Mulheres autistas no ensino superior: o impacto do capacitismo na saúde mental e a interseccionalidade entre neurodivergência, gênero, raça e classe

Abstract

This dissertation analyzes the experiences of autistic women in higher education, focusing on the impacts of ableism on mental health, academic belonging, and academic retention. The research engages with an intersectional perspective that articulates neurodivergence, gender, race, and social class, mobilizing the second-generation social model of disability, the political relational model, and Feminist Disability Studies. The study adopts a qualitative approach inspired by phenomenological-existential perspectives, acknowledging the researcher's implication in the field under investigation. The investigation is organized into two axes: an integrative literature review and an institutional experience report. The review identified recent studies on autistic women in higher education, while the report analyzed institutional practices related to accessibility and academic belonging. The results highlight structural barriers associated with ableism, racism, misogyny, and social inequalities, present in processes of late diagnosis, social camouflaging, institutional invisibility, and the absence of intersectional retention policies. The predominance of biomedical models for understanding autism was also observed, accompanied by the individualization of responsibility for access and the naturalization of access fatigue. The analysis indicates that psychological distress and university dropout processes do not stem from autism itself, but rather from institutional conditions that restrict belonging, participation, and accessibility. The inclusion of autistic women in higher education requires institutional co-responsibility, intersectional policies, and academic environments that are accessible both sensorially and emotionally.