Expanding upon the 'extreme male brain' theory of autism as a common link between other major risk factors: A hypothesis

The common link between the majority of risk factors assessed in this review (including technological advancements, advanced parental age, socioeconomic status, and genetic predispositions towards ASDs in families of scientists and engineers) can be traced to a specific hormone, testosterone. It was established that traits which are typically associated with males are also typically associated with ASDs as well as individuals with antisocial personality disorder, or APD. The key distinction between individuals who are considered to be 'autistic' as opposed to those who are considered 'sociopathic' lies in the difference between their empathy deficits: whereas those who are 'autistic' are said to lack cognitive empathy (the ability to identify and understand the thoughts and feelings of others and to respond to these with appropriate emotions), those who are 'sociopathic' are said to lack emotional empathy (which is responsible for inhibiting acts of physical aggression or violence). This would explain why autistic individuals can have elevated testosterone levels without becoming physically aggressive.