What is the female protective model of autism spectrum disorder?

The female protective model is a scientific hypothesis that attempts to explain why autism spectrum disorder is significantly more prevalent in males than in females.12

Research indicates that genetic vulnerability to autism differs between the sexes, suggesting that females possess a higher degree of genetic resiliency to the condition. According to this model, more mutations are required to produce autism in females than in males. Consequently, because females appear to require a greater "genetic hit" to manifest the disorder, the model accounts for the observed disparity in diagnosis rates, where males are affected three to five times more often than females.12