A recent study published in Autism Research suggests that the cognitive shifts associated with autism are significantly larger in females than in males. The findings provide evidence that females may need a greater biological push to develop autism, which helps explain why the condition is diagnosed much more frequently in boys. These insights clarify the psychological differences underlying the male-biased prevalence of autism spectrum disorder. The extreme male brain theory of autism was originally proposed by psychologist Simon Baron-Cohen at the University of Cambridge. This theory suggests that autism represents an exaggeration of typical male cognitive traits. Specifically, it points to a profile of relatively low empathy, known as empathizing, and a high interest in analyzing or constructing rule-based structures, known as systemizing. Empathizing involves the ability to recognize and respond to the feelings of others. Systemizing is the drive to understand non-social systems, such as mathematics, computer code, or mechanical devices. According to the extreme male brain theory, elevated exposure to testosterone in the womb tends to shift brain development toward this highly systemizing …