Amanda Seales announced that she was recently diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum on social media and during her appearance on Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay podcast. (Later, clarifying on an Instagram live that she hadn’t received a clinical diagnosis because of her age and the cost involved).
Seales has sparked a conversation about autism in Black women and girls that has been overlooked for too long. According to the Autism Journal, “female and Black populations in the United States are diagnosed later.” The publication declared that “autistic Black girls are effectively invisible in the current scientific literature.”
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) defines Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as “a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain. People with ASD often have problems with social communication and interaction and restricted or repetitive behaviors or interests. The organization noted, “People with ASD may also have different ways of learning, moving, or paying attention.” Seales posted a clip to her social media that highlighted the need for express clarification associated with being placed on the autism spectrum. The National Institute for Mental Health explains that “Autism is known as a “spectrum” disorder because there is wide variation in the type and severity of symptoms people experience.” These symptoms include “difficulty with communication and interaction with other people.”
People who are on the autism spectrum are neurodivergent. This is a comprehensive term that refers to people whose brains function differently. The history of the term is connected to empowering those it refers to. Harvard Health said, “The neurodiversity movement emerged during the 1990s, aiming to increase acceptance and inclusion of all people while embracing neurological differences.” The movement has been successful in increasing media representation, but the face of that representation has been consistently White and male.
Frontiers in Psychiatry published a study focused on how stigma experienced by autistic adults relates to metrics of social identity and social functioning. It found that “almost half of autistic individuals experience some form of victimization in their lifetime, including bullying and other forms of stigma.”
The Autistic Girls Network states that “the assessment tools used for diagnosis and research in the field of autism have almost always been developed from research using predominantly male samples.” Progress in the rate of diagnosis for Black children overall is advancing slowly, according to the CDC, but the gaps in the research get even wider as it pertains to Black girls. Bria Herbert, diagnosed at 19, shared her experience with The 19th. “Autism and most mental health disorders present differently in Black women,” Herbert told the independent publication. “Because autism is looked at through such a White and male lens, people don’t recognize similar behaviors with traditionally feminine or Black interests.”
Daniel Jones of The Aspie World dedicated an entire episode of his YouTube show to recognizing the way that Black women and girls are excluded from the discourse surrounding autism. Celebrity advocates for autism research include Toni Braxton, Shawn Stockman, and Holly Robinson Pete, who discussed the topic on Seales’ podcast Small Doses in April of 2021. April is Autism Awareness Month, and as awareness is raised and information is spread, the experiences of Black women and girls must be included in efforts to continue learning about the spectrum. Advocates and academics are arguing for their inclusion in different spaces.
A paper published in the Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders stated, “Growth in autism research necessitates corresponding attention to autism research ethics, including ethical and meaningful inclusion of diverse participants.” It said that “the exclusion of marginalized subgroups of people with autism is a major ethical concern.”
