Study Confirms Autism Develops Differently in Girls Than Boys According to the study, much of the research on the development of ASD has been focused on boys, but the conclusions drawn for boys may not hold true for girls. Save article Photo: Kinzie Riehm / Getty Images Experts have long believed that the development of autism differs in boys and girls, but one study is now confirming the claim, attributing the differences in development to differences in genes. The study, which was published in the scientific journal Brain, looked at brain imaging technology in combination with genetic research to better understand ASD’s effects in girls. According to the researchers, the effects in girls have been less researched due to the fact that an ASD diagnosis is four times more common in boys.