Jenara Nerenberg opens by identifying a significant gap: neurodivergent conditions (autism, ADHD, sensory processing differences) are frequently overlooked, misdiagnosed, or diagnosed much later in women compared to men, due to different presentation patterns and diagnostic bias.

Why this gap matters:

• Diagnostic criteria and clinical awareness were historically developed based primarily on how these conditions present in boys and men
• Women often develop compensatory 'masking' strategies that obscure symptoms from clinicians using male-typical diagnostic patterns
• This gap means many women live for years, often decades, without an accurate diagnosis that could have provided helpful understanding and support

This opening establishes the book's central corrective project: raising awareness specifically about how neurodivergence manifests differently and is often missed in women.