Autism Diagnosis Timing Varies by Sex - Takeaways - MDSpire

Autism Diagnosis Timing Varies by Sex

Registry data from Sweden show how autism diagnosis timing differs by sex from childhood through adulthood.

  • By

  • Kathryn Wighton

  • February 6, 2026

  • 3 min

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  • 1

    Autism diagnoses are more common in boys during childhood, while girls are often diagnosed later in adolescence or early adulthood.

  • 2

    A study of over 2.7 million individuals in Sweden found that the male-to-female ratio for ASD diagnoses has decreased over time.

  • 3

    By 2022, the age at diagnosis showed smaller sex differences, with ratios approaching unity by age 20 years.

  • 4

    The median age at diagnosis across the cohort was 14.3 years, with incidence rates peaking among males aged 10-14 and females aged 15-19.

  • 5

    Limitations of the study include reliance on register-based diagnoses and potential biases in diagnostic practices affecting sex differences.

Original Source(s)

Autism Diagnosis Timing Varies by Sex

  • by Kathryn Wighton

  • February 6, 2026

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