Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Estimating the Male to Female Ratio in Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Defining and Calculating the Biases and Finding the True Number of Girls.

Version 1 : Received: 31 December 2021 / Approved: 5 January 2022 / Online: 5 January 2022 (10:57:39 CET)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

McCrossin, R. Finding the True Number of Females with Autistic Spectrum Disorder by Estimating the Biases in Initial Recognition and Clinical Diagnosis. Children 2022, 9, 272. McCrossin, R. Finding the True Number of Females with Autistic Spectrum Disorder by Estimating the Biases in Initial Recognition and Clinical Diagnosis. Children 2022, 9, 272.

Abstract

The ratio of males to females with ASD is generally quoted as 4:1 though it is believed that there are biases preventing females being diagnosed and that the true ratio is lower. These biases have not been clearly identified or quantified. Starting with a clinical dataset of 1711 children <18 years old four different methods were employed in an inductive study to identify and quantify the biases and calculate the proportion of females missed. A mathematical model was constructed to compare the findings with current published data. The true male to female ratio appears to be 3:4. Eighty per cent of females remain undiagnosed at age 18 which has serious consequences for the mental health of young women.

Keywords

autistic spectrum disorder, male to female ratio, biases, young women.

Subject

Medicine and Pharmacology, Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health

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