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2. The Past

How has autism changed to include those - like women - who were previously missed?

How has autism changed to include those - like women - who were previously missed?

To make sense of the steep upwards curve in autism diagnoses, we go back to the start, to understand who we counted then compared with now. Professor Francesca Happé describes the evolution and expansion of the definition of autism, including the role played by Hans Asperger and controversy around his alleged Nazi sympathies. And we hear from Sarah Hendrickx, author of Women and Girls on the Autism Spectrum, about how women have been misdiagnosed with mental health conditions rather than autism; and from education consultant Frances Akinde about the experience of autistic people in ethnic minority groups.

Archive: ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½.

Presenter: Michael Blastland
Series Producer: Simon Maybin
Editor: Clare Fordham
Sound mix: Neil Churchill
Production Co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman

Available now

14 minutes

On radio

Tue 5 Aug 2025 11:45

Broadcasts

  • Tue 6 May 2025 13:45
  • Tue 5 Aug 2025 11:45
  • Wed 6 Aug 2025 00:30