As many as 5 million people in Europe may have autism. Many experience difficulty getting a diagnosis, but for women in particular autism is often overlooked or diagnosed late. For some time there has been a widely accepted belief that there are five times as many boys and men with ASDs than girls and women. However, recent research suggests that there are many more girls and women on the autism spectrum than previously thought.

The Autism in Pink project is an innovative EU-funded partnership between four European autism organisations which has been set up to carry out research into autism in women. It will look into the prevalence of autism amongst women in the participating countries, and assess the competences and needs of women with autism, in order to provide support and education both for women on the spectrum and for their parents, carers and teachers, as well as social care and health professionals.

Focus groups and workshops will be conducted in order to help inform the development of a new approach to learning, to give women with autism the skills they need to deal with issues that can be challenging for those with autism, such as health, standard of living and personal relationships.