Parent experiences of obtaining an autism diagnosis for their daughter: An interpretative phenomenological analysis.

This study looked at what it's like for parents trying to get their daughters diagnosed with autism in Australia. Girls with autism are often diagnosed later than boys or given wrong diagnoses first. Some parents felt excited or curious about the assessment process. However, the study found that some doctors and other professionals still have old ideas about what autism looks like in girls, which can lead to missed or wrong diagnoses.

This Australian qualitative study used interpretative phenomenological analysis to examine parents' experiences obtaining autism diagnoses for their daughters. The research addresses the known issue that autistic females are often diagnosed later than males and frequently misdiagnosed. Unlike previous studies focusing predominantly on male children, this study specifically explored the lived experiences of parents seeking diagnoses for daughters. Some parents reported positive emotions like excitement or curiosity during the assessment process, which differs from earlier research findings.

The study revealed that some practitioners may have outdated knowledge about autism in females, potentially contributing to misdiagnosis or missed diagnosis. This suggests ongoing challenges in professional understanding of gender differences in autism presentation.

Results suggest need for professional development to update practitioners' knowledge about autism presentation in females. Training programs should emphasize current understanding of gender differences in autism to reduce misdiagnosis and diagnostic delays. Assessment protocols may need review to ensure they adequately identify autism in females.

Sample size not reported and study methodology not fully described. As a qualitative study with unknown sample size, findings may not be representative of the broader parent population. The extent to which these experiences reflect wider community experiences remains unclear.

Autistic females are often diagnosed later than males and are also more likely to be misdiagnosed with other conditions. Co-occurring conditions may also be diagnosed at the time of the assessment but their autism diagnosis is missed. The majority of research examining the parent experience of obtaining an autism diagnosis for their child has included predominantly or exclusively male children in their samples. This study examines the experiences of parents in obtaining an autism diagnosis for their daughters in Australia through interview data which allowed for an exploration of their lived experiences.

Several of the parents reported positive feelings of excitement or curiosity in relation to the assessment process which are emotions that have not been reported in earlier studies. While recent research advances have improved our understanding of gender differences in autistic behaviours, the findings of this study suggest that some practitioners have obsolete knowledge which may lead to misdiagnosis or missed diagnosis in some females. Although the extent that these experiences are representative of parents in the wider community is unknown, the fact that they are still being reported in the present day suggests that a proportion of health professionals continue to practice with outdated conceptualisations of autism.