Examining androgen and estrogen profiles during pubertal development in autistic and neurotypical girls 

Corbett BA, Calvosa R, Tamaroff J, Muscatello RA, McGonigle T, Vandekar S. (2025) Hormones and behavior 

Research Highlights: Pubertal development is complex, and the onset of puberty has been shown to be earlier in autistic girls. Research suggests a role for sex hormones in autism during developmental periods. The study aims examined female participants based on diagnostic (autistic, neurotypical) and hormonal expression (dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA-S), estradiol, testosterone) in the context of development (puberty, age). Sex hormones of autistic (N = 112) and neurotypical (N = 96) females ages 6 to 12 years of age were collected and analyzed. Although there were no diagnostic differences, hormones showed changes with puberty and age. The findings indicate that distinct hormonal differences may emerge as girls progress through puberty. 

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Keywords: saliva, autism, sex hormones, DHEA-S, estradiol, testosterone, puberty