Abstract :

People with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) constitute a specific group, characterized by neurobiological developmental alterations in systemic development at the level of psycho- cerebral information processing, which affects men at a higher prevalence of 3–4 men for every woman, although little research has been conducted into the causes of this difference. This study aims to analyze, where applicable, whether there are possible differences in the gender variable (men and women) in relation to the etiological basis and subsequent behavior or profile. To this end, a total of 116 participants with ASD took part, comprising 87 men and 29 women, who agreed to answer the questions posed in a questionnaire-interview. As can be seen from the results, it can be concluded that, in relation to the determining statistic of the KMO and Bartlett’s Test factor analysis, the group of men presents a greater explanatory load with regard to the genetic burden associated with the 15q11-q13 chromosomal region (sig: .02); whilst the ‘diseaseway’ variable shows a greater explanatory load in the women’s group in the coefficients of the linear regression analysis, with a significance level of 0.02 in the determinant statistics.

However, in no case can significant general differences in the diagnostic process be corroborated between the codes; yet, the coping component in relation to the genetic burden and/or early-onset diseases is clearly differential in the codes of the “gender” variable, which may lead to confusion with current analyses of the diagnostic process.

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Keywords :

autism spectrum disorder, behavioral differences related to ‘gender’, differences in diagnosis between men and women with ASD, early-life illnesses and autism, environmental and organic factors within the family., genetics and autism

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