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Gender Differences in Core Symptomatology in Autism Spectrum Disorders across the Lifespan

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Abstract

Although gender disparity in ASD has been long documented, research addressing gender related to core ASD symptomatology (e.g., domains, severity, breadth, etc.) is scant. The present research examined gender differences in ASD symptomatology in three populations: infants and toddlers at risk for developmental disability, children and adolescents, and adults with intellectual disability (ID). No significant gender differences in ASD symptoms were found in the infant/toddler or child/adolescent populations. In the adult population, in participants with ID alone, females had higher endorsements of social (i.e., participation in social games, sports, and activities; interest in other’s side of the conversation; and imitation) and communication (i.e., interest in other’s side of the conversation and reading body language) impairments compared to males. This study has considerable implications in both the clinical and research realms as for diagnostic and assessment validity and prioritized treatment needs for females with ASD, as well as stimulating a future research agenda (i.e., considerations such as cognitive ability, comorbidity, course and age, qualitative symptom differences, social/environmental gender biases) in this area.

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Abbreviations

ANCOVA:

Analysis of Covariance

ANOVA:

Analysis of Variance

ADI-R:

Autism Diagnostic Interview – Revised

ADOS-G:

Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule – Generic

AQ:

Autism Quotient

ASD-DA:

Autism Spectrum Disorders – Diagnostic – Adult Version

ASD-DC:

Autism Spectrum Disorders – Diagnostic – Child Version

ASD:

Autism Spectrum Disorders

BISCUIT:

Baby and Infant Screen for Children with aUtism Traits

BDI-2:

Battelle Developmental Inventory-Second Edition

CBCL:

Child Behavior Checklist

CARS:

Childhood Autism Rating Scale

CDD:

Childhood Disintegrative Disorder

DQ:

Developmental Quotient on the BDI-2

DSM-IV TR:

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4th Edition, Text Revision

DASH-II:

Diagnostic Assessment for the Severely Handicapped-II

ITSEA:

Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment

ID:

Intellectual Disability

IQ:

Intelligence Quotient

ICD-10:

International Classification of Diseases Tenth Edition

MESSIER:

Matson Evaluation of Social Skills for Individuals with sEvere Retardation

M-CHAT:

Modified CHecklist for Autism in Toddlers

MANOVA:

Multivariate Analysis of Variance

PDDNOS:

Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified

Q-CHAT:

Quantitative CHecklist for Autism in Toddlers

VABS:

Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales

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  1. Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA

    Tessa Taylor Rivet & Johnny L. Matson

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  1. Tessa Taylor Rivet
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Rivet, T.T., Matson, J.L. Gender Differences in Core Symptomatology in Autism Spectrum Disorders across the Lifespan. J Dev Phys Disabil 23, 399–420 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10882-011-9235-3

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