The objective of this study was to determine the clinical features that moderate a later age at ASD diagnosis in females in a large sample of females with ASD. Within two large and independent ASD datasets (> 20,000 females), females were first diagnosed with ASD 14-months later relative to males. This later age at diagnosis was moderated by a mild or atypical presentation, wherein repetitive behaviors were limited, IQ and language were broadly intact, and recognized symptoms emerged later in development. Females are at risk for a later age at ASD diagnosis and treatment implementation, and modification of early childhood ASD screening methods for females may be warranted.
Keywords: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD); Child psychiatry; Females; Restricted, repetitive behaviors.
© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.