Factors associated with autistic traits and age of diagnosis for autistic people

Kendall, Simone Ellen Jade (2023). Factors associated with autistic traits and age of diagnosis for autistic people. University of Birmingham. Clin.Psy.D.

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Abstract

This thesis is submitted in partial fulfilment for the degree of Doctor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Birmingham. This thesis comprises four chapters, the first presents a meta-analysis examining if the age of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis
is impacted by sex and of gender. The results of this study found that boys were diagnosed earlier than girls; boys were diagnosed at 4.8 of and girls at 5.6 years of age. More research is needed to explore why females are diagnosed later than males, and to ensure that the terms sex
and gender are not used interchangeably.
The second chapter is an empirical quantitative study, using a cross sectional design, with 205 undergraduate psychology students, examining if autistic traits can mediate the relationship between sleep difficulties, loneliness, and mental well-being. Autistic traits were
found to fully mediate the relationship between sleep difficulties and loneliness and partially mediate the relationship between sleep difficulties and mental well-being. Due to the study’s cross-sectional design, longitudinal research is required to explore the generalisability of the
study’s findings.
The third and fourth chapters each present a ‘press release’, regarding the meta-analysis and the empirical research. This section presents the main findings of each paper but is written in an accessible format for public dissemination.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Clin.Psy.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Clin.Psy.D.

Supervisor(s):