A 2020 study revealed that about 1 in 36 children were identified to have autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to estimates from the CDC’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network. Of those affected, boys are four times more likely than girls to be diagnosed.
Autism Spectrum Disorder is marked by communication and social difficulties, sensory processing issues, and inflexible patterns of behavior. Almost everything that researchers have learned about the disorder is based on data derived from studies of boys.
However, researchers are starting to learn that ASD manifests differently in girls. This has led many girls to be undiagnosed or misdiagnosed.
“The model that we have for a classic autism diagnosis has really turned out to be a male model,” Susan F. Epstein, PhD, a clinical neuropsychologist said to Child Mind Institute. “That’s not to say that girls don’t ever fit it, but girls tend to have a quieter presentation, with not necessarily as much of the repetitive and restricted behavior, or it shows up in a different way,” Epstein added.
Stereotypical ASD behaviors may also get in the way of recognizing the disorder in girls.
