Experts highlight missed autism signs in girls, urge early diagnosis
When it comes to autism, the statistics are clear. Boys are diagnosed nearly four times more often than girls.
However, research shows girls might be flying under the radar a bit, and not getting that diagnosis until they're older.
For instance, the average age of diagnosis in boys is at around age five.
For girls, it's seven or older.
So, are they hiding in plain sight?
"Hiding in plain sight is definitely an interesting way to put it,' said Dr. Michelle Parker, the clinical director of outpatient services at Bradley Hospital and a clinical psychiatrist whose expertise is autism. That includes researching, diagnosing and treating kids on the spectrum.
"While the diagnosis criteria remains the same for boys and girls you know generally speaking girls are different than boys," said Parker. "They're able to kind of pick up on those social things when they're younger."
For instance, repetitive behaviors, a common sign of autism, may seem normal in girls.
"Repetitive play is one way that it's in plain sight and we often don't see it. So if a girl is playing with dolls, no one really thinks much of it. But if you take a closer look and she's playing with the doll the same exact way every single time, there's not really true creative play, that can be a repetitive behavior," explained Parker.
For both boys and girls, know this:
"If you do notice things like that where it really does feel like my child is playing in the same way, every single time or they are just so into this movie and they love to replay that scene over and over with their toys or their dolls, that could be a flag," said Parker. "Getting the diagnosis early is crucial to get services in sooner and to get access to some of the services because they're only available when kids are younger."
