Diagnostic Tests for Autism May Miss Many Girls

The symptoms of Asperger syndrome look slightly different in girls than in boys, according to a study published earlier this month in Research in Developmental Disabilities1. This study and a spate of other recent ones suggest that with available diagnostic tests, higher-functioning girls with autism are being diagnosed either later than boys, or are altogether missed.

In the new study, Swedish researchers showed that 18 new questions on a revised Autism Spectrum Screening Questionnaire lead to very different response profiles for school-age boys versus girls who have Asperger syndrome.

The study is a rarity, however. Gender differences in autism are poorly understood because few girls are included in research. Even when they are, few studies look specifically at gender differences…. (read full article)

_{Source ::  SFARI.org}