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Gender

Elvina
over 7 years ago

Hi, I was referred to a Gender Identity Clinc and during the session I answered lots of questions about sensitivities to light, sound, the feel of certain fabrics etc. It transpired the therapist was trained in the field of Autism and Aspergers. He's recommended my GP refer me on for an assessment.

My question: Is it more common for people on the spectrum to have issues with their gender?

Thanks

  • over 7 years ago

    I understand there's apparently a higher proportion of transsexual (or transgender in general) people with ASD than in the general population, though I don't recall where I heard it offhand.  I'm both, for the record: both were apparent from a fairly young age but also buried for years too, so I was over 40 before they were formally diagnosed.  Better late than never, I suppose.

    I occasionally hear people suggesting that patients (or their carers) should take an either/or approach to dealing with them based on the assumption that one may explain the symptoms of the other, although personally I don't agree and don't think that deferring investigation and treatment is a particularly good idea.  Delaying either wouldn't have been helpful to me, although delaying both was certainly most unhelpful of all.

  • over 7 years ago

    I'm trans :) FTM.

    I'm not "diagnosed" with autism but my gp agrees I have high autistic traits etc and this is currently something were battling the mental health team about etc.

    Can I be cheeky and ask what gic this was? 

  • over 7 years ago

    I understand there is some evidence that gender non-conformity/atypicality is more frequent among autistic people, and autistic traits are more common among the transgender community. This has not been fully explored in terms of righteous research, and is nut universally accepted. Nevertheless, some gender clinics do screen for autistic traits among those who attend the clinic. (I am aware of some people being asked for their consent, which would seem the most transparent, ethical approach. I'm not sure of the circumstances which led to the recommendations for your GP to refer you for assessment, though that is secondary at this stage).

    So, to respond directly to your question, yes, my understanding is that it is more common for autistic people to question their gender. This is by no means a comprehensive explanation off the latest research, but you may be interested to read this article on the topic:

    www.huffingtonpost.com/.../is-there-a-link-between-autism-and-gender-dysphoria_b_3896317.html

    If you are on Facebook or Twitter there are write a few transgender autistic people. You can also read the messages from previous "autchat" twitter chats, including various ones pertaining to gender diversity, such as this one from the archive:

    storify.com/.../autchat-trans-nonbinary

    So you are not alone in considering both your gender and the possibility of autism/autistic traits.

    All the best