Autism and Gender: Let's Change Our Perspective!

By Julie Dachez, Ph.D. in social psychology, author, and science communicator.

Opening remarks by Agnès Fichard-Carroll, Vice President for Education and Campus Life, Disability Coordinator and Gender Equality Officer.

Understanding Autism in a Different Way

For more than ten years, Julie Dachez has been working to make knowledge about autism accessible by combining scientific research with personal experiences—an approach that has become the hallmark of her work. Diagnosed herself as an adult, she advocates for a non-deficit-based, respectful, and more accurate understanding of autism, emphasizing the major role that social norms play in the challenges faced by people on the autism spectrum.

Autism and Gender: Between Invisibility and Camouflage Strategies

What if we finally changed the way we view autism?

After debunking persistent misconceptions, this lecture sheds light on an area that has been overlooked for far too long: how autism manifests in women.

Drawing on recent research, sociological analyses, and insightful personal accounts, the speaker sheds light on a little-known aspect of autism. She demonstrates how gender norms cloud our understanding of this female presentation—known as the “female phenotype”—leading to delays, errors, and misdiagnoses for many women.

It highlights a key mechanism: “camouflage.” This strategy—which can sometimes be exhausting—is used by many to conform to social expectations and hide their unique traits. It is a costly form of adaptation that is all too often invisible and can undermine mental health.

An opportunity to explore the mechanisms and strategies for providing day-to-day support to the women involved, including during certain periods of their lives (menstrual cycles, menopause).

This conference is part of the University of Montpellier’s (UM) commitment to promoting a culture of inclusion, combating prejudice, and fostering understanding of neurodivergent experiences.

The event will conclude with a social gathering featuring Julie Dachez.

The conference is accessible to people with disabilities and will be interpreted into French Sign Language (LSF). For any other questions regarding the event’s accessibility, please contact the Handiversité department by email (add a link to ).

Conference organized by the Handiversité and Quality of Life at Work (QVT) departments—Campus Life Division (DVC)—of the University of Montpellier as part of the Multi-Year Disability Master Plan (SDPH) and the Gender Equality Plan of theUM.

This event is part of the 10th edition, “Donner des Elles à l’UM ”