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Study Finds Bias Against Boys in Diagnosing Autism
Gender bias in autism diagnosis?
A study in the journal Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology finds that boys are more likely to be given a diagnosis of autism, even when their symptoms are equal to those of their girl peers.
The research looked at long-term data in the UK, assessing children’s symptoms, social factors, and official medical diagnoses. They found that even when girls had severe symptoms of autism, they were less likely to receive the right psychiatric diagnosis.
We know that boys are more than four times as likely to have a diagnosis of autism, and they are also more likely to have symptoms that put them on the “severe” end of the spectrum. But in this study, girls with equally severe symptoms were not acknowledged.
Why is this?
The researchers say the perception of autism as a “male” disorder, influences doctors in making a diagnosis. It’s true that autism symptoms are legitimately more likely in boys, but it clouds the picture for doctors, so that they’re more likely to miss real signs of autism in girls.
This is part of the difficulty with autism spectrum disorders: the diagnosis rests on symptoms that are grouped into categories, like difficulty with social skills, communication delays, and repetitive behaviors.
But at the end of the day — as with all psychiatric disorders – it’s a subjective call, especially when it comes to the higher-functioning end of the spectrum. That piece of subjectivity means room for error and bias on the part of mental health pros. It makes sense that the “male” stamp on the disorder weighs in here.
So are girls falling through the cracks and not getting the same support as their boy peers?
Image: flickr/hoyasmeg
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1 Comment
Lisa commented on Nov 19 10 at 9:15 pmPlease keep in mind that schools are allowed BY LAW to diagnose autism unlike any other medical disorder. It is in vogue today to look at any boy who is a bit different or who has a language delay or poor social skills and to say, “I think he’s on the spectrum”. Then they turn around and evaluate him, and lo and behold, they identify him autistic.
10 years ago, school personnel would have said, “I think he’s a little add or adhd” but they had to have a medical diagnosis. With autism, they don’t need an outside opinion because they can label a child educationally autistic. There’s also more money for autism than other labels.
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