The relationship between gender and age of first concern in toddlers with autism spectrum disorders

The age at which parents first developed concerns over their child's development was examined in 965 toddlers with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and atypical development to examine the potential role of gender. A two-way analysis of covariance was conducted with gender and diagnosis entered as independent variables, age at assessment entered as a covariate, and age of parents’ first concerns entered as the dependent variable. The average age of parents’ first concerns was significantly younger for females when compared to males. Additionally, the age of parents’ first concerns was significantly younger for toddlers with ASD when compared to toddlers with atypical development. No significant interaction was found. Possible explanations for the results and their implications are discussed.

► Examined age of first concern in 965 toddlers with ASD and atypical development.
► Age of first concern was significantly younger for females than males.
► Age of first concern was significantly younger for those with ASD.
► No significant interaction was found.