The Myth of Normal (2/5): Why autism is often missed in women and girls | Kate Kahle
Summary
Host Shoshana Ungarleiter introduces a September playlist exploring the concept of "normal" in health, featuring five TED Health conversations on topics like obesity, blindness, and executive dysfunction. The main segment features Kate Caelen, an autistic advocate, who discusses why autism is frequently missed in women and girls due to societal expectations and diagnostic biases. She explains how "masking"—the effort to camouflage autistic traits to fit in—leads to late diagnoses and secondary mental health issues like anxiety and depression. Caelen highlights the need for better research i…
Topics discussed
Sponsor: WeShare Health
Sponsor: Kashi Gut Health Granola
Sponsor: Nature Raised Farms
Intro: Rethinking the concept of normal
Host intro and context for Kate Calele's talk
Kate Calele: Personal story and diagnosis
Defining autism as a neurodivergence
The history and issues with Asperger's syndrome
Symptoms in women and the diagnostic gap
Bias in diagnosis across gender and race
Special interests and masking behaviors
The purpose and perception of masking
The cognitive load of social masking
Mental health impacts of masking
Late diagnosis and lack of female-specific care
Gender expectations and the difficulty of labeling
Societal pressures on girls and women
Call to action for acceptance and research
Closing remarks from Kate Calele
Episode credits and sign-off
Sponsors: Kashi, Capital One, and Ianla
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