Webinar: Autism Assessments in Girls

Autism Assessments in Girls
Webinar Recording with Dr Becky Quicke (Recorded May 2026)

Autism can present differently in girls, and masking can mean that difficulties aren’t always visible to the people around them. A girl may appear to be coping at school or during an appointment while her internal experience tells a very different story.

In this informative and practical webinar, the PDA Society is joined by Dr Becky Quick, Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Lead and Founder of Autistic Girls, an autism and ADHD assessment service for girls and women.

Drawing on both her professional expertise and her own experience as a parent navigating assessment with her daughter, Becky explores the journey towards an autism assessment – from deciding whether assessment is the right next step, through choosing a provider and preparing your child, to helping your daughter understand what the process means for her.

Rather than simply focusing on obtaining a diagnosis, this webinar explores how a thoughtful, supportive assessment can help a girl better understand herself, her needs and her neurodivergence.

In this Webinar, you will explore:

• Why autism can sometimes be missed or misunderstood in girls
• How masking can affect what professionals and schools see
• When an autism assessment might be the right next step – and when it may be helpful to pause
• The importance of involving your child and considering their views about assessment
• How diagnosis can support self-understanding, identity, advocacy and access to appropriate support
• What a thorough autism assessment should consider
• What NICE guidance says about autism assessments and why this can be useful when evaluating a service
• Why differences between what parents, schools and professionals observe shouldn’t automatically rule out autism
• The different routes to assessment, including NHS, Right to Choose and private assessment
• Important questions to ask an assessment provider before committing to their service
• How to consider whether a provider genuinely understands different presentations of autism
• Why a clinician’s understanding of masking and PDA can be particularly important
• Practical ways to prepare for an assessment and gather useful information beforehand
• How to talk to your daughter about autism and assessment in an affirming and age-appropriate way
• How predictability, pacing and communication can make the assessment process easier for your child

Choosing whether to pursue an autism assessment can feel like a significant decision. Parents may find themselves wondering whether now is the right time, which assessment route to choose, what a good assessment should look like and whether their child’s needs will really be understood.

This webinar helps you approach those decisions in a more informed way.

Becky discusses what parents can look for when researching assessment providers and highlights the importance of looking beyond what a child presents externally. In particular, she explores why an assessment needs to be curious about a girl’s internal experiences, rather than relying solely on how she appears during an appointment or what is observed at school.

This Webinar is ideal for:

• Parents and carers considering an autism assessment for their daughter
• Families at the beginning of the assessment journey
• Parents deciding between NHS, Right to Choose and private assessment routes
• Parents of girls who mask or whose presentation differs between home and school
• Parents and carers of girls with a PDA profile
• Families who want to know what a supportive and thorough assessment process should look like
• Professionals wanting greater insight into the experiences of girls going through autism assessment

Guest links:

Autistic Girls – specialist autism and ADHD service: https://autisticgirls.co.uk/dr-becky-quicke

Further sources of support & information

PDA Society podcasts:
https://training.pdasociety.org.uk/pda-podcasts/

PDA Society Training:
https://www.pdasociety.org.uk/support-and-training/training/

PDA Society Support Service: https://www.pdasociety.org.uk/support-and-training/support/

You can also find our Facebook support groups here 

Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed by guest speakers in this recording are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the PDA Society. While we aim to provide balanced and inclusive discussions, individual experiences and perspectives may vary. The PDA Society is committed to using language and terminology that reflects the preferences of PDA/autistic people, but sometimes our guests may use language and terminology which differs. Appearance in our recordings is not an endorsement of an individual, and not all of our guests will align with our position on the issues discussed.