Girls and Autism

Girls and the World of Autism

By: Dea Anderson, Center for Inclusive Child Care Consultation Coordinator

Have you ever wondered why when we talk about autism we most often think of boys?

The answer is simple and yet complex. The simple answer is that most research into autism has involved boys because there appear to be more boys with autism. The more complex answer is that many experts believe that girls with autism have been underdiagnosed and this has made it difficult to gather a sample of girls with autism large enough to conduct studies from which researchers can draw valid conclusions.

Why are girls with autism underdiagnosed?

Some experts in the field of autism believe that characteristics of autism may look different in girls. Another speculation is that the communication and social challenges related to autism may not be as evident in girls and in some cases may go unnoticed during the preschool years.

In the research that has been done that has included girls and boys with autism, it was found that boys are three or four times more likely to have classic autism. Classic autism is defined as autism with cognitive impairment. There is much less known about the differences of girls and boys who have autism with average to above average intelligence accompanied by restricted interests, communication and social challenges. This type of autism is often referred to as high-functioning autism or Asperger’s Disorder. The referral rate for diagnostic evaluation of this disorder on the autism spectrum is in the range of 10 boys to 1 girl.

Why would autism look different in girls?

At this time, no one really knows. Some researchers believe it is due to experience and biology. Brenda Myles, a lead researcher specializing in girls with autism, says that girls can be more difficult to diagnose. She suggests that girls are overtly taught social skills beginning at an early age. We expect girls to behave in more socially acceptable ways than boys. “They are told to share, be nice, and not get angry.” Some clinicians who work with children with high-functioning autism have reported that they often encounter girls with autism who have a significant desire to please others, especially their peers. They often excel at imitating and modeling the behaviors of their peers. Myles believes that early social learning and the desire to please others may explain why their difficulties with communication and social interactions are not as evident. In essence, the characteristics of autism in girls may be “masked” and go unnoticed in part because of their early experiences.

In addition, there are researchers that believe females are biologically “wired” to be more social and empathetic, with innately stronger skills in communication and social competence. Simon Baron-Cohen, a psychologist and co-director of the Autism Research Center at Cambridge University, and one of his graduate students, Jennifer Connellan, have suggested that superiority in social abilities in females is in part biological in origin. David Skuse, a professor of psychiatry at the Institute of Child Health at the University College of London, has done extensive analysis of 1,000 children with 700 of these children being on the autism spectrum. He proposes that females have a general aptitude for communication and social competence that helps them compensate for their differences. In his study of data, Skuse has also noted that girls with autism are usually not as fascinated with numbers and not as likely to be totally immersed and knowledgeable in a specific area as boys with autism. Instead they are found to excel in the areas of reading and writing. Boys with autism often become obsessed with a certain sport or video game, while girls tend to become obsessed with things such as books.
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