The Co-Occurrence of Autism and Gender Dysphoria or Gender Incongruence

The over-representation of ASD among individuals clinically referred for Gender Dysphoria (GD) has been observed across multiple sites internationally; up to 25% of youth gender referrals present with significant autism symptoms. There is also emerging evidence for an over-representation of gender identity differences among ASD-referred youth. The ASD/GD co-occurrence is conceptually and clinically complex, and a range of theories have been proposed to explain it. However, studies to date have addressed the prevalence of the co-occurrence without considering the personal voices and experiences of gender dysphoric autistic individuals. Panelists address key questions for this population: 1. What do autistic transgender youth and their families want and need from care providers?; 2. How are autism and gender dysphoria traits related in the general population? 3. What are the developmental gender histories, experiences, and hopes of autistic transgender youth?; and 4. What are the mental health concerns of autistic youth who report gender dysphoria? These questions are addressed through qualitative and community-based participatory methods, directly capturing the voices of autistic gender dysphoric youth; evaluation of subclinical trait-based relationships in the general population; and assessments of GD traits among ASD-referred youth.
Friday, May 11, 2018: 10:30 AM-12:30 PM
Willem Burger Hal (de Doelen ICC Rotterdam)
Panel Chair:
J. F. Strang
A. L. C. de Vries
10:30 AM
Autistic Gender Dysphoric Youth: Community-Based Participatory Research Development of a Clinical Program
J. F. Strang M. Knauss L. Kenworthy D. Gohari M. D. Powers L. Anthony