The ratio of boys to girls who qualify for an autism diagnosis drops to about 3-to-1 in a massive new analysis of published research 1. The findings highlight the need to look out for girls with autism who may be misdiagnosed , identified late or overlooked entirely.
Most sources put the sex ratio in autism at 4-to The new analysis is based on data from 54 prevalence studies worldwide, with a total of nearly 14 million participants, including 53, children with autism. Overall, these studies show that there are 4. But a lower ratio, 3. The findings have implications for basic research, says study leader William Mandy , senior lecturer in clinical psychology at University College London.
Mandy and his colleagues combed through studies from five continents, conducted between and The analysis uses more rigorous methodology than previous efforts to define the sex ratio in autism. For example, it weights studies according to their sample size and examines how different study characteristics β such as how diagnoses were attained β affect the ratio.
Passive studies found a sex ratio of about 4. Girls with autism may be missed because doctors and others think of autism as primarily affecting boys. Girls may also be better than boys at masking their autism features. The analysis also showed a more even distribution of boys and girls β a 3. Some researchers say the overall ratio may be even lower than 3-to Even when researchers look for girls with autism, they may still miss some girls with the condition because autism tests are geared toward features found in boys.
Some evidence suggests there is a female form of autism. Girls with autism tend to have subtler restricted interests and fewer repetitive behaviors than boys. But changing the diagnostic criteria to detect more girls with autism-like features is not a straightforward task. Insight to resolve this conundrum may soon be within reach. Studies also show that the ratio of males to females who score poorly on tests of social ability and other autism traits is around 2-to By joining the discussion, you agree to our privacy policy.
