From as early as primary school age Erin Lloyd knew she was different from those around her. But it was not until she was 18 that she received an autism diagnosis.
Having dealt with anxiety and depression since her early teens the now 24-year-old from Skewen said: "I think it's because I spent so much of my life not knowing why. I've always known I was different to my peers but when I was in the last few years of [comprehensive school] I started to get really anxious and self-conscious about being different to everyone else. I didn't understand why so I thought it was just a 'me' thing. And it is a 'me' thing but I thought it was a personal failing."
While in the past it was thought that an overwhelming number of autistic people were men and boys and rarely women and girls, there are actually many women, girls, and non-binary people on the autistic spectrum. But there are a lot of barriers which prevent them from getting a diagnosis or support for autism, and autistic characteristics can show up differently in females. You can get more health news and other story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.
