aspergers and gender dysmorphia

If he has gone that far as to dress as a woman and consider going out in public, I suspect the issue has got beyond mere confusion. That would take a lot of courage. The fact that he doesn't look convincing surely isn't the issue, its the fact that things have gone that far that he is willing to try.

It is not about whether someone can pass as feminine. It is about the need to identify as feminine.

He needs to find a supportive chaperone. Presumably if he has got this far he either needs a supportive female friend who is used to going out to clubs and social gatherings, or a male who could just be accused of lacking taste in women, but able to carry it off and be a good escort.

It needs to be someone with a car, and someone who can provide a place to change. He shouldn't try walking the streets or using public transport. That really is asking to be attacked. Anyone looking different risks attack. But being escorted safely to a nighclub venue open to fetish or ambiguity would be ok.

If your son has asperger's/autism then he will have had difficulty making such connections, but I would then wonder how things would have got that far. The combination of not looking female and having clumsy appearance and poor social interaction skills would militate against going through with such a thing. 

If things are this far advanced I'm inclined to doubt autism as a factor, because individuals might be less well connected socially to have such objectives.

I recall about 20 years ago having seen a character in Blackpool who regularly went out on the town dressed as a woman, but was 6 foot 6 inches tall, broad built, and worked on a building site by day. He didn't look at all convincing but he still did it.

However you need to distinguish cross-dressing from sexual identity. An astounding number of men like dressing up in women's clothes in private, possibly even unknown to their families. But it isn't a sexual identity thing - it just seems to be something that happens a lot but gets hidden away.

I'm certain there are on-line advice sites on this, and he could also look on gay websites for advice, though that's not implying orientation, simply that's where the likely informed knowledge is to be had. Also there may be a local group or helpline in your area that covers ***, gay and transgender.

However I also know that people on the spectrum get confused, and a GP might just be treating this irresponsibly on a kill or cure basis - encouraging him to go ahead so he realises its impossible. As I say there's no advice to be had on the NAS website, even though such difficulties are more common with people on the spectrum.

If he has gone that far as to dress as a woman and consider going out in public, I suspect the issue has got beyond mere confusion. That would take a lot of courage. The fact that he doesn't look convincing surely isn't the issue, its the fact that things have gone that far that he is willing to try.

It is not about whether someone can pass as feminine. It is about the need to identify as feminine.

He needs to find a supportive chaperone. Presumably if he has got this far he either needs a supportive female friend who is used to going out to clubs and social gatherings, or a male who could just be accused of lacking taste in women, but able to carry it off and be a good escort.

It needs to be someone with a car, and someone who can provide a place to change. He shouldn't try walking the streets or using public transport. That really is asking to be attacked. Anyone looking different risks attack. But being escorted safely to a nighclub venue open to fetish or ambiguity would be ok.

If your son has asperger's/autism then he will have had difficulty making such connections, but I would then wonder how things would have got that far. The combination of not looking female and having clumsy appearance and poor social interaction skills would militate against going through with such a thing. 

If things are this far advanced I'm inclined to doubt autism as a factor, because individuals might be less well connected socially to have such objectives.

I recall about 20 years ago having seen a character in Blackpool who regularly went out on the town dressed as a woman, but was 6 foot 6 inches tall, broad built, and worked on a building site by day. He didn't look at all convincing but he still did it.

However you need to distinguish cross-dressing from sexual identity. An astounding number of men like dressing up in women's clothes in private, possibly even unknown to their families. But it isn't a sexual identity thing - it just seems to be something that happens a lot but gets hidden away.

I'm certain there are on-line advice sites on this, and he could also look on gay websites for advice, though that's not implying orientation, simply that's where the likely informed knowledge is to be had. Also there may be a local group or helpline in your area that covers ***, gay and transgender.

However I also know that people on the spectrum get confused, and a GP might just be treating this irresponsibly on a kill or cure basis - encouraging him to go ahead so he realises its impossible. As I say there's no advice to be had on the NAS website, even though such difficulties are more common with people on the spectrum.