Large increase in teenage girls identified as having a disability

New ONS census data has found that there has been a large increase in the number of disabled girls aged 10 to 14 and 15 to 19 years of age. Between 2011 and 2021 the numbers rose from 6.8% to 12.2% in England and 7.1% to 13.3% in Wales. Contact thinks this is due to a combination of factors including later diagnosis in girls for autistic spectrum conditions, plus a greater awareness of autism. As well as the fact that girls are more likely to have mental health problems in their teen years, as shown by various studies.