We hear a lot about “autism moms”, but Taylor Heaton is an autistic mom, diagnosed as an adult, and she has insights to share about overlooked autistic traits in women.

The Traits

• Difficulty navigating romantic relationships: often due to misreading signs
• Difficulty understanding things: including the above, but mostly: difficulty understanding subtext, when people leave things as “surely obvious”. Autistic women are likely to be aware of the possible meanings, but unsure which it might be, and may well guess wrongly.
• Masking: one of the reasons for the gender disparity in diagnosis is that autistic women are often better at “masking”, that is to say, making a conscious effort to blend in to allistic society—often as a result of being more societally pressured to do so.
• Honesty: often to a fault
• Copy and paste: related to masking, this is about consciously mirroring others in an effort to put them at ease and be accepted
• Being labelled sensitive and/or gifted: usually this comes at a young age, but the resultant different treatment can have a lifetime effect
• Secret stims: again related to masking, and again for the same reasons that displaying autistic symptoms is often treated worse in women, autistic women’s stims tend to be more subtle.
• Written communication: autistic women are often more comfortable with the written word than the spoken
• Leadership: autistic women will often gravitate to leadership roles, partly as a survival mechanism
• Gaslighting: oneself, e.g. “If this person did this without that, then I can to” (without taking into account that maybe the circumstances are different, or maybe they actually did lean on crutches that you didn’t know were there, etc).
• Inner dialogue: rich inner dialogue, but unable to express it outwardly—often because of the sheer volume of thoughts per second.
• Fewer female friends: often few friends overall, for that matter, but there’s often a gender imbalance towards male friends, or where there isn’t, towards more masculine friends at least.
• Feeling different: often a matter of feeling one does not meet standard expectations in some fashion
• School: autistic women are often academically successful
• Special interests: often more “socially accepted” interests than autistic men’s.
• Flirting: autistic women are often unsure how to flirt or what to do about it, which can result in simple directness instead

For more details on all of these, enjoy:

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Related reading:

You might like a main feature of ours from not long back:

Miss Diagnosis: Anxiety, ADHD, & Women

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Dr. Siobhan Deshauer shows us different kinds of hair loss, what causes them, and what can be done about them:

Many different causes

Here’s how to tell them apart:

• Alopecia areata is an autoimmune condition where the immune system mistakenly attacks hair follicles, causing hair loss that can occur at any age and affects about 1 in 50 people. It often presents as smooth patches of hair loss and can be treated with steroid injections. Severe cases may require high-dose prednisone, which can restore hair growth over time.
• Discoid lupus is an autoimmune disease that affects the skin, leading to inflammation, scarring, and permanent hair loss. Unlike alopecia areata, it causes visible damage to the scalp and hair follicles. This type of lupus typically does not involve internal organs, unlike systemic lupus. 
• Telogen effluvium occurs when a major systemic shock, such as an infection, surgery, or significant stress, triggers many hair follicles to enter the resting phase simultaneously, resulting in delayed hair shedding. The condition is diagnosed with a “hair pull test” and is typically temporary, as the resting phase is followed by normal hair growth phases.
• Allergic reactions to products, such as hair dye containing PPD, can cause hair loss due to scalp irritation and inflammation. An allergic response may trigger hair follicles to enter a resting phase, leading to hair loss by the same mechanism as telogen effluvium. Treatment with steroids can calm the reaction, and hair usually regrows after recovery.
• Syphilis, a sexually transmitted infection, can present with varied symptoms, including hair loss in a distinct moth-eaten pattern. Hair loss due to syphilis is reversible and curable with penicillin treatment, with hair regrowth typically occurring a few months after treatment.
• Biotin deficiency is rare due to its production by gut bacteria and presence in foods such as nuts, seeds, and beans such as soybeans. Deficiency can result from excessive consumption of raw egg whites, which block absorption. Severe deficiency causes hair loss and skin issues but can be treated effectively with biotin supplements.
• Iron deficiency anemia can cause hair thinning along with symptoms like fatigue and breathlessness. It often results from inadequate dietary intake, but can also occur after heavy menstrual bleeding. Treatment with iron supplements, or blood transfusions in severe cases, can restore both hair and energy levels, leading to significant improvements.
• Trichotillomania is a psychological condition marked by an uncontrollable urge to pull out one’s hair, often associated with anxiety or depression. Hair patches may show different stages of regrowth. While it can be challenging to manage, the condition can be treated with appropriate psychological and medical support.
• Traction alopecia results from hairstyles that exert prolonged tension on the hair, causing it to thin or fall out. This type of hair loss can be prevented by reducing the strain on the hair. Loosening hairstyles and giving the scalp a break can help hair regrow over time.
• Hypothyroidism causes symptoms like fatigue, dry skin, and hair thinning due to insufficient thyroid hormone production—however, it can be managed with diet, and if necessary, thyroid medications.
• Zinc deficiency may also cause hair loss and a characteristic rash. Treatment with zinc supplements can significantly improve hair growth and other symptoms.
• Medications, such as chemotherapy drugs, Accutane, and anti-seizure medications like valproic acid, are known to cause hair loss as a side effect. This type of hair loss is often reversible once the medication is stopped.
• Male pattern hair loss, or androgenic alopecia, is influenced by testosterone and genetic risk factors—which, contrary to popular belief, can come from either or both sides of the family. Early onset, especially before age 40, is linked to an increased risk of heart disease. However, effective treatments are available, and early intervention is beneficial.
• Female pattern hair loss is basically the same thing as male pattern hair loss (indeed, it is literally still androgenic alopecia), just a) almost always much less severe and b) with a gender-appropriate name. It affects up to 40% of women by age 50 and is characterized by thinning hair at the top of the head. It’s related to hormonal imbalances involving testosterone, such as those seen in PCOS and menopause, amongst other less common causes. Early treatment can be effective, and research is ongoing to develop more targeted therapies.

Dr. Siobhan Deshauer advises, if you’re experiencing hair loss, to monitor other symptoms too if applicable, take photos for tracking, and consult a doctor early for diagnosis and potential treatment.

For more on all of this plus visual illustrations, enjoy:

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Want to learn more?

You might also like to read:

• Hair-Loss Remedies, By Science
• Gentler Hair Health Options

Take care!