The shocking state of autism diagnosis in the UK. [Title slide, with swirly-lines-and-question-marks graphic.]
Autism is under-diagnosed. We are gatekept out of diagnosis by discriminatory and financially inaccessible systems.
What is the average age of diagnosis? Estimates place the average age of a diagnosis around 5 to 6 years old (Brett et al., 2016; van ’t Hof, 2020). These studies have limited accuracy as they only covered an age range of 2.5 to 19.5 years (van ’t Hot, 2020). It is clear that more robust research is needed.
Gender difference in diagnosis. Where diagnosis occurred at 5 years old or later, males were generally diagnosed earlier than females (Petrou et al., 2018). Again data is hampered by a lack of insight into adult diagnoses and people outside of traditional gender binaries.
All four images are on a gradient sky blue background with the Emergent Divergence logo (featuring a stylised rainbow phoenix) in the bottom left and the handle @ EmergentDivergence at the bottom. Various colours and angles make titles stand out.