A NEW programme has been launched to help female with autism after research suggested they are more likely to go undiagnosed.

Charity Scottish Autism is behind the Women and Girls Right Click Programme, which aims to help women who are on the autistic spectrum with issues such as diagnosis, employment, relationships and health and wellbeing.

It follows research which shows that females with autism can be vulnerable when it comes to relationships and often under-achieve in school as a result of going undiagnosed.

Charlene Tait, development director at Scottish Autism, said: "Among the many issues around access to diagnosis of autism, especially in adults, it is increasingly recognised that females with the condition are being missed.

Glasgow Times:

"We know from engaging and working with autistic girls and women that they have a great deal of potential but can also face many challenges.

"While female-specific research is limited, what there is indicates that autism has an impact across many aspects of their lives and can be detrimental to their overall quality of life.

"Girls who live on the spectrum, for example, may not have the same social networks as their non-autistic peers so they may miss out on the informal learning that goes on among friendship groups and can be more vulnerable in relationships and other situations."

The research revealed that - as well as underachieving - adolescent girls with autism can also be vulnerable to bullying and may develop health problems, including self-harm.

While women with the condition, even those in employment, who are married with children of their own, can struggle to keep a job or maintain successful relationships without proper diagnosis and support.

One of the women involved in the study was Glasgow resident Debi Brown, a 38-year-old who was only diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism, in 2007.

Ms Brown, who was formerly a patent attorney but quit after struggling with certain aspects of the job and now works part-time at Glasgow School of Art, said people on the spectrum are often misunderstood.

"People might think we have no feelings, too many feelings, no empathy or that we can’t do things because we are on the spectrum, but nothing could be further from the truth," she said.

"I’ve spent eight years working with kids with special needs, I’ve been employed throughout my adult life, I have friends and a lot of children in my life, I’m an author and public speaker, I’m involved in a number of activities at a high level including figure skating, singing and trampolining, and no-one noticed that I was on the spectrum, including the legal company who employed me in a job which primarily involved communication."

The Women and Girls Right Click Programme aims to help females of all ages who have autism to better manage some of the challenges they face.

Ms Tait added: "While we focus on helping all people with autism – male or female – through their whole life journey, the Women and Girls Right Click Programme is designed to help address some of the specific challenges faced by females living on the spectrum.

"We believe that support through new programmes like this one can help females living with the condition develop and progress so they can get the most out of life."