title: Self-Reported Empathy in Adult Women with Autism Spectrum Disorders - A Systematic Mini Review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is limited research on Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in females. Although the empathy construct has been examined thoroughly in autism, little attention has been paid to empathy in adult women with this condition or to gender differences within the disorder.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Self-reported empathy in adult women with ASD was examined and compared to that of typically developed men and women as well as to men with this condition.
  
  
  METHODS
  Online databases were searched for articles investigating self-reported empathy among adult women with ASD. Only six studies comparing women to men were identified.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All studies found women with an ASD to report lower levels of empathy than typically developed women, and typically developed men, but similar levels to men with this condition.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The self-reported empathic ability of women diagnosed with ASD resembles that of their male counterparts most closely; they show a hypermasculinisation in empathy. This is particularly surprising considering the large gender difference in empathy in the general population.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  One of the limitations of this review is that the current diagnostic criteria for ASD are oriented towards male-specific behaviour and fail to integrate gender specific characteristics. Hence, women diagnosed with ASD are likely to be at the male end of the continuum. The suggested hypermasculinisation of women on the spectrum, as evident from this review, may therefore be exaggerated due to a selection bias.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Developmental Neuropsychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands, and Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, 9712 TS, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Francien M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Kok
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Developmental Neuropsychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands, and Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, 9712 TS, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Yvonne
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Groen
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Developmental Neuropsychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands, and Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, 9712 TS, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Becke
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Developmental Neuropsychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands, and Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, 9712 TS, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Anselm B M
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Fuermaier
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Developmental Neuropsychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands, and Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, 9712 TS, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Tucha
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology; D004645:Empathy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D057566:Self Report