Differences in the Social Experiences of Autistic and Non-Autistic Adolescents by Gender.

The study is cross-sectional, so it cannot determine if social experiences cause mental health issues or vice versa. Autism diagnosis was based on parent report of a doctor's diagnosis, which may miss undiagnosed individuals or include those with historical diagnoses that no longer apply. Mental health measures were parent-reported, which may not accurately reflect the adolescent's internal state. IQ was approximated using a verbal ability task, which may not fully capture cognitive differences relevant to social functioning. The sample size for autistic girls was small (N=111) compared to non-autistic groups, which may affect the stability of findings for this specific subgroup.

The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The research was supported by non-US government funds.

Do not assume that autistic girls and boys have the same social deficits. While both groups have fewer friends, autistic girls primarily experience social alienation (loneliness, bullying), whereas autistic boys primarily experience a lack of social support. Treating them with the same intervention may miss the specific gendered nature of their distress.