Diagnostic criteria were developed primarily from male presentations, meaning the traits clinicians were trained to identify skewed male. Social expectations placed on girls create stronger incentive to develop masking strategies, which are often highly effective. And autistic traits in women frequently present in ways that don’t match clinical stereotypes — special interests may focus on people, animals, or literature rather than stereotypically “autistic” subjects, making them invisible as markers. The result is many women reaching mid-life with histories of anxiety, depression, or burnout and no framework connecting them.