Gender differences in autism

Approximately 4 boys are identified with autism for every girl who receives the diagnosis. This imbalance reflects a combination of biological and cultural differences, as well as limitations in our current diagnostic tools, which were primarily developed with boys. Understanding females with autism better, from their biology to their daily experience, improves our knowledge of the etiology and mechanisms underlying autism and our ability to identify and treat people with autism across the gender spectrum. The speakers will present data from their own and others’ research documenting gender differences in brain function and behavioral presentation.