Why do more males have autistic disorder than females?
• There is no known reason why more males have autistic disorder than females. However, there is one theory. Chromosomes determine gender in humans. Females have two X chromosomes while males have one X and one Y chromosome. Changes in genes on the X chromosome cause disease in males more often than females because males have only one X chromosome. If a gene on their only X chromosome doesn’t work properly, they don’t have an extra copy (like females do) to make up for it. Since males have autistic disorder more often than females, researchers have thought that autistic disorder might be associated with a gene on the X chromosome. However, research to date has not found an association between the X chromosome and autistic disorder. REFERENCE: • Cuccaro M.L., Wolpert C.M., McClintock D.E., Abramson R., Beaty L.M., Storoschuk S., Zimmerman A., Frye V., Porter N., Cook E., Stevenson R., DeLong G.R., Wright H.H., Pericak-Vance, M.A. Familial aggregation in autistic disorder: Evidence again
