Behavioral gender differences across Pre-School Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: a cross-sectional study

There is increasing literature showing that the presentation of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) could be different according to the sex of the patient. Through the analysis of the Autism Diagnostic Interview Revised interview results of a study group consisting of 56 preschool children diagnosed with ASD potential differences in the presentation of ASD were searched. Variables investigated were verbal abilities, the presence/absence of unusual sensory interests, as well as of echolalia. The results showed significant differences between gender in restricted and repetitive behavior (p < 0.01), in particular for those children who have no unusual sensory interest (p < 0.05) and with minimal verbal ability (p < 0.05). The findings contribute providing evidences on phenotypical differences in preschool children with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder.