Given the difficulty of diagnosing and intervening with women with ASD, what should we take into account and what does the evidence tell us about interventions with this group by community mental health services?

The symptoms of ASD in women are slightly different, given that there may be less cognitive rigidity or the individual may mask more symptoms. Their intense interests may go more unnoticed because they appear more " functional. " In the adult mental health network, these individuals often present with marked anxiety , depressive symptoms, and sometimes multiple prior diagnoses such as borderline personality disorder, personality disorder not otherwise specified, eating disorders, dissociative disorders, etc. These diagnoses may co-occur with ASD, but there is often confusion regarding these symptoms.

At the community mental health level, interventions focused on understanding symptoms and managing anxiety address some of the needs these women report. It's worth noting that this group may be more vulnerable to abuse, so providing psychoeducation on sexual and emotional well-being and safe online behavior is particularly useful for young women with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).