Interpersonal synchrony: Interaction variables and gender differences in preschoolers with ASD

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Females with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are often under-recognized due to varied symptom presentation, enhanced social skills, and masking behaviors.
• Existing research on gender differences in ASD often uses broad constructs, necessitating a focus on narrower social ability subdomains.
• Investigating gender disparities in specific interactional features is crucial for a more nuanced understanding of ASD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore gender differences in Interpersonal Synchrony (IS) among children diagnosed with ASD.
• To identify specific interactional behaviors that differ between males and females with ASD.
• To correlate these interactional differences with cognitive and social quotients in both genders.

Main Methods:

• The study involved 51 psychologist-child dyads (25 female, 26 male).
• Video-recorded sessions from the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2) were analyzed.
• An Observational Coding Scheme was employed to assess interactional features and synchrony.

Main Results:

• Females with ASD demonstrated significantly more synchronous behaviors with shorter latencies compared to males.
• Female interactions were longer, more complex, more engaging, and more frequently concluded successfully.
• While complexity and duration correlated with social and language quotients in females, males' exchanges correlated with performance quotients.

Conclusions:

• Findings underscore the significance of analyzing gender differences in interactional variables for ASD.
• Females with ASD may possess enhanced IS abilities, potentially facilitating social and language development.
• Successful interactions in females with ASD appear linked to social abilities, whereas males rely more on performance skills.