A Behavioral Comparison of Male and Female Adults with High Functioning Autism Spectrum Conditions

Autism spectrum conditions (ASC) affect more males than females in the general population. However, within ASC it is unclear if there are phenotypic sex differences. Testing for similarities and differences between the sexes is important not only for clinical assessment but also has implications for theories of typical sex differences and of autism. Using cognitive and behavioral measures, we investigated similarities and differences between the sexes in age- and IQ-matched adults with ASC (high-functioning autism or Asperger syndrome). Of the 83 (45 males and 38 females) participants, 62 (33 males and 29 females) met Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) cut-off criteria for autism in childhood and were…

• NI
  National Institute for Health and Care Research
• KC
  King's College London
• MR
  Medical Research Council
• MC
  Menzies Centre for Australian Studies, King's College London, University of London