The Lost Girls of Autism : The Untold Story of Women on the Spectrum by Gina Rippon

The history of autism is male. It is time for women and girls to enter the spotlight. For decades, our understanding of autism has been based on stereotypes of ‘socially awkward’ men and boys.

But this isn’t because autism doesn’t affect women; it is because the system built to identify it has completely failed them. This blind spot has left generations of women and girls misunderstood and misdiagnosed. In The Lost Girls of Autism, leading neuroscientist Gina Rippon challenges this biased view of autism and explores the female autistic experience.

She reveals how girls on the spectrum learn to ‘hide in plain sight’ by camouflaging to fit in. Drawing on decades of research and powerful first-person accounts, Rippon shows how the female autistic brain is ‘differently different’ and urges us to give these lost girls their rightful place on the spectrum.‘

A truly fascinating must-read’ – Elinor Cleghorn, bestselling author of Unwell WomenWinner of the Popular Science Award from the British Psychological SocietyA Book of the Year in the Daily Telegraph and New Scientist

Format:Paperback / softback 352 pages
Publisher:Pan Macmillan
Imprint:Pan Books
ISBN:9781035011643
Published:19 Feb 2026
Classifications:Gender studies: women, Autism & Asperger’s Syndrome, Coping with illness & specific conditions
Weight:242g