Pioneer of 'extreme male brain' theory of autism now says phrase unhelpful - The Guardian

Theory Briefing

• Prof Simon Baron-Cohen, who coined the term, now says "extreme male brain" is unhelpful despite the underlying theory remaining influential.
• The theory holds that autistic people lean strongly toward systemising over empathising — a pattern Baron-Cohen once framed as a male cognitive extreme.
• Dropping the gendered label raises the question of whether the brain-type framework can survive without the sex-difference claim at its core.
• The shift reflects growing pressure from autistic communities and researchers who argue the male-brain framing misrepresents autistic women and non-binary people.