title: Brief report: autistic-like traits in childhood predict later age at menarche in girls.
abstract: We investigated the relationship between autistic-like traits in early childhood and age at menarche in typically developing girls. Autistic-like symptoms were measured at age 2 years using the Child Behaviour Checklist, and age at menarche (AAM) was determined prospectively using self-report questionnaires at age 8, 10, 14 and 17 years. Girls with 'high' autistic-like symptoms at age 2 years demonstrated significantly later AAM (n = 70; M = 13.07 years; SD = 1 year) than girls reported to show 'typical' (n = 216; M = 12.72 years; SD = 1.1) or 'low' (n = 47; M = 12.66 years; SD = 1.13 years) levels of these behaviors. These data further establish a link between the autism phenotype and later AAM and may provide insights into the etiology of the condition.
authors.affiliation: Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, Centre for Child Health Research, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia. awhitehouse@ichr.uwa.edu.au
authors.forename: Andrew J O
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Whitehouse
authors.forename: Murray T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Maybery
authors.forename: Martha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hickey
authors.forename: Deborah M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Sloboda
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D041923:Adolescent Development; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008572:Menarche; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D057566:Self Report; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires