Towards equitable diagnoses for autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder across sexes and genders

Purpose of review Sex/gender-related factors contribute to contextual issues influencing the recognition of autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and modulate how neurodevelopmental characteristics are manifested. This review summarizes the empirical literature to provide directions for improving clinical diagnostic practices. Recent findings Timing of autism and/or ADHD diagnosis, particularly in girls/women, is related to the individual's developmental characteristics and co-occurring diagnoses, and expectancy, alongside gender stereotype biases, of referral sources and clinicians. This is further compounded by sex and gender modulations of behavioural presentations. The emerging ’female autism phenotype’ concept may serve as a helpful illustration of nuanced autism phenotypes, but should not be viewed as essential features of autism in a particular sex or gender. These nuanced phenotypes that can present across sexes and genders include heightened attention to socially salient stimuli, friendship and social groups, richness in language expression, and more reciprocal behaviours. The nuanced female-predominant ADHD phenotypes are characterized by subtle expressions in hyperactivity-impulsivity (e.g., hyper-verbal behaviours). Optimizing neurodevelopmental diagnoses across sexes and genders also requires an understanding of sex-related and gender-related variations in developmental trajectories, including compensation/masking efforts, and...
Source: Current Opinion in Psychiatry - Category: Psychiatry Tags: NEURODEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS: Edited by Roma Vasa Source Type: research