The Autism Society Event and Education Recordings Archive

There are numerous theories as to why current prevalence rates report significantly more males than females have ASD. These include sociocultural influences (Kreiser & White, 2014), biogenetic factors (e.g. Auyeung et al., 2009; Skuse, 2009), and differences in symptom manifestation (e.g., Holtmann et al., 2007; Lai et al.,2011; Mandy et al., 2011; Nicholas et al. 2008, Solomon et al., 2012). Females may experience delayed diagnoses in comparison to males (Begeer et al., 2012; Giarelli et al., 2010). In addition, it is suggested that females may be less likely to meet diagnostic criteria, even when they have high levels of ASD traits (Dworzynski et al., 2012; Russell et al., 2011).

Sociocultural factors play a major role in influencing the gender-expected behaviors one learns, as well as how we interpret behaviors based on our gender specific expectations. In general, females interact with smaller peer groups with a higher level of intimacy. In these groups, there tend to be great expectations for affiliation with the group as well as conversations emphasizing interpersonal interactions. It is suggested that females who exhibit non-conforming behavior, such as aloofness or being “socially insensitive,” may experience more severe adverse consequences for this behavior than males, due to our cultural expectations for females. Therefore, a female with social differences might be seen as primarily “shy, “passive,” or “immature” rather than having significant impairment in interactions (Krieser & White).

Research suggests that females with ASD have fewer routines and stereotypies (Nicholas et al., 2008), as well as less factual information and unusual play (Mandy et al. 2011). Females with ASD perform better on cognitive flexibility tasks than males with ASD; yet, less well on tasks requiring attention to detail. In addition, the interests of females with ASD tend to be more similar to those of their peers (e.g. art, dolls, animals, drawing and cartooning, science fiction novels) and they may engage in more typical gender-specific pretend play (e.g., Knickmeyer et al., 2008; Kopp and Gillberg, 2007; Winter-Messiers, 2007).

Many females with ASD self-report efforts to closely observe and copy the social behaviors of other females, possibly camouflaging their deficits in the social arena (Attwood, 2006, Lai et al., 2011, Kalfarski, 2010).

Females with ASD appear to have heightened sensory issues (Lai et al., 2011), sleep problems (Hartley & Sikora, 2009), and staring spells and seizure-like activity (Giarelli et al., 2010) when compared with males. In addition, females appear to be at greater risk of eating disorders than the general population (Kalvaya, 2009). Other researchers have noted a high co-morbidity between anorexia nervosa and females with ASD (Gillberg & Rastam, 2992; Oldershaw et al., 2011, Zucker et al., 2008).

This presentation will include vignettes, as well as videotaped interviews with women with ASD that illustrate some of these points.