▁gen etic ▁factors ▁that ▁can ▁affect ▁sex ▁dispar ity ▁with ▁medical ▁conditions ▁come ▁into ▁play ▁and ▁include ▁im print ing ▁and ▁X - link ed ▁mut ations , ▁which ▁would ▁have ▁the ▁ability ▁to ▁raise ▁the ▁frequency ▁and ▁sever ity ▁in ▁males ▁and ▁confer ▁the ▁hypoth es ised ▁gen etic ▁" prote ct ive ▁effect " ▁in ▁females , ▁as ▁they ▁do ▁in ▁other ▁conditions . ▁The ▁extreme ▁male ▁brain ▁theory ▁suggests ▁that ▁aut istic ▁bra ins ▁show ▁an ▁ex agger ation ▁of ▁the ▁features ▁associated ▁with ▁male ▁bra ins , ▁such ▁as ▁increased ▁size ▁and ▁decre ased ▁relative ▁connect ivity ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁system atic ▁thinking ▁over ▁em path etic ▁thinking . ▁The ▁im print ed ▁brain ▁theory ▁suggests ▁genom ic ▁im print ing ▁is ▁at ▁least ▁partly ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁sex ▁differences ▁in ▁aut ism ▁and ▁points ▁to ▁the ▁evidence ▁for ▁a ▁common ▁gen etic ▁cause ▁with ▁sch iz op hren ia . ▁ ▁There ▁is ▁evidence ▁of ▁increased ▁inc idence ▁of ▁social ▁anx iety , ▁an ore x ia ▁nerv osa ▁and ▁self - harm ▁in ▁aut istic ▁females , ▁though ▁the ▁increased ▁rates ▁of ▁an ore x ia ▁nerv osa ▁may ▁be ▁due ▁to ▁confusion ▁or ▁confl ation ▁with ▁avoid ant / rest rict ive ▁food ▁int ake ▁dis order ▁( AR F ID ), ▁which ▁is ▁particularly ▁common ▁in ▁aut ism . ▁ ▁Ext reme ▁male ▁brain ▁theory ▁ ▁Simon ▁Baron - C ohen ' s ▁extreme ▁male ▁brain ▁theory ▁states ▁that ▁aut istic ▁males ▁have ▁higher ▁dos