Unmasking the Signs of Autism in Teens: A Conversation Focused on Teenage Girls
In this podcast Jennifer Hedrick, MS, LCMHC, explains the unique challenges faced by girls with ASD, often going undiagnosed due to their ability to mask symptoms. She discusses the importance of understanding sensory issues, emotional regulation, and awareness before focusing on social skills. Jen also address common myths about ASD, such as lack of empathy, and explore the connection between neurodivergence and mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, and OCD.
We hope this conversation provides clarity and reassurance as you seek the best path for your child. Discovery Ranch South is here to help if you're looking for more guidance. To learn more about how you can help your daughter, call us at 855-667-9388.
Introduction to Autism and Neurodiversity
Nate Marble: Hello, and welcome to our podcast! My name is Nate Marble, and I'll be your host for this season. Today, we're discussing autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and neurodiversity (ND) in teenage girls. Throughout the episode, you may hear us use the terms ASD for autism spectrum disorder and ND for neurodiversity—just a heads-up as we go along.
ASD is a complex neurological condition that affects individuals in different ways. In teenage girls, the signs and symptoms can often go unnoticed or be misinterpreted. As a parent, understanding the unique challenges your daughter may face and knowing how to support her is essential.
Before we begin, a quick reminder: this podcast is not a substitute for therapy. If you need support for your unique situation, we encourage you to seek guidance from a mental health professional.
Again, I’m Nate Marble. I started at Discovery Ranch South as the Performing Arts Director and now serve as the HR Director. Today, I’m excited to interview Jennifer Hedrick, our Clinical Director and Associate Executive Director.
Discovery Ranch South is a residential program for teenage girls struggling with mental health challenges. Located on 62 acres in southern Utah, we provide a space where families can find help for their daughters.
Jen, welcome back to the podcast! You’ve been here before, but for those who may not be familiar with you, could you share a bit about your background? How did you end up at Discovery Ranch South, and what led you to this field?
Jennifer Hedrick: Yeah, sure! Thanks for having me.
Gosh, where do I start? I began my career in higher education, working in college counseling for 19 years. But when my child faced mental health struggles and entered treatment, I felt a personal connection to this work and decided to change my career path.
I started as a Clinical Director at a smaller residential treatment facility, where I worked for five years. Then, I spent about three and a half years in wilderness therapy—which was an adventure! Ultimately, I realized I thrive in structured environments, and wilderness programs are a bit less structured. That’s what brought me back to residential treatment, and I’ve been here at Discovery Ranch South for nearly four years now.
Nate Marble: That’s a great journey. For those who may not be familiar with the differences, can you briefly explain how wilderness therapy differs from a residential treatment center like Discovery Ranch South?
Jennifer Hedrick: Absolutely! Wilderness programs are typically short-term interventions designed to provide a major disruption to a struggling teen’s environment. They remove a child from their daily surroundings and place them in a low-stimulation setting, which can be effective for some.
Most wilderness programs last about 60 to 90 days. For some teens, that’s enough, and they transition back home. But many need additional support, so they move into a longer-term residential program. This allows them to continue developing the skills they learned in wilderness therapy while incorporating essential family involvement, which plays a huge role in long-term success.
Nate Marble: That makes a lot of sense. Now, in this episode, we want to explore the unique ways ASD presents in teenage girls.
Understanding Neurodiversity and ASD
Nate Marble: Today, we want to clear up some common myths and build a foundation for understanding the unique needs of neurodivergent individuals. To start, can you explain the concept of neurodiversity and how it relates to ASD?
Jennifer Hedrick: Absolutely! You mentioned something important—I think it’s worth clarifying that neurodiversity applies to everyone. Every brain is unique, which means we’re all part of neurodiversity in a broad sense.
However, when we talk about neurodivergence, we’re referring to individuals whose brains function differently from what’s considered typical. This includes people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), social pragmatic communication disorder, ADHD—which is increasingly recognized as a form of neurodivergence—and nonverbal learning disorder.
One of the biggest shifts we’re seeing in 2025 is a move away from trying to make neurodivergent individuals fit into a neurotypical world. Instead of pushing for compliance with neurotypical expectations, the focus is now on helping them navigate the world in a way that works for them.
The Importance of a Neurodivergent Cabin
Nate Marble: Can you explain the reasoning behind creating a neurodivergent cabin here at the ranch? It’s not completely separate—neurodivergent and neurotypical kids are still together—but what’s the purpose of having that space? How does it help these kids support each other?
Jennifer Hedrick: Sure! But first, I want to back up a little because I think it’s important to understand how we approach neurodivergent kids. For a long time, people have been doing it the wrong way.
Take neurodivergent girls, for example. They often struggle with social interactions, communication, sensory issues, and emotional regulation. The traditional approach has been, "Let’s just teach them social skills." But the reality is, you can’t teach social skills unless you first address four key areas:
- Managing sensory challenges
- Supporting emotional regulation
- Increasing self-awareness
- Working on social skills
Once those foundations are in place, we can help them with things like organizing their lives and strengthening executive functioning skills. Honestly, I still work on that myself as an adult with executive functioning challenges! It’s all connected.
Now, back to the cabin. These kids didn’t come to us just because they’re on the autism spectrum—they came because they’re struggling to navigate a neurotypical world. And often, that struggle intensifies in adolescence, around age 12, when social dynamics become more complex. Female relationships, in particular, can be complicated, and as social expectations increase, many neurodivergent girls start experiencing mental health challenges.
There’s a misconception that we treat autism spectrum disorder. What we do is address the symptoms that come from struggling to navigate a world that isn’t built for them. That’s where the neurodivergent cabin comes in.
The goal is to create an environment where these kids feel understood. It also helps our staff learn how to best support them—how to show up for them, model appropriate interactions, slow things down, and use concept-driven learning. Our program is highly structured and busy, so these kids need extra guidance in managing that structure while also dealing with sensory issues, emotional regulation, and self-awareness.
Through conversations with our students, we’ve learned that feeling understood makes a huge difference in their ability to manage their mental health. That’s why this cabin exists—it’s not about isolation but about providing the right support in the right way.
Nate Marble: Exactly. It seems obvious to us because we work in this world every day. But for others, understanding how to help neurodivergent kids navigate a neurotypical world isn’t always clear. And that’s really what this podcast is about—helping people understand.
Challenges in Diagnosis for Girls with ASD
Nate Marble: What tools can others use to help neurodivergent teens navigate the world? I mean, we’ve talked about the statistics—80% of autistic females go undiagnosed.
Jennifer Hedrick: Right.
Nate Marble: 80%—that’s huge! And boys are four times more likely to be diagnosed than girls. The goal is to help these teens find a space where they can say, “Yes, I can do this,” even if they’re doing things a little differently than their neurotypical peers.
You mentioned staff support. But what happens after they leave the ranch? Are they able to express their needs to the people who will be supporting them in the real world? How do we give them tools in this environment that will translate to life beyond the ranch?
Jennifer Hedrick: Yeah, that’s a great question. And I want to go back to something you said—misdiagnosis or lack of diagnosis in females is so common because, in general, girls tend to be better at social interactions. They learn to mask their challenges more effectively, which is why they often go undiagnosed for longer.
For boys, autism is often recognized earlier, sometimes before age 12. But for girls, it’s usually identified later because they’ve been masking for years—essentially “faking it to make it.”
As for translating skills beyond the ranch, that’s really at the core of our program. Everything we do is designed to help these teens not only build skills here but also apply them in the real world. We’ll go into more detail on that in a later episode, but our whole approach is focused on making sure the transition happens successfully.
Defining Neurodiversity and Its Implications
Nate Marble: Great. Let’s dive in. Can you explain the concept of neurodiversity and how it relates to ASD? If you had to break it down to the basics, how would you define it?
Jennifer Hedrick: At its core, neurodiversity refers to brains that function differently from the neurotypical brain. Even though research in this area has expanded, no single study—or even a meta-analysis of multiple studies—fully explains what’s happening. What we do know is that structural differences exist in the brain.
In terms of how it presents itself, neurodivergent individuals often face challenges with emotional regulation, sensory processing, and social interactions. People talk a lot about overstimulation, but understimulation is just as important and often overlooked. Sensory issues, relationship dynamics, and navigating social expectations all play a role in the experience of neurodivergence.
Another thing I want to address is the many myths surrounding autism. People assume it’s a learning disability, that autistic individuals don’t make eye contact, lack empathy, or aren’t sociable. But these are completely false. Autism exists on a spectrum, meaning every individual has a unique experience. The key is understanding their lived experience and helping them adapt to a neurotypical world.
Take empathy, for example. Some autistic individuals experience an overwhelming amount of empathy—sometimes even too much, particularly toward animals. That’s why animal-assisted therapy can be so powerful for them. The challenge then becomes: How do we help them take that deep empathy for animals and translate it into social relationships with people?
The Connection Between Neurodivergence and Mental Health
Nate Marble: We talk about neurodivergence a lot, but I don’t think people always connect it to other challenges that can come with it—things like depression, anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive behaviors. Can you explain how neurodivergence might lead to those and why it’s important to recognize them?
Jennifer Hedrick: Absolutely. Think about a 12-year-old entering middle school—that’s when the social landscape starts to change. In elementary school, social interactions are simpler, but in middle school, there’s a shift in social hierarchy.
Nate Marble: Yeah, they’re trying to figure out who they are.
Jennifer Hedrick: Exactly. And for a neurodivergent kid, this transition can be overwhelming because they don’t have a "script" for how social interactions work. The rules they were used to are suddenly different, and that uncertainty can take a toll. When people struggle to navigate their world, they often develop symptoms as a response.
For example, they might become anxious. And when anxiety isn’t managed, it can lead to depression. Then, there are obsessive-compulsive behaviors, which can be a way of creating predictability. Some research suggests that neurodivergent brains may be more prone to OCD, but there’s also overlap—traits like hyperfocus, which are common in autism and ADHD, can look obsessive.
The key difference is the compulsion piece. A compulsion is a behavior used to create a sense of control. If someone feels overwhelmed by uncertainty, engaging in a compulsive behavior can bring temporary relief. That relief reinforces the behavior, making it more likely to continue.
So, when we see depression, anxiety, or OCD traits in neurodivergent kids, they’re often symptoms of struggling to navigate a world that doesn’t feel predictable or understandable. Our goal is to help them develop healthier ways to cope.
Nate Marble: That makes a lot of sense. So, for some kids, OCD behaviors become something solid—something they can rely on when the rest of the world feels confusing or out of control. Is that right?
Jennifer Hedrick: Exactly. It’s something tangible when everything else feels unpredictable.
Understanding Mental Health Responses
Jennifer Hedrick: When it comes to OCD, yes. But with depression and anxiety, those are often natural nervous system responses that happen when someone is pushed beyond their window of tolerance. That’s really what we’re talking about with neurodivergent kids—when they struggle to navigate the social world, it disrupts their nervous system.
If they can’t regulate their nervous system, they develop symptoms in response. When someone is constantly in a state of hyperarousal, they may become angry, disruptive, or lash out. On the other hand, when their nervous system shifts into hyperarousal, that’s when we see depression, anxiety, and withdrawal.
What’s interesting is that both responses—whether it's acting out or shutting down—are survival mechanisms. The problem is that, over time, they become maladaptive.
Nate Marble: Do those responses end up amplifying autism symptoms?
The Impact of Mental Health on Neurodivergence
Nate Marble: Is there a connection between things like depression, OCD, and anxiety making autism symptoms more intense? Does one amplify the other?
Jennifer Hedrick: I think it depends on the individual, but it’s possible. When children are first learning about themselves and their neurodivergence—ideally with the understanding that they are neurodivergent—they're also navigating how they fit into the world.
One challenge is that we often focus on what’s wrong—what they’re struggling with or what they’re not doing right. But we need to shift that perspective and focus on their strengths—what they do well. The problem is that the social world isn’t built that way. It’s structured around cause and effect: "I do this, and here’s the consequence."
So, if a neurodivergent child develops depression and anxiety because they’re struggling socially, they may start to internalize that as part of their identity. They might think, "I feel this way because I’m autistic, and that must be a bad thing." That’s why understanding each child’s lived experience is so important. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to this.
The Importance of Individual Experiences
Jennifer Hedrick: Every child we work with might have the same diagnosis, but they’re all very different. It’s crucial to understand their unique, internal lived experience.
Nate Marble: In 2020, 1 in 54 children were diagnosed with ASD, but there are likely many more kids out there who are undiagnosed. As parents or listeners, we might not even recognize the signs, and we may not have the tools to help them. What can parents do to educate themselves clinically and understand what's happening with their kids?
Jennifer Hedrick: That’s a great question. I think there’s an interesting point here—some kids might go undiagnosed, and honestly, I think that’s okay in some cases. What matters is whether the child is struggling mentally. Are they dealing with depression or anxiety that goes beyond the typical teenage experience? Are they engaging in risky or maladaptive behaviors?
If a child is struggling in these ways, it’s a sign that something’s going on. Behaviors like these aren’t just random—they’re forms of communication. As parents, we need to understand what those behaviors are communicating.
In some cases, parents may find out that their child is on the autism spectrum, which they hadn’t previously realized. From there, it's important to take a step back and look at their experiences. For example, are they struggling with sensory issues or emotional regulation? While emotional regulation is challenging for most teens, it can be even more complex for neurodivergent kids.
For parents, the key is to look at how their child is navigating the world. If they’re struggling to do so, it might be time to consider seeking help.
Nate Marble: There are so many factors at play. You mentioned typical teenage issues. What exactly does that mean, and how do those challenges differ for neurodivergent kids?
Jennifer Hedrick: That’s a great question. I think it comes down to parents being educated about child development. As adults, we sometimes forget what it was like to be a teenager. We have this adult perspective and may not always remember the complexities of being a teen.
We need to avoid applying our adult experiences to our children’s teenage experiences. Each teen is unique, and their challenges are unique, too.
Nate Marble: Is there a difference in how neurodivergence and ASD manifest in girls versus boys?
Jennifer Hedrick: Yes, there is a difference. Autism is diagnosed more often in boys, and part of the reason is that boys are generally less able to mask their symptoms. They may exhibit more externalizing behaviors, like acting out. On the other hand, girls tend to mask their symptoms more effectively, which means they may not get diagnosed until later, or sometimes, they get misdiagnosed.
The biggest difference lies in social dynamics. Girls tend to be more socially motivated, while boys are often less driven by social interactions. As a result, girls may struggle more socially over time, even if they've masked their symptoms for years. They tend to show their struggles later on, whereas boys often show them more immediately.
Nate Marble: We’ve covered a lot in this episode.
Case Study: A Journey to Acceptance
Nate Marble: There's still so much to learn. I was wondering if you could share a specific experience, either with someone here at the ranch or someone outside, where you've helped identify or support a child with ASD or neurodivergence.
Jennifer Hedrick: Sure! I’m thinking about a 14-year-old girl I worked with about 10 years ago. She was one of the most complex kids I’ve ever worked with, especially in terms of how her symptoms showed up. Her symptoms were intense and very scary. She had two significant suicide attempts and struggled with a severe eating disorder.
Interestingly, the one thing she refused to address was the fact that she was on the autism spectrum. It was because of the preconceived ideas she had about it—things like “it means you’re weird” or “you’re dumb”—ideas she’d internalized from society’s messaging about autism.
Throughout her time with me, we worked on reducing her symptoms, but the real breakthrough came when she finally accepted that being on the autism spectrum didn’t have to mean anything negative. It was just a diagnosis, and it was up to her to define it for herself.
It was a lot of work, but we focused on her strengths. She was incredibly bright, fun, sociable, and had so many talents. Once we got to the point where she could look at her diagnosis—“autism spectrum disorder”—on paper, she couldn’t even bring herself to acknowledge it at first. But eventually, we worked together to help her understand that it didn’t define her. It was just part of who she was, not something that controlled her identity.
Nate Marble: Wow, that’s incredible.
Jennifer Hedrick: Yeah, it was a powerful experience. It was all about helping her see that she wasn’t limited by the label and that it didn’t define who she was as a person.
Tools for Acceptance and Education
Jennifer Hedrick: It’s just part of who you are.
Nate Marble: On that note, are there any tools or advice you can share with our listeners to help them not only recognize and accept it but also find ways to help after that acceptance?
Jennifer Hedrick: I think education is key. I’m passionate about this topic—I actually “nerd out” on it a lot! Half of my social media follow mental health professionals. One of my favorites is a page called Neurodivergent Insights. So, I’d say, find a community where you can connect with others, ask questions, and just gather as much information as possible. Knowledge is power, and the more you know, the better equipped you’ll be.
Nate Marble: So, don’t be afraid to dive in and explore it.
Jennifer Hedrick: Exactly.
Nate Marble: Great. I appreciate your time today. This has helped me understand not only what to look for but also how to help. I work with kids every day, and even when friends of my four daughters come over, I want to be sure I’m doing what I can to help. It’s important to remember that each child is different. It’s not a one-size-fits-all diagnosis or experience. Everything is on a case-by-case basis. So, I appreciate you sharing all this.
Jennifer Hedrick: Of course! I’m glad we could talk about it.
Nate Marble: Again, for this episode, I’ve been speaking with Jen Hedrick, the clinical director here at Discovery Ranch South, and the associate executive director as well.
Upcoming Discussion on Social Integration
Nate Marble: In the next episode, we’ll dive into the challenges of social integration for these kids and explore some strategies to help them succeed in a neurotypical world. So, I appreciate your time today. Thanks, Jen.
Jennifer Hedrick: Thank you! You're welcome.