Rotten Tommy

by David Sodergren

Women are taught from childhood to blend in. To smile and listen and not make a fuss about anything, or else we’re seen as hard work. And whereas boys tend to obsess

over things like trains, autistic girls might focus on more socially acceptable pursuits, like horses and ponies, and our games are all about having tea parties and running pretend shops. Basically, acclimatising to adult socialisation. As we get older, we get told we have anxiety or depression instead of being tested. Like in everything, there’s a male bias, so women and girls slip through the cracks, living their lives in quiet confusion without ever knowing why.”