Autism in toddlerhood looks the same in boys and girls.
A large study of autistic kids between 1 and 4 years old turned up no overt differences in symptoms. Those results, published May 26 in Nature Human Behaviour, add clarity to how the disorder plays out in the first years of life. A deeper understanding of these symptoms could help clinicians identify kids who might benefit from specialized help early on.
Autism is more prevalent in boys than girls; roughly four boys are diagnosed for every girl. But prior studies have been decidedly inconclusive about whether boys’ and girls’ symptoms differ. Some studies found differences while others didn’t. Part