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SUMMARY:The Visibility of Females with Autism: Gender Differences and the 
 Identification of Autism - Amie Ladley\, University of Cambridge
DTSTART:20120214T130000Z
DTEND:20120214T140000Z
UID:TALK36130@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Moritz Sowada
DESCRIPTION:Autism is thought to primarily affect males\, with figures sug
 gesting an average ratio of 4 males: 1 female (Fombonne\, 2005). Questions
  have arisen\, however\, regarding the appropriateness of diagnostic crite
 ria/tools for diagnosing females. Historically more attention has been pai
 d to males with autism than females\, with Asperger (1943)\, one of the pi
 oneering autism researchers suggesting autism to be "an extreme variant of
  male intelligence" (Asperger 1944\; translated in Frith\, 1991\, 84). \nT
 his study examines the visibility of females with autism\, and the existen
 ce of a bias in conceptions of autism which mean that females with autism 
 are unnoticed. Professionals with experience working with children with au
 tism were interviewed regarding their views of gender ratios\, differences
  in the symptoms/presentation of children with autism and the appropriaten
 ess of diagnostic criteria/tools for use with either gender.\nOpinions wer
 e contradictory but indicated that females with autism may be under-diagno
 sed. Professionals believed there were gender differences in presentation 
 and suggested a subtler presentation of the features of autism amongst fem
 ales\, linked to differences in typically developing children. Investigati
 on into the notion of bias in criteria/tools was inconclusive\, but sugges
 tions of bias were again linked to the behaviour of typically developing c
 hildren\, and the increased prevalence of certain "autistic" behaviours am
 ongst typically developing males. It was concluded that there is a need to
  differentiate autism more according to gender\, and that females should b
 e compared with other females\, rather than the prototypical male\, in det
 ermination of the severity of their symptoms and appropriateness of diagno
 sis.
LOCATION:Room 2S3\, Donald McIntyre Building\, Faculty of Education\, 184 
 Hills Road\, Cambridge
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