Study suggests autism diagnosis gap between males and females narrows sharply with age
Latest news on WhatsApp أجدد الأخبار على واتسابA large population-based study suggests autism may be closer to equally common across sexes than early childhood diagnosis patterns imply, after researchers observed a pronounced “catch-up” in diagnoses among females during adolescence.
Using Swedish national data, the analysis found diagnosis rates peaked for boys at ages 10 to 14, while girls’ diagnoses peaked later, at ages 15 to 19. By age 20, the cumulative male-to-female ratio was close to 1:1, even though boys remained more likely to be diagnosed before age 10.
Researchers tracked about 2.7 million individuals born in Sweden from 1985 to 2022, followed from birth up to a maximum age of 37. Overall, 2.8% received an autism diagnosis, at a mean age of 14. The authors said the findings underline the need to understand why females are often diagnosed later than males.
Independent experts cautioned that the results reflect diagnostic patterns in healthcare records rather than a direct measure of true community prevalence, and pointed to factors such as masking, gendered expectations, and co-occurring mental health conditions that can delay recognition and assessment.
