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Friday, May 8, 2009
Northwest Hall (Chicago Hilton)
1:30 PM
Background: Given the gender ratio of 4:1 for autism spectrum disorders, females tend to be underrepresented in research samples so little is known about the specific diagnostic and treatment needs of girls with autism. Gender differences in symptom expression and patterns of comorbidity have important implications for both diagnosis and intervention.
Objectives: To investigate the associations between gender and symptom presentation, social cognition, and emotional comorbidity in a sample of HFA children and a sample of gender, age, and IQ-matched typically developing children.
Methods: Preliminary results are reported on forty-four children (22 HFA (11 female); 22 comparison (11 female). Parents completed the Social Communication Questionnaire and each participant completed the Behavioral Assessment Scale for Children (BASC) self report, Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC) and Strange Stories. Dependent variables of interest were anxiety and depression on BASC as well as the MASC total score and Strange Stories.
Results: Preliminary analyses revealed a trend for an interaction between diagnostic group and gender on the SCQ total score, F(1,38) = 3.97, p = 0.055. Specifically, HFA males were reported as more symptomatic than HFA females, whereas gender was unrelated to symptom scores within the comparison sample. Additionally, analyses indicated a significant main effect of gender on anxiety, F(1, 29) = 8.77, p < 0.05 and depression F(1, 29) = 6.40, p = 0.02 with the BASC-SRP, such that females, regardless of diagnostic status, endorsed more internalizing problems than males. Additionally, there was an interaction between diagnostic group and gender on the MASC anxiety total score, F(1, 29) = 5.30, p = 0.03. Post hoc analyses revealed that HFA females endorsed more problems with anxiety compared to HFA males and all children in the comparison sample on all three subdomains Physical Symptoms, Harm Avoidance and Social Anxiety. Finally, on the Strange Stories task, HFA females performed significantly better than HFA males, and just as well as the comparison sample, F(1, 27) = 5.45, p < 0.03.
Conclusions: These data suggest that while still meeting diagnostic criteria, HFA females are perceived by their parents as less impaired than HFA males. However, they also self-reported high levels of internalizing symptoms. Given their relatively in tact social cognitive skills, it may be that HFA females are more aware of others’ perceptions, sensitive to their own difficulties, and therefore present as less classically symptomatic in the social domains. This increased sensitivity, may however result in increased internalizing symptoms. The results will be discussed with reference to implications for gender-specific diagnostic and intervention strategies.
Objectives: To investigate the associations between gender and symptom presentation, social cognition, and emotional comorbidity in a sample of HFA children and a sample of gender, age, and IQ-matched typically developing children.
Methods: Preliminary results are reported on forty-four children (22 HFA (11 female); 22 comparison (11 female). Parents completed the Social Communication Questionnaire and each participant completed the Behavioral Assessment Scale for Children (BASC) self report, Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC) and Strange Stories. Dependent variables of interest were anxiety and depression on BASC as well as the MASC total score and Strange Stories.
Results: Preliminary analyses revealed a trend for an interaction between diagnostic group and gender on the SCQ total score, F(1,38) = 3.97, p = 0.055. Specifically, HFA males were reported as more symptomatic than HFA females, whereas gender was unrelated to symptom scores within the comparison sample. Additionally, analyses indicated a significant main effect of gender on anxiety, F(1, 29) = 8.77, p < 0.05 and depression F(1, 29) = 6.40, p = 0.02 with the BASC-SRP, such that females, regardless of diagnostic status, endorsed more internalizing problems than males. Additionally, there was an interaction between diagnostic group and gender on the MASC anxiety total score, F(1, 29) = 5.30, p = 0.03. Post hoc analyses revealed that HFA females endorsed more problems with anxiety compared to HFA males and all children in the comparison sample on all three subdomains Physical Symptoms, Harm Avoidance and Social Anxiety. Finally, on the Strange Stories task, HFA females performed significantly better than HFA males, and just as well as the comparison sample, F(1, 27) = 5.45, p < 0.03.
Conclusions: These data suggest that while still meeting diagnostic criteria, HFA females are perceived by their parents as less impaired than HFA males. However, they also self-reported high levels of internalizing symptoms. Given their relatively in tact social cognitive skills, it may be that HFA females are more aware of others’ perceptions, sensitive to their own difficulties, and therefore present as less classically symptomatic in the social domains. This increased sensitivity, may however result in increased internalizing symptoms. The results will be discussed with reference to implications for gender-specific diagnostic and intervention strategies.