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Cited by 117Autism Spectrum Disorder ResearchChild and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional DevelopmentGenetics and Neurodevelopmental Disorders

The development of autistic social traits across childhood and adolescence in males and females

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Mandy, William, Pellicano, Liz, St Pourcain, Beate, Skuse, David, Heron, Jon·2018·Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
DOI 10.1111/jcpp.12913
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Abstract

Background: Autism is a dimensional condition, representing the extreme end of a continuum of social competence that extends throughout the general population. Currently, little is known about how autistic social traits ( AST s), measured across the full spectrum of severity, develop during childhood and adolescence, including whether there are developmental differences between boys and girls. Therefore, we sought to chart the trajectories of AST s in the general population across childhood and adolescence, with a focus on gender differences. Methods: Participants were 9,744 males ( n = 4,784) and females ( n = 4,960) from ALSPAC , a UK birth cohort study. AST s were assessed when participants were aged 7, 10, 13 and 16 years, using the parent‐report Social Communication Disorders Checklist. Data were modelled using latent growth curve analysis. Results: Developmental trajectories of males and females were nonlinear, showing a decline from 7 to 10 years, followed by an increase between 10 and 16 years. At 7 years, males had higher levels of AST s than females (mean raw score difference = 0.88, 95% CI [.72, 1.04]), and were more likely (odds ratio [ OR ] = 1.99; 95% CI , 1.82, 2.16) to score in the clinical range on the SCDC . By 16 years this gender difference had disappeared: males and females had, on average, similar levels of AST s (mean difference = 0.00, 95% CI [−0.19, 0.19]) and were equally likely to score in the SCDC 's clinical range ( OR = 0.91, 95% CI , 0.73, 1.10). This was the result of an increase in females’ AST s between 10 and 16 years. Conclusions: There are gender‐specific trajectories of autistic social impairment, with females more likely than males to experience an escalation of AST s during early‐ and midadolescence. It remains to be discovered whether the observed female adolescent increase in AST s represents the genuine late onset of social difficulties or earlier, subtle, pre‐existing difficulties becoming more obvious.

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  • Significant differences emerged for the developmental course of autistic social traits between genders in a general population sample; at 7 years, males showed higher levels of autistic social traits.

    “Significant differences emerged for the developmental course of AST between genders in this general population sample; at earlier ages (7 years), males showed higher levels of AST.”

    From Barriers to Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis for Young Women and Girls: a Systematic Review (2021) · cites this paper as Mandy et al. 2018

  • By early to mid-adolescence (13, 16 years), the gender gap in autistic social traits narrowed, irrespective of IQ.

    “Yet, by early to mid-adolescence (13, 16 years), the gender gap narrowed, irrespective of IQ.”

    From Barriers to Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis for Young Women and Girls: a Systematic Review (2021) · cites this paper as Mandy et al. 2018

  • Sex differences in onset of social communication difficulties suggest either later onset of autism traits in females than males or pre-existing subtle difficulties becoming apparent in adolescence.

    “Mandy et al.’s (2018) findings of sex differences in the onset of social communication difficulties are suggestive of two possible courses, i.e. either females were showing a later onset for autism traits than males or that pre-existing, perhaps more subtle, difficulties were only becoming apparent during adolescence, a time of high social demands.”

    From Barriers to Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis for Young Women and Girls: a Systematic Review (2021) · cites this paper as Mandy et al. 2018

  • Studies have shown that ASD prevalence is potentially underestimated in females, as autistic females could better escape diagnosis or ASD may only become evident in adolescence when social demands increase.

    “Studies have shown that prevalence is potentially underestimated in females, as autistic females could better escape diagnosis or ASD may only become evident in adolescence when social demands increase (12, 54).”

    From Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder and Co-morbidities in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Literature Review (2021) · cites this paper as [54]

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Research works printed but not linked: 3

  1. [25]25. Livingston, L.A., & Happ e, F. (2017). Conceptualising Com- pensation in Neurodevelopmental. American Journal of Medical Genetics. Part C, Seminars in Medical Genetics, 169, 198-208.
  2. [51]51. Wechsler, D. (1992). Manual for the wechsler intelligence scale for children-third UK Edition (WISC-III UK). Kent, UK: Psy- chological Corporation.
  3. [54]54. Zahn-Waxler, C., Crick, N.R., Shirtcliff, E.A., & Woods, K.E. (2006). The origins and development of psychopathology in females and males. In D. Cicchetti & D.J. Cohen (Eds.), Developmental psychopathology: Theory and method (pp. 76-138). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley. Accepted for publication: 28 February 2018 First published online: 19 April 2018

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Authors
Mandy, W., Pellicano, L., St Pourcain, B., Skuse, D., & Heron, J.
Affiliations
  • University College London (GB)
  • Department of Educational Studies Macquarie University Sydney NSW Australia
  • Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics Nijmegen the Netherlands
  • University of Bristol (GB)
Corresponding author
Mandy, William
ORCID
Venue
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2018-04-19
Volume
59
Issue
11
Pages
1143-1151
ISSN
  • 0021-9630 (ISSN-L)
  • 1469-7610
DOI
10.1111/jcpp.12913
OpenAlex
W2800125913
Cited by
117
References
52
Citations by year
2026: 15 · 2025: 16 · 2024: 18 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 16 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 5
FWCI
6.94
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor (vor)
Locations
  • Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
  • Max Planck Digital Library (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • MPG.PuRe (Max Planck Society) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • Bristol Research (University of Bristol) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • Explore Bristol Research (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Funders
  • Medical Research Council (102215/2/13/2)
  • University of Bristol
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genetics and Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Keywords
autism spectrum disorder, social communication, developmental trajectories, gender differences, adolescence, childhood, ALSPAC birth cohort, social competence
MeSH terms
Social Communication Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Adolescent, Age Factors, Child, Child Development, Female, Humans, Male, Sex Factors, Social Behavior, Sociological Factors

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