Autism and gender

Diagnostic criteria for Autistic Disorder this does not include Asperger's or Pervasive Developmental Disorder which fall in the Autism Spectrum. The criteria can be found in the DSM-IV TR.

"Core diagnostic features of Autistic Disorder include impairment in social interaction, communication, and restricted repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests, and activities. These disturbances cause clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other pertinent areas of functioning. Delays or abnormal functioning in at least one of the following areas with onset prior to age 3 years: social interaction, language as used in social communication, or symbolic or imaginative play" (APA, 2000).

It was mentioned that symptoms in girls may be mistaken for normal "gender" related development.

With autism, there are a host of criteria that have to be met in order for it to be diagnosed. As far as I know, they have to meet a certain number of criteria in the areas of Behavior, Social, and Language development. They have to be impaired in a certain number in each category (used to be three in each, but that may have changed by now).

If a girl is shy and it affects her socially, does it also affect her behavior and language, and to what degree? You can be shy and very articulate and able to comprehend life around you....or you can be autistic and not be able to speak and you're in your own world most of the time. Having the categories safeguards against misdiagnoses.

I think girls are not being diagnosed because parents don't want to admit that there may be something not right with their child. When the child gets to school age and all of a sudden they can't handle all the stimuli in the classroom or they can't complete assignment because language doesn't make sense to them, then the parents finally seek help......unfortunately, they have missed a huge window of opportunity to get help for their child when they were in the toddler years when a good start can be made at conquering the behavioral, social, and language barriers of ASD.

Interesting. ADHD has had similar problems. But, I'd like to know if girls are the only ones going undiagnosed, or if they are missing a whole chunk (for boys as well) of an autistic (or ADHD, or whatever) spectrum of behavior. The more we know, the better.