Girls with Autism Diagnosed Later than Boys

Girls with Autism Diagnosed Later than Boys

Girls tend to be diagnosed with autism at an older age than boys, perhaps delaying essential treatment, a new study concludes. That delay in diagnosis is a clinically important finding, said study author Eric Morrow, an associate professor of molecular biology, neuroscience and psychiatry at Brown University. "The major treatment that has some efficacy in autism is early diagnosis and getting the children into intensive services, including behavioral therapy," Morrow said in a university news release. "So if we're identifying girls later, that may delay their treatments." Language delays are often the first sign of autism noticed by parents and doctors, but girls in the study had more advanced language abilities than boys, the researchers said. That may have delayed their diagnosis. Read More