Signs of Autism in Girls & Women: Social Struggles, Masking, Burnout, and Late Diagnosis

In this episode of It’s Not Just You, Hannah McLaughlin and Dr Dominique explore the signs of autism in girls and women — not just what autism looks like from the outside, but what it feels like on the inside.

We talk about why autistic girls are so often missed, how masking and social performance can hide distress, and why many women grow up feeling “different” without knowing why.

This conversation explores:

• Autism in girls and women
• Late diagnosis and missed diagnosis
• Masking, camouflaging and social exhaustion
• Special interests that fly under the radar
• Friendship, boundaries and social confusion
• Interoception, alexithymia and emotional intensity
• The “good girl” and “problem child” presentations
• Burnout, anxiety and the cost of performing
• Why understanding your neurotype can change everything

If you’ve ever felt like you were performing your way through life, or wondered why everything seemed harder than it looked, this episode is for you.

It’s Not Just You is a NeuroKind podcast hosted by Dr Dominique Hannah and Hannah McLaughlin.