”Jag var så insatt i att vara normal. Att vara så normal jag bara kunde.” : En fenomenologisk studie om hur kvinnors autism ser ut i skolvärlden utifrån lärares samt kvinnor med autisms perspektiv

Sammanfattning: This study aimed to examine how women’s autism (ASD) is experienced in relation to education through the perceptions of both women with ASD and teachers. Previous research shows that women with ASD are diagnosed later than would have been necessary. A reason for this is that they often mask their difficulties and are perceived as quiet and calm students in school. Using qualitative semi-structured interviews, six teachers and four women with ASD were interviewed. The interviews were analysed with interpretative phenomenological analysis to understand the participants’ individual experiences. To interpret and discuss the result, a theoretical framework was used consisting of gender theory and two different perspectives on understanding students with difficulties: the categorical and the relational perspectives. The phenomenological analysis of the collected data resulted in five themes: experiences of ASD, diagnosis, the silent student, masking and school and working methods. Based on the results, the conclusions emerged that teachers did not experience any differences between girls' and boys' ASD, even though the participating women with ASD told about gender differences. All teachers described how ASD can manifest in ways that are consistent with both descriptions in research on students with ASD and with how the women with ASD in this study described their own difficulties. The majority of the teachers worked on the basis that all students are entitled to the support they need, regardless of whether they have a diagnosis or not; which is in contrast to how the participants with ASD described their experience of school. Three of four women with ASD expressed that they wished their schools could have treated them in a better way during their school years. The women with ASD and the teachers had a similar view of the working methods that benefit women with ASD in school. The results also indicated that women with ASD assume the role of a quiet and calm student. Both the women and the teachers felt that the typical silent student did not receive support or resources, but that the attention instead went to outspoken or disorderly boys and students who do not reach the school's goals. Despite the fact that all participating women with ASD described how they have masked their difficulties during their school time, only one of six teachers experienced that masking is common among students in general. Other teachers said that students are not capable of masking their difficulties, or they had not reflected on the fact that something like this could occur. Overall, this study contributes with knowledge about ASD in relation to gender theory and school, which is a limited research area.