Gender identity and autism/ND

[Leafstamp]

Have you noticed or do you feel that trans issues are approached from quite a one sided angle in the autism world? I have.

I also think that anyone who asks questions that might reveal something less than positive about trans ideology is pretty much ostracised.

How big an issue do you think this?

It is a huge issue, I think.

I think it is too. Autistic children (and young adults) are very vulnerable to it all.

Parenting these children is hard enough as it is and I don’t think there’s enough support for parents who don’t think ‘trans’ is the way forward for their child.

Too many places simply encourage parents to agree that their child is this thing called ‘trans’ when they should be looking at what else is going on.

@endlesslight is there anything you can elaborate on as to why you think it’s a huge issue?

The push to be affirmative at all costs is harmful for vulnerable young people, especially autistic teen girls, IMO. Particularly when some 'in the community' shut down any dissenting voices.

I suspect a large part of what some see as a gender identity crisis is actually related to ASD difficulties. For example, sensory processing disorder. Many female autists, my own DD2 included, prefer male clothing because of the looser cut and finding them more comfortable. DC’s needs would be much better served by acknowledging people can be gender non-conforming while still being their biological sex AND having their additional needs correctly supported. Another example, many autistic girls who say they are trans think because they struggle to fit in with other girls (because of the difficulties associated with autism) there must be something ‘wrong’ and they can’t possibly actually be female, when in reality their difficulties stem from the triad of impairment.

DD2 is gender non-conforming. Luckily she is also GC and finds it all a bit baffling.

Thanks, yes that is all very similar to what I think and have observed.

I am hopeful that word is getting out about the harms and risk of blindly affirming a child’s cross sex identity, but there are still so many who are wedded to the quasi religious belief in gendered souls.