Autism UPDATE: Understanding Why Autism Afflicts More Boys Than Girls

Various sectors are open about discussing autism but unknown to many, this disorder has many secrets. Autism affects boys and girls differently but studies show that this disorder is more common among boys than girls. Surprisingly, girls can have autism but the symptoms can be masked.

George Washington University researcher Kevin Pelphrey, in a report by CBS News, said autism is not the same for boys and girls. At least one out of 68 American children are afflicted with autism. Apparently, there are still many things not known about the cause of this disorder but researchers believe that several factors including age of parents and genetic mutations matter.

Recent findings on the effects of gender in autism can, however, help doctors diagnose and treat autism. Researchers are baffled as to how girls who have autism can exhibit symptoms that are most subtle compared to boys with the disorder. This is perhaps the reason why boys and girls with autism exhibit different behaviors.

Medical Daily has identified difficulty in communication, restricted behavior and social impairments as among the characteristics of autism. However, boys exihibit these symptoms more than girls. Researchers from Stanford found out that while a low score in communication behavior is shared by both girls and boys, girls measured for behaviors that are restricted and repetitive were closer to the normal range.

Researchers are about to experience a breakthrough in their findings as to why autism affects boys more than girls. Autism Support Network reported the findings of scientists in Toronto about the so-called autism gender-bias. They initially discovered that the X chromosomes may hold the answer to this bias.

Genes play an important factor in a disorder like autism so you can just imagine the excitement felt by researchers when they found out that one of percent of boys with autism have X-chromosome mutations related to the PTCHDI gene. Humans who miss the PTCHDI gene can develop autism and since boys only have the XY chromosomes compared to girls with XX chromosomes, then boys face a higher risk of getting autism.