Gender Differences in Core Symptomatology in Autism Spectrum Disorders across the Lifespan

Although gender disparity in ASD has been long documented, research addressing gender related to core ASD symptomatology (e.g.,
domains, severity, breadth, etc.) is scant. The present research examined gender differences in ASD symptomatology in three
populations: infants and toddlers at risk for developmental disability, children and adolescents, and adults with intellectual
disability (ID). No significant gender differences in ASD symptoms were found in the infant/toddler or child/adolescent populations.
In the adult population, in participants with ID alone, females had higher endorsements of social (i.e., participation in
social games, sports, and activities; interest in other’s side of the conversation; and imitation) and communication (i.e.,
interest in other’s side of the conversation and reading body language) impairments compared to males. This study has considerable
implications in both the clinical and research realms as for diagnostic and assessment validity and prioritized treatment
needs for females with ASD, as well as stimulating a future research agenda (i.e., considerations such as cognitive ability,
comorbidity, course and age, qualitative symptom differences, social/environmental gender biases) in this area.