Table 1.
Sample characteristics
| Men | Women | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASD | Controls | ASD | Controls | ASD | Controls | |
| n (%) | 326 (48.3) | 3927 (48.7) | 349 (51.7) | 4137 (51.3) | 675 | 8064 |
| Age in years | ||||||
| m (sd) | 46.44 (14) | 43.79 (15.9) | 40.21 (12.4) | 41.55 (15.9) | 43.2 (13.5) | 42.64 (15.9) |
| Range | 15–80 | 15–70 | 16–75 | 15–70 | 15–80 | 15–70 |
| Diagnosis: n (%) | ||||||
| Autistic disorder | 29 (8.9) | n/a | 37 (10.6) | n/a | 66 (9.8) | n/a |
| Asperger’s syndrome | 167 (51) | 173 (49.6) | 340 (50.4) | |||
| PDD-NOS | 75 (23) | 83 (23.8) | 158 (23.4) | |||
| MCDD | 0 (0) | 2 (0.6) | 2 (0.3) | |||
| ASS | 54 (16.6) | 51 (14.6) | 105 (15.6) | |||
| HFA | 0 (0) | 3 (0.86) | 3 (0.4) | |||
| No diagnosis | 1 (0.3) | 0 (0) | 1 (0.15) | |||
| Age ASD diagnosis | ||||||
| m (sd) | 37.12 (16.54) | n/a | 32.92 (13.95) | n/a | 34.96 (15.4) | n/a |
| Range | 3.5–74 | 3.50–63.50 | 3.50–74 | |||
| AQ-28 score (cut-off 65) | ||||||
| m (sd) | 82.66 (12.3) | n/a | 83.69 (10.9) | n/a | 83.19 (11.6) | n/a |
| Range | 50–110 | 48–110 | 48–110 | |||
| Education | ||||||
| Primary | 7 (2.1) | 107 (2.6) | 5 (1.4) | 89 (2.2) | 12 (1.8) | 196 (2.4) |
| Vocational training | 6 (1.8) | 331 (8.2) | 4 (1.1) | 330 (8.2) | 10 (1.5) | 661 (8.2) |
| Special education | 9 (2.8) | 2 (0.05) | 7 (2) | 1 (0.02) | 16 (2.4) | 3 (0.04) |
| Lower secondary | 50 (7.4) | 557 (13.7) | 24 (6.9) | 708 (17.6) | 50 (7.4) | 1265 (15.7) |
| Higher secondary | 78 (11.6) | 463 (11.4) | 44 (12.6) | 515 (12.8) | 78 (11.6) | 978 (12.1) |
| Secondary vocational training | 147 (21.8) | 1216 (30) | 80 (22.9) | 1136 (28.3) | 147 (21.8) | 2352 (29.2) |
| Professional bachelor | 199 (29.5) | 1033 (25.5) | 98 (28.1) | 924 (23) | 199 (29.5) | 1957 (24.3) |
| University | 124 (18.4) | 332 (8.2) | 63 (18.1) | 291 (7.3) | 124 (18.4) | 623 (7.7) |
| Other | 12 (4.7) | n/a | 20 (5.7) | n/a | 32 (4.7) | n/a |
| Unknown | 7 (1) | 11 (0.3) | 4 (1.1) | 18 (0.45) | 7 (1) | 29 (0.04) |
| Living situationa | ||||||
| Living with parents | 55 | n/a | 48 | n/a | 103 | |
| Living independent | 118 | 109 | 227 | |||
| Living independent with professional support | 37 | 50 | 87 | |||
| Living together with partner and/or kids | 111 | 112 | 233 | |||
| Group home | 12 | 27 | 39 | |||
| Other | 8 | 6 | 14 | |||
| Children | ||||||
| Yes/no | 140 | 128 | 301 | |||
| m (sd) | 2.29 (1.1) | 1.95 (0.9) | 2.13 (1.02) | |||
| Range | 1–7 | 1–5 | 1–7 | |||
aSome participants indicated more then 1 option, e.g. because they combine different living situations