HOT TOPIC: Not the Typical Profile: Sex Specific Differences in Social, Attention, and Sensory Traits in Autistic Children

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2026

2:30 PM – 3:00 PM

Course Description

Purpose: Autistic girls are frequently under-identified and may present with distinct social, sensory, and attention profiles. This study aimed to clarify sex differences in these core traits among autistic and neurotypical children.

Method: Cross-sectional study of 98 children (8–12 years): autistic (34 boys, 10 girls) and neurotypical (32 boys, 22 girls). Inclusion criteria: verbal communication and IQ > 65. Caregivers completed the Social Responsiveness Scale–2 (SRS-2) and Sensory Profile–2 (SP-2), and children completed Test of Everyday Attention for Children–2 (TEACH-2). Analyses used a 2(group) × 2(sex) multivariate analysis of variance for each measure.

Results: For autism characteristics (SRS-2), the group × sex interaction was significant (Pillai’s V=.21, F(7,88)=3.36, p=.003), with autistic girls showing more severe scores than autistic boys on social motivation, communication, cognition, communication interaction T-score, and Total T-score. For sensory processing quadrants, the group × sex interaction was significant (Pillai’s V=.14, F(4,91)=3.77, p=.007), with higher sensory avoiding in autistic girls versus boys. For attention, although there was a significant group effect, there was no group x sex interaction. No sex differences emerged within neurotypical children across the three measures.  Conclusion: Autistic girls in late childhood demonstrated greater social difficulties and sensory avoidance than boys, despite similar attention-related challenges across autistic children. Findings support the possibility of sex-differentiated autism phenotypes, particularly in social motivation/communication and sensory avoidance, and emphasize the importance of considering sex-related presentation differences during screening, assessment, and intervention to better address social participation and sensory regulation in autistic girls.

Speakers

Content Level

Intermediate: This level assumes the audience has general familiarity with the literature and professional practice. The focus of the presentation is on increased understanding and application by the participants.

Practice Areas

Children and Youth