Autistic traits and camouflaging behaviors: a cross-sectional investigation in a University student population

Abstract

Background. Increasing research is stressing the importance of identifying autistic traits (ATs) in clinical and general populations. University students may be a group at higher risk for the presence of ATs. Recently, specific attention has been paid to camouflaging strategies used by subjects in the autism spectrum in order to cope with the social environment. The aim of this work was to evaluate the prevalence of ATs and camouflaging behaviors in a population of University students. Methods. Subjects were requested to anonymously fill out through an online form the Adult Autism Subthreshold Spectrum and the Camouflaging AT Questionnaire. Results. ATs were more represented among males and among students of specific fields of study. Camouflaging behaviors were significantly more frequent among subjects with more severe autism spectrum symptoms, without differences depending from sex. Conclusions. Our study confirms the strong association between ATs and camouflaging behaviors and the relationship between ATs, sex, and specific fields of study.