Sex differences in Sensory Features between boys and girls with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Background: Girls with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) may exhibit the key diagnostic criteria for ASD differently to boys. One of those key diagnostic criteria is Restricted and Repetitive Behaviours, a subset of which is Sensory Features (SF). The current study aimed to investigate the presence of detailed sex-based differences in SF in samples of boys and girls with ASD. Methods: The comparative SF profiles of an age- and IQ-matched sample of 51 boys and 51 girls aged from 6 years to 18 years with a formal diagnosis of ASD were investigated via the four Quadrants and the 14 subscale scores obtained from the Sensory Profile (SP) completed by the parents of these children. Results: There was a trend for significant sex-based difference on only one of the 18 SP subscales (Sensory Processing Related to Endurance/Tone), and boys had significantly higher scores than girls on only one of the nine items comprising that subscale, which was about upon movement flexibility. Conclusions: These findings suggest that sex-based differences in SF for boys and girls with ASD are yet to be determined and appear to be restricted to a relatively small section of SF behaviours related to movement. Possible explanations for these differences and implications for clinical practice are discussed.