Commentary: What’s so special about girls on the autism spectrum? – a commentary on Kaat et al. (2020)

Abstract

This commentary on the multisite integrative analysis of sex differences on gold standard measures of autism by Kaat and colleagues (2020) provides perspective on its contributions to the debate surrounding sex differences in autism. While this study reports important findings regarding sex differences using currently available tools and samples, innovative research approaches are needed to develop new tools and methodologies to improve our understanding of how autism manifests across the gender spectrum. This includes developing meaningful research partnerships with autistic colleagues, actively recruiting more diverse samples, and augmenting conventional tools and methodologies with new, and equally rigorous, approaches.