Sex-Related Measurement Bias in Autism Spectrum Disorder Symptoms in the Baby Siblings Research Consortium

Do sex differences exist in the structure and level of autism symptoms in prospectively ascertained young children at high and low familial likelihood for autism spectrum disorder (ASD)?In this cohort study of 4550 participants, an ASD diagnostic instrument demonstrated moderate measurement differences between sexes, and females showed milder autistic traits than males, although this gap was smaller in the participants diagnosed with ASD. ASD diagnostic thresholds did not account for sex differences in the general population.These findings suggest that future instrument development and clinician training should acknowledge milder presentation in many females to identify developmental differences earlier and improve outcomes for females with ASD symptoms.

Corresponding Author: Catherine A. Burrows, PhD, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain, 2025 E River Pkwy, Minneapolis, MN 55414 (cburrows@umn.edu).

Link to the article in your story

We encourage you to link out to this article in your story using the link below. It includes an access token that will give free access to the article for your readers up to one year after publication. (The link will be live after the article publishes and embargo is lifted.)

Please see the article for additional information, including full author list, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support.

Need more information? Contact us.