Contents
Despite the fact that the symptoms of autism were recorded centuries ago, and an official diagnosis appeared just over a century ago, this disorder is still not fully understood. There are still more questions than answers. For example, how ASD manifests itself in men and women. We have compiled the latest research results for you.
Boys are more likely to be diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
Men and boys are about four times more likely to be diagnosed with this condition than girls and women. Researchers explain this in different ways. Some believe that the reason is only in the features of the diagnosis. Others believe that men are indeed more prone to these disorders than women.
Differences in the development of motor and communication skills
In one study, researchers examined gender differences in the presentation of autism symptoms and the development of autistic children. The researchers followed children diagnosed with ASD between the ages of 17 and 37 months.
It turned out that the severity of symptoms in general does not depend on gender, but girls, compared with boys, have more pronounced motor impairments and less impaired communication skills.
Impact of IQ
There are fewer women among patients with a diagnosis of ASD and a high intelligence quotient (IQ). It may be that high intelligence allows autistic women to develop effective behavioral strategies that allow them to better adapt to life and more effectively hide symptoms, which is why they are not diagnosed with ASD.
Even among patients of average intelligence, women are often more successful in social interaction. Perhaps the reason is that they are better at imitating others and thus acquiring social skills, even if these skills do not develop on their own.
Limited interests and repetitive activities
According to one theory, girls and women with ASD are less likely to have limited interests and repetitive activities. According to another theory, these symptoms simply manifest themselves differently.
It is possible that people around simply do not pay attention to the repetitive actions in autistic girls, since they do not go far beyond socially acceptable behavior. For example, a girl with ASD may “pick” the skin around her nails or constantly scratch herself.
Sometimes autistic girls and women follow certain rituals, such as making a huge number of lists or following a strictly defined routine.
Restricted interests and repetitive activities tend to be more pronounced and dramatic in men with ASD
If a girl, while playing, builds objects in a certain order, but from the outside it seems that she is playing role-playing games with dolls, others may not see anything unusual, although this may be very different from the behavior of her peers. In fact, she simply arranges the dolls in rows or certain figures, and does not play roles with them.
If a girl or woman has a limited range of interests, but these interests are considered acceptable, they may not be considered symptoms of ASD. For example, if a woman is actively interested in psychology and self-help books, others may not see anything strange in this, despite the fact that she has no other interests.
Restricted interests and repetitive activities tend to be more pronounced and dramatic in men with ASD, while similar symptoms in women often go unnoticed for a long time, and it happens that they cannot receive the correct diagnosis and the necessary support and therapy for years.