Honors Theses
Date of Award
Spring 5-10-2025
Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Department
Theater and Film
First Advisor
Sarah Hennigan
Second Advisor
Michael Tuxhorn
Third Advisor
Toshikazu Ikuta
Relational Format
Dissertation/Thesis
Abstract
Overlooked is a documentary short film that seeks to shine a light on the nuanced struggles of autistic women in a neurotypical world. This short documentary consists of three interviews with autistic women from different backgrounds. Each diagnosed during a different stage of life, they reflect on their journeys to receiving an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis and its impact on their lives. These conversations reveal an overwhelming lack of resources for autistic people, especially for women, people of color, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community. With the diagnosis criteria for ASD being historically based on white males, women and people of color often struggle to receive an accurate diagnosis due to the criteria not representing how autism manifests differently across the spectrum. These personal accounts shed light on the societal expectations and misconceptions about autism that negatively impact autistic women, both in the diagnosis process and in their everyday lives. This documentary gives a voice to the underdiagnosed and underrepresented community of autistic women.
Recommended Citation
Payne, Autumn L., "Overlooked: The Nuanced Struggles of Autistic Women" (2025). Honors Theses. 3312.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/3312
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
