A recent UC Davis study revealed significant differences in brain development between autistic boys and girls aged 2-13.

Autistic girls experience more rapid cortical thinning throughout childhood compared to autistic boys.

Differences were observed in specific cortical regions related to various cognitive functions.

The research, published in Molecular Psychiatry, highlighted the historical under-representation of females in autism research, leading to a sex bias in diagnoses.

Brain scans showed autistic females had thicker cortices at age 3 compared to non-autistic females, while autistic males had less rapid thinning than non-autistic males.

The findings emphasize the importance of inclusive studies that consider both sexes to better understand autism.

Further research is needed on how sex differences in brain development interact with autism.

The study is part of the Autism Phenome Project, supported by various institutes and researchers, aiming to understand unique brain development trajectories in autistic children.