▁and ▁phys i ological ▁evidence ▁suggests ▁the ▁two ▁conditions ▁are ▁on ▁a ▁spectrum ▁in ▁which ▁some ▁mut ations ▁in ▁certain ▁gen es ▁cause ▁lower ▁social ▁cogn ition ▁but ▁higher ▁practical ▁cogn ition ▁( aut ism ) ▁while ▁other ▁mut ations ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁gen es ▁cause ▁lower ▁practical ▁cogn ition ▁with ▁higher ▁social ▁cogn ition ▁( sch iz op hren ia ). ▁ ▁Fem ale ▁protect ive ▁effect ▁hypothesis ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁female ▁protect ive ▁effect ▁hypothesis , ▁more ▁extreme ▁gen etic ▁mut ations ▁are ▁required ▁for ▁a ▁girl ▁to ▁develop ▁aut ism ▁than ▁for ▁a ▁boy . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁Harvard ▁research ers ▁published ▁find ings ▁suggesting ▁that , ▁on ▁average , ▁more ▁gen etic ▁and ▁environmental ▁risk ▁factors ▁are ▁required ▁for ▁girls ▁to ▁develop ▁aut ism , ▁compared ▁to ▁boys . ▁The ▁research ers ▁analyz ed ▁DNA ▁samples ▁of ▁nearly ▁ 8 0 0 ▁families ▁affected ▁by ▁aut ism ▁and ▁nearly ▁ 1 6 , 0 0 0 ▁individuals ▁with ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁ne uro development al ▁dis orders . ▁They ▁looked ▁for ▁various ▁types ▁of ▁gene ▁mut ations . ▁Over all , ▁they ▁found ▁that ▁females ▁diagn osed ▁with ▁aut ism ▁or ▁another ▁ne uro development al ▁dis order ▁had ▁a ▁greater ▁number ▁of ▁harm ful ▁mut ations ▁throughout ▁the ▁gen ome ▁than ▁did ▁males ▁with ▁the ▁same ▁dis orders . ▁ ▁Hyp oth esis ▁of ▁female ▁under di agn osis ▁ ▁Some ▁authors , ▁clin icians ▁and ▁exper ts ▁like ▁Jud ith ▁G ould ,