New study shows boys will be boys -- sex differences aren't specific to autism

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-06/uom-nss060815.php

Public Release: 8-Jun-2015
University of Miami

There are more boys than girls diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Now, a study led by a University of Miami (UM) researcher shows that behaviors relevant to autism are more frequently observed in boys than in girls, whether they're at risk of autism or not.

"The results imply that there may be an overrepresentation of boys with autism, based on sex differences that affect all children," said Daniel S. Messinger, professor of psychology in the UM College of Arts and Sciences and principal investigator of the study. "In other words, the differences between boys and girls with autism are not specific to autism or even risk for autism."

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They found that boys with ASD had higher levels of a particular autism symptom (stereotyped behaviors) than girls. The boys with ASD generally had less advanced cognitive and language functioning than the girls. However, the sex differences in stereotyped behaviors and cognitive functioning were also present in children without ASD.

"We found that girls look a little better than boys in almost every area," Messinger said. "Children with ASD show typical differences between boys and girls, even though - by virtue of having ASD - they clearly have higher symptoms and cognitive difficulties," he said. "Our results are important because they show that naturally occurring sex differences characteristic of all children are behind the sex differences we see in autism."

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