to be extremely concerned about Facebook ASD/ ADHD support pages being used to encourage parents to assume their kids are transgender.

[taratill]

I am a member of the facebook support groups for ASD / ADHD parents over the last few months/ weeks there is an alarming rise in the number of parents asking for advice because their ASD child dresses as the opposite sex. This seems to be a particularly hot topic this week because of the programme on c5 'Butterfly'

Whilst some of responses are let them be there are an alarming number of references to Stonewall / Mermaids and encouraging them to consider children as young as 4 years old as transgender.

I just want to scream at my computer. The number of parents who truly believe that preventing puberty will help their children be 'who they are meant to be'!

My point is that this is happening and there is a vulnerable group of children who are being encouraged .

Any suggestion that the child should be left till after puberty is generally being berated as 'not understanding the child' and not being a good enough parent!

What on earth can be done to protect these (autistic and vulnerable) children from this move towards transitioning?

As adults they can do as they chose but I feel it is so very wrong that autistic children are being encouraged by members of their own community to be considered as trans rather than just being who they are when they don't fit gender stereotypes.

This article highlights the particular prevalence in the autistic community and the difficulties in determining whether they are transgender or not.

network.autism.org.uk/knowledge/insight-opinion/gender-dysphoria-and-autism-challenges-and-support?fbclid=IwAR34uv01Sbyrim0UAMXR6DMchYvitw2qWrL7XTGsRsZNUYCkYBi0f3olpac

How on earth can some balance be given to this? Of course some of these children may well want to live their adult lives as the opposite sex but some of them may not end up having a choice in the matter as adults are making life changing decisions for them now.

That's child abuse in my book pertha and yet she gets to give advice to others? Unbelievable.

Mrskeats it's the absolute belief that this is right for children which is astonishing.

This lady is able to run a charity and has a platform to advise families despite doing this to her child. How?

I think most people don't worry too much about this as it is not something that is on their radar. I am just so shocked at how people in these groups blindly believe that this is the correct course of action for their children.

what I don't really understand is how these puberty blockers can meet medical ethics standards for autistic children when it is known that they have difficulties with communication and emotion ? Does anyone know how they get the medical sign off on this?

Like cruella de ville running a dalmatian rescue cente.

The more people know about Mermaids the better.

Two or three years back a mother came to FWR to get help for her gender dysphoric child. She told us she definitely didn't want to medicate her DC and she'd left Mermaids because most of the other parents spent meetings sharing tips on how to get blockers or hormones online or from private doctors. The excuse was that they got frustrated by the NHS policy of watchful waiting and wanted to help their DC transition more quickly.

After she left the group she was pursued by other members who said her DC would kill themself and it would be her fault.

Then, after she'd shared all this on FWR, several Mermaids members signed up to MN so they could tell us what a liar this woman was. They did not make a good impression. I think some may have got banned, though I'm not sure now.

I was very glad to hear later that our support had been "life changing" for her and her DC.

Sorry for my ignorance, what's FWR?

The only organisation in the UK offering safe, sensible advice is Transgender Trend. Allsorts is as bad as Mermaids. Its advice ignores safeguarding practice completely.

There's a very useful site called 4th Wave Now, which describes itself as:

A community of parents & others concerned about the medicalization of gender-atypical youth and rapid-onset gender dysphoria (ROGD)

It contains masses of information and resources, including lots of personal stories from parents and children.

FWR is short for Feminism Chat. Stands for feminism and women's rights. Sorry.

thanks Prawn

I'll take a look at 4th wave

This lady is able to run a charity and has a platform to advise families despite doing this to her child. How?

That's a question an awful lot of us would like an answer to. I have found this whole thing very alarming as I've become aware of people with great power and influence - government ministers, FFS - who clearly don't check the credentials of people they allow to advise them.

It's not just Mermaids.

For example, one "expert" transwoman who advised the Girl Guides that it was perfectly safe for boys who identify as girls to share sleeping accommodation and showers with girls advocated for extreme pornography under their male name.

MN thread about it.

@BollocksToBrexit teach him to reply that he is a Viking. Viking men pride themselves in their hair and used quite elaborate braiding techniques.

As an adult woman with late-diagnosed ASD, I am appalled by what's taking place.

I questioned my gender as a teenager: it's a very common trait in children and young adults with ASDs, yet most 'find' their place as gay, bi, hetero or as adults in later life.

I DO NOT support the desexing of ASD children and as an ASD adult, I will advocate for them.

It’s a cult I believe. It has all the hallmarks of one.

What is also deeply troubling is that Susie Green and Mermaids have been given a prime time advert in “Butterfly” (which is about as subtle as a sledgehammer).

what I don't really understand is how these puberty blockers can meet medical ethics standards for autistic children when it is known that they have difficulties with communication and emotion ? Does anyone know how they get the medical sign off on this?

They're being used off label. They're NOT licensed for use for transition. There have never been trials for transition.

Lupron for example was originally made to treat prostrate cancer.

(We don't use the brand Lupron much in this country but it's the same drugs family as the ones we do use).

I'm not sure if they're even licensed for precocious puberty, does anyone know?

This is an interesting watch - Detransition - My reasons and the risks of transitioning

t.co/4qR5GZ6pVZ

He is very clear that there is no reality underpinning transition. That would be a huge problem you would think especially for people who think in black and white. As I do. I think that's why I really struggle to understand why anyone could think this is anything other than a pretence

FekkoThePenguin

We do it for the attention and to make us seem interesting obviously. I'm currently trying to figure out what i can add to my middle daughter with asc, now her autistic big sister has done the whole trans thing. Perhaps their autistic dad can find himself something to.

Some of our dc have delays in development & this can affect their sexual emotional maturity - many reach it much later in their twenties or even later. I don't think anyone has the right to enforce drugs under these circumstances on such a vulnerable group. Some people within the spectrum may even be asexual or have lower than usual sex drive or simply confused about sexual urges.

@BollocksToBrexit teach him to reply that he is a Viking. Viking men pride themselves in their hair and used quite elaborate braiding techniques.

That's what I tell him. He's half Swedish as well, so has a valid claim.

Autistic people are all over the trans thing. Its a massive issue. Ive had to leave a couple of groups for autistic women as you can barely even mention women in the same sentance as something to do with womems issues

bigotbut my (about to be dx) ASD daughter prefers to wear trousers and isn’t girly but so far has not says she feels like she’s a boy. It must be so difficult as a parent when children feel this way.

branleuse what do you mean by all over? Do you mean cynical of it or accepting of it?

This is fucking frightening. As a kid I hated skirts and anything girly. Liked DIY and electronics and trains and dinosaurs. Was not impressed when I started puberty. So if that happened now, some bastards would be telling my parents I'm really a boy?! FUCK THAT SHIT. I am a woman who likes science and DIY and trains and dinosaurs.

taratill

My eldest was 8 when she started trying to figure out how to become a woman - honestly i thought she'd outgrow it. I did when i hit puberty. But that was my experience and is not hers. She's had therapy for 2 years and is 16 now and this is what she wants. She is now living as a young woman. But as we all took a cautious approach she didnt get blockers and i wonder how much harder that has made her life. Especially given how much fear and hatred has been whipped up about which genitals go in which bathroom. Its basically going to increase the number of transgender people feeling they have to have surgery and put pressure on parents to use blockers.