Sex differences in cognitive and symptom profiles in children with high functioning autism spectrum disorders

Abstract

Although a small number of studies have investigated sex differences in the associated features of high-functioning autism spectrum disorders (HFASDs), they have failed to provide consistent findings. We sought to examine sex differences in 5–9-year-old females and males with HFASDs within a narrow range of ages before adolescence in order to identify the noticeable autistic profile of females compared to males. Using the Japanese version of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition (WISC-III) and the Childhood Autism Rating Scale-Tokyo Version (CARS-TV), 20 females with HFASDs were compared with 26 males with HFASDs. Although females and males with HFASDs share similar cognitive profiles in WISC-III, females demonstrated a different symptom profile from males in CARS-TV. Although the female subjects scored significantly lower than the male subjects on “Body Use,” “Object Use,” and “Activity Level,” female subjects scored significantly higher than males on “Taste, Smell, and Touch Response and Use” in the CARS-TV. This finding can be useful for the early identification of females with HFASDs who have typically been underdiagnosed. Future research should focus on elucidating the possible behavioral, neurological, and genetic links to these sex differences.