Cassie McIff, 20, of Orem, Utah, said she’s come a long way — no longer hiding who she is because of other people’s perceptions of autism.
At age 3, Mclff's mother, Martha, began getting her the support she needed so she could be appropriately diagnosed with autism, but doctors initially diagnosed her with “personality disorder not otherwise specified.” They didn’t diagnose Cassie with autism until she was 5, although it was suspected.
According to Scientific American, “Autism didn’t make its debut in the (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) until 1980.” And even then, the blueprints and studies for children with autism meant to help with diagnosis were catered toward males, making female diagnoses a rarity.
There is no blood test or brain scan to diagnose autism. Instead, doctors study the behaviors and the developmental history of a child to determine a diagnosis.
According to PsychCentral, autism can present differently in boys and girls, causing girls to be diagnosed later in life and boys to be diagnosed more often than girls.
“The differences in signs and symptoms between males and females are subtle and can often go undetected by common screen tests. This can lead to the underdiagnosis of girls with lower support needs, which can impact their mental health and overall well-being,” according to PsychCentral.
The most recent study done by the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention found that 4.66% of boys are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, while 1.5% of girls receive the diagnosis, making boys three times as likely to be diagnosed.
Read more about Cassie and her mother's advocacy for those on the autism spectrum.