Research indicates that ADHD and autism in women are frequently misdiagnosed as mood or personality disorders. This misdiagnosis stems from outdated diagnostic frameworks that fail to recognise how these conditions manifest differently in women. Evidence also indicates that nearly 80% of autistic females remain undiagnosed or misdiagnosed by the age of 18.
Dr Svenny Kopp’s research at Queen Silvia Children’s Hospital in Gothenburg revealed that girls exhibiting signs of autism and ADHD are often not taken seriously and are misdiagnosed by professionals.
Since the pandemic, there has been a significant increase in adult women receiving ADHD and autism diagnoses. Women aged 23 to 49 now constitute the largest demographic seeking ADHD assessments. Despite evidence that ADHD and autism co-occur in up to 70–80% of cases, many women are dismissed during diagnostic processes that separate the two conditions.
Existing treatments often overlook the complexities of female neurobiology. According to the NHS Business Services Authority, over 800,000 ADHD medications were prescribed in early 2024/25. However, there is limited research on how these treatments interact with fluctuating hormone levels in autistic women with ADHD.
In response to these systemic challenges, ADHD Girls is launching an event titled Autism & ADHD in Women: Missed, Dismissed, Reclaiming Your Voice. Scheduled for 2nd April at The Exchange in Twickenham, the event aims to collect lived experience data to inform future training for mental health professionals.
The event will feature interactive discussions, research-driven insights, and collective storytelling. It seeks to empower women to reclaim their neurodivergent identities and contribute to vital research that will inform ADHD Girls’ “Train the Helpers” programme: AuDHD in Women: DSM-5 Criteria through a Scientific and Intersectional Lens.
Dr Samantha Hiew, founder of ADHD Girls, emphasised the urgency of addressing these issues. “For too long, women with ADHD and autism have been unseen and unheard, trapped in a system that does not recognise their lived realities. The research, diagnostic criteria, and workplace accommodations remain built around a male-centric model, leaving an entire generation of women misdiagnosed, misunderstood, and unsupported. This event is not just another awareness talk – it is a course correction. It is about demanding the recognition, research, and support that we should have had all along.”
Findings from this event aim to directly inform mental health training, ensuring that future practitioners approach ADHD and autism in women with greater accuracy, sensitivity, and intersectional understanding.
ADHD Girls is an award-winning social impact company dedicated to empowering neurodivergent women and girls. The organisation strives to elevate understanding of neurodiversity through an intersectional lens. Rooted in lived experiences, ADHD Girls champions the neurodiversity movement by integrating biology’s impact on psychology and advocating for systemic change to remove barriers to health, well-being, and the fulfilment of potential.
