. >> reporter: renae jamieson is a clinical professor in the university of kansas?ansas city, and the creator of girls night out or the gno programme. there are more boys with autism than girls, a 4-5:1 ratio. now we are wondering if it's higher in males because we are missing higher functioning females or they present or look different from boys with autism. >> reporter: while there is debate on why the rate of autism is higher in boys, jamieson says one thing is clear. the needs of boys and girls with autism are different. especially during adolescence. the social norms and expectations are more complex, based on conversation. that gets harder for you. and you are - you have to navigate relationships and friendships. i don't really like it. >> helping girls with autism navigate the dynamics of female relationships can be tricky. >> therapies are based on decades old research done for boys. >> when i think that i'm surrounded by boys with autism, i kind of feel a little out of place because boys, as they say, boys are from mars, girls from venus. >> playgroups are