Growing evidence suggests that autistic females are more likely to be diagnostically overlooked than males, perhaps due to differences in ASD presentations (van Wijngaarden-Cremers in JAMA 44:627-635, 2014). To investigate specific behaviours in which differences lie, we analysed profiles of 777 children using the Childhood Autism Rating Scale…

This study explores sex-differences in (a) rates and profiles of autism symptoms as well as in (b) the contribution of intellectual quotient (IQ) to autism symptom presentation in Down syndrome (DS). Participants were 40 males and 38 females with DS, aged 6 to 23 years. Autism symptoms were rated through the Autism Diagnostic Observation…

Background: Sensory processing differences are reported both in children with ADHD and in children with autism. Given the substantial overlap between autism and ADHD, the current study examined which sensory features were uniquely predictive of autistic traits after controlling for ADHD symptoms, age, IQ, and sex in a sample of children and…

Autism symptom severity change was evaluated during early childhood in 125 children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Children were assessed at approximately 3 and 6 years of age for autism symptom severity, IQ and adaptive functioning. Each child was assigned a change score, representing the difference between ADOS Calibrated…

Quantitative studies indicate an overrepresentation of ASD in individuals with GD. This study aims to determine the prevalence of autistic traits or ASD in adults with GD using two different data collection methods: (1) cross-sectional data using the social responsiveness scale-adults (SRS-A) and the autism quotient (AQ) (n = 63). (2) Clinical…

Prior studies of sex-based differences in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have yielded mixed findings. This study examined ASD symptom severity and functional correlates in a sample of 34 high-functioning females with ASD (HFASD; M age = 8.93; M IQ = 104.64) compared to 34 matched males (M age = 8.96; M IQ = 104.44) using the Social Responsiveness…

Increased public understanding of autism may lead to better access to services and participation in the community for individuals with autism. The goal of this study was to explore autism understanding and stigma among university students, and general community members recruited at a state fair. Participants between 18 and 79 years of age (n =…

The main goal was to test if children with intellectual disability (ID) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show lower quality of life (QOL) in comparison to those with only ID. The KidsLife Scale was applied to 1060 children with ID, 25% of whom also had ASD, aged 4-21 years old. Those with ASD showed lower scores in several QOL domains but, when…

Atypical visual perceptual skills are thought to underlie unusual visual attention in autism spectrum disorders. We assessed whether individual differences in visual processing skills scaled with quantitative traits associated with the broader autism phenotype (BAP). Visual perception was assessed using the Figure-ground subtest of the Test of…

This study aimed to assess the validity and normative statistics of the Farsi version of the Social Responsiveness Scale-2 (SRS-2). Among the mainstream elementary schools, 191 boys and 342 girls with a mean age of 9.46 (+ 1.72) years were recruited. Teachers and parents completed the SRS-2. The parents also answered the Social Communication…

People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit comorbidity with anxiety. The aim of this study was the investigation of the perception of teachers on anxiety in school children with ASD. The Scale Teacher Response (SAS-TR) questionnaire was completed by 291 special education and 118 general education teachers, providing data on students in…

Studies have shown an increase of symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in gender dysphoria (GD). Various hypotheses try to explain this possible co-occurrence (e.g., a role of resistance to change, stereotyped behaviors or prenatal testosterone exposure). This study examined ASD symptoms with the Children's Social Behavior Questionnaire…

Sex differences in typical development can provide context for understanding ASD. Baron-Cohen ("Trends Cogn Sci" 6(6):248-254, 2002) suggested ASD could be considered an extreme expression of normal male, compared to female, phenotypic profiles. In this paper, sex-specific M-CHAT scores from N = 53,728 18-month-old toddlers, including n…

Little is known about continuity, change and predictors of anxiety in ASD. This follow-up study investigated changes in caregiver-reported anxiety in 54 non-referred youth with ASD after 10-19 months. Earlier child predictors of later anxiety were also examined. Anxiety scores were generally stable. Time 1 ASD repetitive behavior symptoms, but not…

Diagnosing Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is important throughout the lifespan. The objective was to investigate the transcultural diagnostic validity of the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) in a clinical sample of 451 adults with Intellectual Developmental Disorder (IDD) with and without ASD in Germany, the U.S.A. and Great Britain.…