Sex-specific metrics for success: Gaps in social word use are bigger for autistic girls than boys

Meredith Cola, Sarah Schillinger, Margaret Lyons, Amanda Lee, Calliana Faulk, Maxine Covello, Nasya Howard, Hannah Franke, Alexandria Mulqueen, Lizzy Fulop, Azia Knox, Sunghye Cho, Mark Y Liberman, Juhi Pandey, Ashlee Yates Flanagan, Joseph Donaher, Robert T Schultz, Julia Parish-Morris

Autism: The International Journal of Research and Practice

Published online on February 10, 2026

Abstract

Autism, Volume 30, Issue 6, Page 1608-1614, June 2026.
Autistic girls are often diagnosed late, missed, or misdiagnosed, which can negatively impact quality of life and mental health. Although research shows the social profiles of autistic girls differ from boys in systematic ways that might explain gaps in ...