Differential Diagnosis of ASD: Diagnosing Females with ASD

Understand how social communication abnormalities, restricted and repetitive behaviors and developmental histories of clients with ASD may be similar or different based on sex. The workshop will also discuss the uses and limitations of currently available ASD assessment tools, including sensitivity and specificity for males and females.

Description

The purpose of this workshop is to help clinicians understand the ways in which diagnostic presentations and treatment needs of clients with ASD may be similar or different based on sex. The workshop will discuss the uses and limitations of currently available diagnostic assessment tools, including the extent to which different measures may function differently for males versus females. Recent research about topics relevant to serving autistic girls and women in diagnostic and treatment contexts will be reviewed.

We will present peer-reviewed research studies, as well as clinical case examples and video clips.

The target audience for this workshop is clinicians and researchers involved in the diagnostic assessment of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Presenter

  • Dr. Somer Bishop, PhD

    Professor in Residence
    Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science
    Weill Institute for Neurosciences
    Center for ASD and NDDs
    University of California San Francisco
     

  • Amy Esler, Ph.D., LP

    Professor, Division of Clinical Behavioral Neuroscience
    Faculty, Department of Pediatrics
    Faculty, Center for Neurobehavioral Development
    University of Minnesota Medical School

Session Details

  • Date: Friday, February 20, 2026
  • Time:
    11 AM - 3 PM Eastern Time USA
    10 AM - 2 PM Central Time USA
    9 AM - 1 PM Mountain Time USA
    8 AM - 12 PM Pacific Time USA
  • Format: Online webinar via Zoom

Cost

Cost varies based on your affiliation:

  • Internal rate (KU only): $129
  • Academic rate (educational institutions and non-profits): $197
  • Market rate: $387
     
PURCHASE

Objectives

  • Identify past and current epidemiological trends with respect to autistic females
  • Understand potential limitations of autism screening and diagnostic tools for females
  • Identify issues relevant to assessment and ongoing support of autistic females across the lifespan

Prerequisites

This workshop is intended for clinicians and researchers involved in the diagnostic assessment of ASD.

Continuing Education credits

CE credits are available as an option at time of purchase, and must be added at time of purchase. Note that online CE contact hours will be awarded to licensed professionals who have met the attendance requirements. See Continuing Education for more information and specifics of eligibility. This workshop is worth 4 CEs.

Disability Clause

Persons with disabilities who require special accommodations for an event should contact gain@ku.edu. Please also use this email for additional CE information or questions.

SPEAKER DISCLOSURES

Western Psychological Services (WPS), publisher of the ADOS-2, does not fund the GAIN program. GAIN focuses on the ADOS-2 only and will not include explicit training on other instruments. Dr. Somer Bishop receives royalties from WPS as an author of the ADOS-2. This will not influence her discussion and she will not make recommendations for commercial products. She has no non-financial disclosures related to ADOS-2.

Grievances

Instructions to file grievances can be found at Cornell Psychiatry Continuing Education

REFERENCES

  • Zhang, X., Grove, J., Gu, Y. et al. (2025) Polygenic and developmental profiles of autism differ by age at diagnosis. Nature 646, 1146–1155.
  • Thapar A, Cooper M, Rutter M. (2017) Neurodevelopmental disorders. Lancet Psychiatry. 2017 Apr;4(4):339-346.
  • Lord C, Bishop S L. (2021) Let's Be Clear That "Autism Spectrum Disorder Symptoms" Are Not Always Related to Autism Spectrum Disorder. Am J Psychiatry. 2021 Aug 1;178(8):680-682.