Study exploring gender identity in autistic and non-autistic children

[ACatCalledPushka]

The University of Kent is looking into gender identity in young people with - and without - autism.

Interesting.

My ds is 15 otherwise I would have signed him up.

My eldest DD is too old too.

But looking at the Tavistock scandal I’m interested in that they’re looking into the link between autism and gender dysphoria.

I'm not sure having such a vocally GC mother would be helpful for such a study. My child will just parrot what I've told him.

I really really hope they are collecting data on if these participants are at school and if so if it's special school. What media they consume, groups they attend. My child is home educated because schools can not meet need so many home Ed kids we cross paths with are neurodiverse and so many gender non conforming. I know two trans kids, it just seems so many for such a small group and with my daughters school pushing gender ideology I would expect there to be more trans kids there but proportionally I don't think there are.

I also think kids without diagnoses should be looked at. Or at least collect data on if the kids know about their diagnosis. I think the two trans kids I know personally do not have official diagnosis. It's obvious if you know autism and their parents think they are but don't see the benefit in a diagnosis. From my own experience of being undiagnosed autistic and feeling alien I had a phase of wanting to be a boy, boy clothes toys and cut my hair etc. I think feeling something is not right or something is missing is a huge part of why a child may choose to change gender and would hypothesise there may be more trans kids in an undiagnosed autistic cohort than in the officially diagnosed ones who understand they are different but not wrong.

Given that the author of the study uses the language of trans ideology, I'd be concerned about their neutrality.

To take part children must also identify with the gender they were assigned when they were born

Though what language is truly neutral in this context? Neutral enough to be accepted both by trans believers and non-believers.

I would agree. Also very odd that apparently children who identify as their birth "gender" are recruited separately. Presumably there will also be some sort of control group as well who aren't autistic? I'm not familiar with how proper research is done but I would have thought all participants are recruited through the same route so that they can be vetted under a standard process.

Or....

Is the aim to find autistic children who don't identify as transgender and state that the problem that has been highlighted by the Tavistock whistleblowers, Transgender Trend, Hannah Barnes and others simply doesn't exist?

I don't know anything about the researchers but I did find this review which suggests there is a link:

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10803-022-05517-y

I might be reading too much into this but I interpret words like 'surprising' about the lack of research about the links between autism and gender identity as implicit criticism of the Tavistock. The lack of published research about the people referred to the GIDS clinic is something that came up in the Cass Review I think and contrasts with almost every NHS specialist service, eg the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery

Hi really confused. You love him(?), you have kids together, he does some recycling and you question your life together because he questions some orthodox views on the planet? Can you not just have a good discussion about it?

The article is written in a language which affirms the "reality" of gender identity e.g. it talks about cisgender people and those whose gender doesn't align with their birth sex.

As with other similar studies that I've read, if you start from this perspective there is no true interrogation about why there is a link between autism and gender dysphoria.

Speaking for adolescent autistic girls, and from the experience of working through this with my own daughter, my thoughts are:

1. A resistance to change - your own body changing is the ultimate betrayal. How dare my body do this? It must need fixing.
2. Sensory - boobs feel weird in clothing. They get in the way. I don't need them.
3. Sensory - Periods are awful. What's the point in having them. I don't want children anyway.
4. Androgyny - Many autistic girls don't see any point in the impracticality of skirts, dresses, sequins, hair accessories etc. I like wearing "boys' clothes"
5. Anxiety/low self-esteem/being bullied for being a "weirdo".... and...
6. Social media combined with Be Kind - there is community out there that is calling me in. They don't bully me. They understand me and I can find my people here.
7. Exiting girlhood - girls are weak. If I was stronger I could stop those bullies.
8. Obsession/fixation/locked in thinking - There is an answer! I must be a boy! It is the only logical explanation. I'm not going to change my mind. I'm determined.
9. The bias in the medical and mental health professions - let's start by affirming your identity and take it one step at a time. Change your name, change your pronouns... Not feeling better yet? OK, let's bind your breasts. Still not feeling any better and your breasts are now getting bigger... OK, let's put you on puberty blockers to give you some time to think and pause your physical development before you feel any worse... Still no better? Have some hormones. Still no better and you've got back pain from all the binding...? Well, "top surgery" is your answer. Check out all these happy cool people who are posting photos of themselves with their surgery scars. Do you want to feel like that too? Instead of: let's explore why you're feeling at odds with your body.. and how that might link to your wider mental health issues and experiences.

(Unfortunately the link didn't go directly to the article but I was able to find it by searching for the article title on the site)

Ps no, my daughter did not follow the path in point 9. But it was a huge fight stopping that from happening.

https://www.transgendertrend.com/teenage-gender-identity-crisis/

Our story isn't over yet. I'm not ready to say more at the moment as we're still navigating it but it's mostly going in the right direction i.e. she's not on a direct path to change her body but keeping her off it (and not forcing her to follow my own biased thinking that this is a medical scandal) is not easy.

Thank you BonfireLady for your posts. They are very powerful. Sorry the link didn't go directly to the article - not sure why. I wonder if researchers have to use phrases like assigned female/male at birth in order to get published in certain journals? I guess we won't know their stance until the research

is complete.

At least it's a study into autism which actually asks the biological sex of the participants. I'm sick to death of reading academic studies looking at the experiences of autistic women and girls where you can "woman feels" your way into fucking up the study results totally.

Still not one I'd be getting DD2 into even though she fits the participant requirements completely - too much academic twaddle-bollocks speak.

UoK has been fully captured so I wouldn't hold out hopes for objectivity

Such a good post.

Excellent post,BonfireLady.

Thank you. It's information from this board, and the resources that it has taken me to, that has been building my clarity of thought. What started out as a gut feeling has gone on from there.
Gender identity is such a huge subject and I'm still peeling open new onion layers of discovery.
The discussions that we have here are so important to help autistic girls like my daughter as well as all women and girls. It's not always easy and people don't always agree with each other (I have had my fair share of being shot down on stuff), but that's the point of debate.

It also would be important to know if they have been taught gender identity at school, or if the parents have been in touch directly or indirectly with people like Mermaids who tell parents that being trans is part of being autistic.