Yahoo News Autism signs in boys as study finds males are more likely to inherit condition than females
Autism spectrum disorder is more likely to be inherited by males than females, a new study has revealed.
The study was conducted by the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm and looked at ‘sex-specific heritability’ of autism. It showed that the condition does vary between genders.
Researchers analysed data from non-twin siblings and cousins in Sweden who were born between January 1985 and December 1998 - following up on the results up to the age of 19 years old. Results were published in the online journal Psychiatry this month. The study looked at 1,047,649 individuals from 456,832 families.
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Researchers found that 1.17% of the entire sample received a diagnosis of ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder - although the NHS now uses the term ASC, Autism Spectrum Condition). This included 1.51% of males and 0.80% of females, reports the Liverpool Echo.
As a result, ASD heritability was estimated at 87.0% and 75.7%, for males and females respectively, with the difference in heritability estimated at 11.3%. There was no support seen for shared environmental contributions.
The authors, including Sven Sandin, PHD, from the Karolinska Institutet, wrote: “The skewed sex ratio in ASD may, partly, be explained by differences in genetic variance between sexes. This discovery opens up new avenues for further research aimed at gaining a deeper understanding of the prevalence of ASD."
There are varying degrees of signs of autism for both young and older children, and they can present differently based on gender, meaning it may be harder to spot in girls. The National Autistic Society has more information about the signs of ASD in women and girls.
Signs of autism
The NHS has composed a list of the signs of autism in children. Australian organisation Austism SA has also provided a checklist for boys. However, it is important to know symptoms can present differently in each individual.
The two areas of ASD which are most likely to be seen in boys include social communication and social interaction, and repetitive or restricted behaviour, interests or activities. Signs for autism in young children include:
not responding to their name
avoiding eye contact
not smiling when you smile at them
getting very upset if they do not like a certain taste, smell or sound
repetitive movements, such as flapping their hands, flicking their fingers or rocking their body
not talking as much as other children
not doing as much pretend play
repeating the same phrases
For those wanting to know about signs of autism in older children, these can include:
not seeming to understand what others are thinking or feeling
unusual speech, such as repeating phrases and talking ‘at’ others
liking a strict daily routine and getting very upset if it changes
having a very keen interest in certain subjects or activities
getting very upset if you ask them to do something
finding it hard to make friends or preferring to be on their own
taking things very literally – for example, they may not understand phrases like "break a leg"
finding it hard to say how they feel
