# Undiagnosed Autism in Women: Masking, Misdiagnosis & The Cost of Being Missed

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-hidden-20-6751677/undiagnosed-autism-in-women-masking-misdiagnosis-the-cost-of-being-missed
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-hidden-20-6751677/undiagnosed-autism-in-women-masking-misdiagnosis-the-cost-of-being-missed.md
Podcast: [The Hidden 20%](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-hidden-20-6751677)
Published: 2026-02-04T05:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://shows.acast.com/hidden-20/episodes/undiagnosed-autism-in-women
Audio file: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/657b32c48f98e20016664592/e/6981f1a713c1477af21c8585/media.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-hidden-20-6751677/episodes/undiagnosed-autism-in-women-masking-misdiagnosis-the-cost-of-being-missed
Duration seconds: 3235

## Resource

In part two of this conversation, neurobiologist and author of The Lost Girls of Autism , Gina Rippon, rejoins Ben to focus on the women autism research left behind. Picking up where part one ends, Gina traces how early brain science, diagnostic bias and cultural assumptions combined to hide autistic women in plain sight. She unpacks why autism was framed as a “male condition,” how masking became a survival strategy, and the real cost of decades of late or missed diagnosis. They explore the neuroscience behind prediction and masking, the forgotten female figures in autism’s history, and why the language of “over-diagnosis” risks oversimplifying a much more complex history of under-recognition . Gina also reflects on autistic bullying, and what meaningful change in diagnosis and research could look like next. If you’ve ever wondered why so many autistic women are only being seen now - or why you still don’t feel seen - this conversation is for you. We hope it offers some clarity, context, and hope. Join us at  hidden20.org/donate . ________ Host: Ben Branson Production Manager: Phoebe De Leiburné Video Editor: James Scriven Social Media Manager: Charlie Young Music: Jackson Greenberg Head of Marketing: Kristen Fuller 00:00 Introduction 01:00 Gina Rippon’s Career in Autism & Neuroscience 02:00 The Brain Questions That Changed Autism Research 05:12 Autism & the Brain: Predictive Coding Explained 08:11 Why So Many Autistic Women Were Missed 09:09 The Forgotten Female Psychiatrist Who Identified Autism Decades Earlier 16:52 Autism Diagnosis Ratios: Female vs Male Explained 18:02 How Many Autistic Women Have We Missed? The “Overdiagnosis” Myth 24:02 Masking in Autistic Women: The Breakthrough Moment 29:30 The Reality of Bullying for Autistic Girls 31:18 The Cost…

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## Transcript

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