Browsing by Author "Siikjärvi, Ella"

Several studies have shown that the autism spectrum disorder is more common among males than females. Most of the models accounting gender difference in the prevalence of the autism spectrum disorder have focused on the biological and genetic factors. However, these models haven’t always been empirically supported. The goal of this review is to clarify why girls with the autism spectrum disorder are diagnosed later and less frequently than boys. Most of the articles chosen to this review are from Google Scholar and Scopus by keywords “autism spectrum disorder in girls”, “underdiagnosing of autism in girls” and “underdiagnosing of autism spectrum disorder”. Diagnostic tools of the autism spectrum disorder have been created based on studies that have only used male samples. Consequently, they are not necessarily efficient identifying girls with the autism spectrum disorder. Girls’ symptoms differ from the classical symptoms especially when it comes to social deficits. It has been shown that girls are more talented than boys in participating to reciprocal interaction and communication and they also integrate their verbal and nonverbal gestures better than boys. Moreover, restricted interests are different and less intense in girls than boys. Girls also have less stereotyped use of objects and repetitive behaviors than boys. Despite the fact that internalizing symptoms are more common in girls, externalizing symptoms such as conduct disorders or intellectual problems may be required to diagnose girl with the autism spectrum disorder. Differences between the classical and girls’ symptoms may be accounted by the sosiocultural factors. Relationships more typical to girls and girlish plays improve especially skills involved in interaction and feeling empathy. On the other hand, high expectations concerning girls’ social skills create pressure for girls to compensate and hide their deficits in social situations. Because of this, parents, teachers and even clinicians do not necessarily observe social deficits in girls. In addition, sosiocultural factors have an impact on the interpretations made of a child’s antisocial behavior. We should pay more attention to identifying girls with the autism spectrum disorder in order to have the same opportunities for girls and boys with the autism spectrum disorder to get treatment and care. On this account the diagnostic tools should be improved, and clinicians should be informed of the specialities of girls’ symptoms. When evaluating girls, we should compare them to typically developed girls instead of the boys with the autism spectrum disorder.