• Replies 6 replies
  • Subscribers 71 subscribers
  • Views 2691 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related
Hints and tips
  • To quote someone's message, first select/highlight the relevant text, and then use the Quote button that appears
  • To "mention" someone, type @ followed by the start of the forum name, and choose from the list; that person will get a notification of being mentioned

Autism- teenage and sexual/gender identity

NAS80619

My son is 11 and has been having a lot of chats about whether he is non binary, gay, bi, asexual...he suddenly told his friends in school ( I wouldn't say they really are his friends) that he is gay, but he didn't even know about the details of being gay at the time! I feel he is really vulnerable and opening himself up to things at such a young age when he doesn't even know fr sure himself!

Does anyone else have a child who is going through this or been through it? I know there is a significant link between ASC and these other things.

Parents

  • I think you need to find out where these ideas are coming from. Has he heard people/friends talking about them, watching TikTok, watching TV? I find it a bit strange he’s trying to label himself with things he doesn’t actually seem to understand but he might be trying to fit in with LGBTQ friends or TV/social media role models? My (ND) husband can very easily get swept away by that sort of thing as an attempt to fit in with the people around him. He had 2-3 friends come out as LGBTQ last year and he started trying to apply labels to himself, some really obscure ones as he couldn’t actually find one which truly fit him so he kept looking further and further. If your son is truly gay or non binary then that’s OK but he really does need to be able to make an informed decision about who he is which will likely take some time, research and maybe a bit more maturity, 11 is pretty young still, he will also have the added onset of puberty to confuse things further for him! Hope it all works out OK and he’s able to feel comfortable in himself

Reply

  • I think you need to find out where these ideas are coming from. Has he heard people/friends talking about them, watching TikTok, watching TV? I find it a bit strange he’s trying to label himself with things he doesn’t actually seem to understand but he might be trying to fit in with LGBTQ friends or TV/social media role models? My (ND) husband can very easily get swept away by that sort of thing as an attempt to fit in with the people around him. He had 2-3 friends come out as LGBTQ last year and he started trying to apply labels to himself, some really obscure ones as he couldn’t actually find one which truly fit him so he kept looking further and further. If your son is truly gay or non binary then that’s OK but he really does need to be able to make an informed decision about who he is which will likely take some time, research and maybe a bit more maturity, 11 is pretty young still, he will also have the added onset of puberty to confuse things further for him! Hope it all works out OK and he’s able to feel comfortable in himself

Children
No Data