UNITED KINGDOM / AGILITYPR.NEWS / March 13, 2025 / What are the symptoms of ADHD and autism in adults? And in adult women specifically? Any woman who's ever found herself trying to research either condition will have faced the same problem: not only are most symptoms described in scientific literature specific to children, but they are the sort of symptoms which most commonly show in boys - with girls left entirely out of the picture. This is a gender gap that a new event by the award-winning social impact company, ADHD Girls will explore in London early next month.

ADHD Girls' research indicates that ADHD and autism in women is being routinely misdiagnosed as mood (e.g., depression, or anxiety) or personality disorders, due to outdated diagnostic frameworks that fail to recognise how neurodivergence presents in women. 

Since the pandemic, there has been an exponential rise in adult women receiving ADHD and autism diagnoses, with those aged 23-49 now forming the largest demographic seeking ADHD assessments. Despite research indicating that ADHD and autism co-occur in up to 70-80% of cases, many women are still dismissed in diagnostic processes that separate the two conditions.

Additionally, existing treatments fail to account for the complexities of female neurobiology. According to the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA), over 800,000 ADHD medications were prescribed in early 2024/25, yet little research exists on how these treatments interact with fluctuating hormone levels in autistic ADHD women.

In response to this systemic failure, ADHD Girls is launching a landmark event that will collect lived experience data to shape future training for mental health professionals.

Autism & ADHD in Women: Missed, Dismissed, Reclaiming Your Voice will take place on 02 April at The Exchange, Twickenham. It will serve as both a moment of reckoning and a step toward tangible change. Through interactive discussions, research-driven insights, and collective storytelling, this event will empower women to reclaim their neurodivergent identities while contributing to vital research that will inform ADHD Girls’ Train the Helpers programme: 'AuDHD in Women: DSM-5 Criteria through a Scientific and Intersectional Lens'.

Dr Samantha Hiew, founder of ADHD Girls, said, “For too long, women with ADHD and autism have been unseen and unheard, trapped in a system that does not recognise their lived realities. The research, diagnostic criteria, and workplace accommodations remain built around a male-centric model, leaving an entire generation of women misdiagnosed, misunderstood, and unsupported. This event is not just another awareness talk - it is a course correction. It is about demanding the recognition, research, and support that we should have had all along.”

The findings from this event will directly inform mental health training, ensuring that future practitioners approach ADHD and autism in women with greater accuracy, sensitivity, and intersectional understanding.

For more information, visit https://adhdgirls.co.uk.