Review of gender differences in core symptomatology in autism spectrum disorders

A preponderance of males with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has been evident since the initial writings on the topic. This male predominance has consistently emerged in all ASD research to date in epidemiological as well as clinical populations. Despite this long recognized gender disparity in ASD, surprisingly there is a paucity of research addressing gender as it relates to core ASD symptom presentation. Gender differences may manifest with regard to symptom domains, severity, breadth, and so forth. The present review will discuss background (e.g., history, prevalence), assessment issues, gender differences in typically developing individuals in domains relevant to ASD, an in depth review of the literature base on the nature and etiology of gender differences in ASD, as well as future research directions and implications.

Research highlights▶ Gender differences for persons on the autism spectrum have not been common. ▶ Some of the factors that have been studied include psychopathology, birth order, and specific autism spectrum core symptoms. ▶ This paper provides a systematic review of the available research on gender differences for persons on the autism spectrum.