Autism: U of T expert on the large gender divide

More boys than girls are on the autism spectrum, and there can be large differences in symptoms between genders. Stereotypes about gender and autism – often lead to girls with the condition flying under the radar, says Dr. Meng-Chuan Lai, an assistant professor in U of T’s department of psychiatry and a psychiatrist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and the Hospital for Sick Children.

Our long-standing beliefs about the signs of autism are derived mostly from boys, he  explains in the current edition of Doctors' Notes, a weekly column in the Toronto Star written by members of U of T's Faculty of Medicine. Autism is marked by intense and narrow interests, but when girls are single-minded in their focus on people, books, fashion or comics, it often gets overlooked. As well, girls with autism may have a rich fantasy world that can go unnoticed.

Lai writes that girls on the spectrum may seem shy, quiet or anxious, but adults don’t recognize the signs because they associate these traits more with girls than boys. Autism is characterized by difficulty making eye contact and communicating with other people, but because girls are often under social pressure to please and fit in, they are more likely to find coping mechanisms when dealing with people. That can lead to sensory or social overload, so autistic girls often need time to be alone and de-stress after coming home from school.

Some good news: Awareness about the differing signs of autism has grown in the past decade.

Read the entire Doctors’ Notes column in the Toronto Star