Camuflagem e autismo : um estudo com mulheres com o diagnóstico tardio de transtorno do espectro autista.

Abstract

Social camouflaging, in the context of autism, refers to the behavior of suppressing or hiding autistic traits in social situations to avoid rejection. Recent studies indicate that, in women, these strategies contribute to late or incorrect diagnoses, reinforcing gender stereotypes that associate Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) with a predominantly male condition. This intervention-research, developed within the scope of the Professional Master's Degree in Psychology at UNISC and linked to the Research Line Contemporary Clinical Practices, Public Policies and Mental Health, had as its general objective to understand camouflaging strategies in the female spectrum based on the reports of women who received a late ASD diagnosis. Adult women between 30 and 40 years old, with a formal and late diagnosis, participated in the study. In the first stage, 15 of them took part in an initial interview and answered the CAT-Q (Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire). Of the ten participants selected for the second stage, six took part in the focus groups and four attended the restitution meeting. All stages were conducted remotely and synchronously. The results highlighted that the strategies reported corresponded to camouflaging domains already recognized in the literature. However, some strategies reported by participants as forms of camouflaging were, in fact, functional social skills, which reveals a relevant conceptual barrier between adaptive behaviors and the intentional concealment of autistic traits. Relevant socioemotional effects were identified, such as exhaustion, anxiety, loss of identity, and low self-esteem. The diagnostic trajectories were marked by clinical misinterpretations, such as previous diagnoses of personality and mood disorders, which delayed the recognition of autism. The findings also emphasized the importance of considering less recognized patterns as possible expressions of the spectrum in women, pointing to the need for greater professional preparation and diagnostic approaches more sensitive to the specificities of the female phenotype. As a technical product of the research, digital teaching material was developed with the aim of providing informative support for women undergoing diagnostic investigation, as well as supporting the clinical practice of mental health professionals and expanding family members' understanding of autism in women.