Pubertal Timing During Early Adolescence: Advanced Pubertal Onset in Females with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Blythe A Corbett, Simon Vandekar, Rachael A Muscatello and 1 others
PMID 33043629WHAT IT FOUND
Females with autism showed earlier breast development and menarche than typically developing females, with menarche occurring 9.5 months earlier on average.
No such difference was found in males. This suggests girls with autism may need puberty education and support sooner than peers.
Key findings
01Females with ASD had significantly earlier onset of menarche than TD females, with a mean difference of 9.5 months.
02Females with ASD showed earlier pubertal development in breast/genital stage compared to TD females.
03There were no significant differences in pubertal timing between males with ASD and TD males.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study was cross-sectional, so it could not track the speed of pubertal progression over time. Participants were recruited starting at age 10, so any puberty that began before this age was not captured, likely underestimating the true extent of early onset. The sample had fewer females with ASD than males, which limited statistical power for female-specific analyses. Physical exams relied on visual inspection only, without palpation or measurement of testes, which may reduce precision.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that all children with autism experience early puberty. This study found significant differences only in females; males with autism in this sample showed no difference in pubertal timing compared to typically developing males.