Many people wonder whether lifelong social difficulties are caused by autism or social anxiety. Although the two conditions can look similar, the underlying reasons are often different, and many people experience both. Learn how clinicians distinguish between them and why a comprehensive evaluation matters.

Wondering whether you or your child may be autistic? Learn what autism is, common characteristics, why autism looks different from person to person, how masking can affect diagnosis, and what happens during an autism evaluation.

Autism has historically been identified more often in boys, causing many autistic girls and women to go unrecognized. Learn why autism may be missed and how it can present differently in women.

For many years, autism was primarily understood through research and diagnostic models based largely on boys.

As a result, many girls and women on the autism spectrum were overlooked, misunderstood, or diagnosed much later in life, sometimes not until adulthood.