an equal future where people of all genders are visible and included. Maybe someday, we won’t need International Women’s Day in order to feel seen, but until then, there is work to be done...