Why is there a higher prevelance of males in autistic spectrum disorders?

Question

in autism, the ratio of males to females seems to be around 6:1. Additionally they are more likely to be left handed. why?

Answer 1

Look - what do we know?

All we know is how much Big Macs are this week!

Answer 2

It takes super-human effort to convince educational and medical professionals that a non-acting up girl has learning difficulties - it suits schools to get bahavioural problem boys educated with a learning support or even EOTAS (home schooled) - well behaved internalising girls are not diagnosed until maybe they start to self harm out of frustration. They have to be extreme cases and you did say Spectrum - so that includes many disorders on that spectrum.

Answer 3

Because The mutant gene is carried on the Y Chromosone

Answer 4

For a couple of reasons. First, boys in general are statistically more likely to have birth defects of almost all kinds except the ones which are s*x linked. If you look at preemies with the same low birth weights the girls are more likely to do better and have fewer complications than the boys. (Sorry guys.)Second, girls who are autistic are sometimes regarded as "good" or "quiet", the same symptoms that people worry about in boys. The autistic girls who get diagnosed early are often the loud, screaming and self mutilating ones on the more serious end of the spectrum.

Answer 5

Since they don't even know what causes Autism Spectrum Disorder, they can't determine why more males than females are diagnosed.  There is a growing consensus in the autistic community that many autistic females go undetected.  

I haven't heard about the prevalence of left-handedness, in fact I've heard the opposite.

Answer 6

Autism seems to be higher in males because of the differences in males and females to begin with. Boys typically act out, where girls tend to use their language more. Because boys are more physical and aggressive, they are referred for evaluations (I think) 10 times more than a girl. Autism has also been made out to be more of a male disorder. While all children are different regardless of label (typical, ASD, LD), I'll give you my personal example.

My daughter will be 7 soon, and it took the birth and diagnosis of my son for me to realize that she's not just an active little girl. My son has always been a handful (I know children are not easy). From day one, he was a screamer. At 8 months when he started crawling, he also became aggressive and started biting. From that moment on, until now I had been talking to every doctor I could. He had been rocking and banging his head since he was 2 weeks old (before he could lift his head, it was shaking side to side). He never wanted to be held. At around 18 months he had already been booted from a few daycares, and now needed tubes to help with the constant fluid in his ears. We thought that was it, his ears have just been hurting so bad, he's acting out. Nope, the calm effect of the tubes lasted 2 weeks. Just under 2 years old, we finally found a pediatrician that took one look at a fit and sent him to a Neurologist where he was diagnosed with sensory processing disorder, severe speech delay, and had autistic characteristics. We went to a peds OT for further testing on his sensory issues. It wasn't until the OT accidently gave me the wrong questionnaire, that I noticed my daughter's quirks. My daughter does stim, just not as obvious as my son, she's a quiet rocker and likes to spin. Her behaviors have always been put off as being a girl. The only fits she has are about clothes, and again she's a girl so that's acceptable. She spoke very early, and has an amazing vocabulary. It wasn't until an audiology exam that I noticed all of her language was scripted from TV or movies. She's socially inappropriate, but it seemed like girl stuff because she would kiss boys, and touch the hair of a stranger. She's amazing with math, hates gym (too loud). She has Aspergers.

Basically my point, the boy with autism smashing his head against the wall is much more likely to be referred for evaluation over the girl with great language who has a meltdown at the sight of something other than a dress. I think the ratio favors males because of their male tendency to act out.

Answer 7

All males are borderline autistic anyway, aren't we?

Answer 8

No one is entirely sure why autism is more prevalent in males than females just as no one is yet sure what causes autism. The most widely held belief at the moment is that females are more able to cope and therefore mask some of their problems. I've not heard that they are more likely to be left handed but my daughter has an ASD and is ambidextrous.