Presented by: Susan Hepburn, Ph.D.

In general, girls with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are identified significantly later than their male counterparts.  Some studies suggest that the key characteristics of ASD in young children that early childhood professionals are particularly attuned to (e.g., limited imitation, diminished social sharing; delayed joint attention skills) are often intact in preschool-aged girls who later receive a diagnosis of ASD.  In fact, we may need to be considering a broader set of behavioral markers when we are assessing a young girl for possible ASD.  In this webinar, we’ll present a summary of the current research. concerning early emerging markers of autism in girls. Relying upon a developmental model of autism, we’ll discuss possible implications of this research for improving early childhood autism assessments in girls. Case examples will be integrated into the webinar to illustrate key points.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify several key markers of ASD in young children – both male and female
2. Summarize what is known about different symptom patterns in boys and girls during the toddler and early   childhood periods
3. Identify 3 strategies for improving assessment practices when evaluating young girls