Autism spectrum disorder affects either one in 160 people or one in 54, depending on the study. However, there is a significant difference in prevalence based on gender . Considering the entire spectrum, for every four males diagnosed, there is one female. In the subgroup of individuals with ASD without intellectual disability, this difference can reach ten men for every woman.

The main cause of these differences may be related to genetic factors, but it is suspected that diagnostic bias and underdetection in women may also be a contributing factor. The characteristics of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) differ between women and men, but current diagnostic tools are less sensitive to the specific characteristics of the female gender.