Diagnosis of autism in older women: reflections of a psychologist and a client

Tamara May works in autism research and is a psychologist in private practice in Melbourne, Australia. Carol Adams is a Professor at Durham University working in the field of sustainable development accounting and accountability, including accountability for social justice issues. In this paper, they explore the issues in diagnosing autism in women and make recommendations for diagnostic assessment. The process of Carol's diagnosis from first suspicions to the confirmation of autism is presented. Carol talks about the process of completing the assessment tools and the response to getting her autism diagnosis. Tamara identifies some of the current issues in the diagnostic assessment of autism in adulthood, and both make suggestions for how the process can be enhanced.