Revisiting Episode 17 of Gender: A Wider Lens – Autism and Gender Dysphoria
This episode, first broadcast on April 2nd 2021, explores the startling links between autism and trans-identification
One of the most striking patterns to emerge in recent years is the overlap between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and gender dysphoria. Clinicians across the world are noticing it. Parents are asking about it. Young people are living it. And yet, we still don’t have a clear understanding of why this connection is so strong.
In this episode of Gender: A Wider Lens, Sasha and I explored the complex relationship between autistic traits and gender questioning. Does autism predispose a child to fixate on identity labels? Do social difficulties make gender categories feel like an explanatory framework for a confusing world? Or is it the other way around – that gender nonconformity itself draws certain children, particularly autistic ones, into diagnostic pathways?
The research suggests the link is real. Thrower et al. (2019) conducted a systematic review showing that autism and ADHD are more common among people with gender dysphoria than in the general population. Hisle-Gorman et al. (2019) similarly found higher rates of gender dysphoria in children with ASD. These findings raise unsettling questions. Is this overlap a sign of misdiagnosis, of one condition masking another, or of something more fundamental about how autistic children experience identity?
We also touched on how autism presents differently in girls – often masked, often overlooked – as discussed in the Scientific American article Autism: It’s Different in Girls. If autistic girls are already flying under the radar, it makes sense that gender might become a powerful lens through which they understand their struggles. Books like Andrew Solomon’s Far From the Tree and Steve Silberman’s NeuroTribes remind us of the profound diversity within autism, but also the vulnerability that can come with difference.
For many families, this overlap is not an abstract debate. It plays out in the day-to-day struggles of children who are bright, sensitive, often lonely, and desperate to make sense of themselves. We reflected on the story of a 13-year-old girl with social challenges who sought belonging through gender identity. Her experience is echoed in countless households today.
What strikes me, looking back, is how these conversations force us to hold two truths at once. On the one hand, autistic young people deserve compassion, support, and the freedom to explore who they are without judgment. On the other hand, we need to be cautious about pathways that medicalise what might, in fact, be an expression of autism itself.
This has implications not only for families but for the wider trans movement. If a significant proportion of gender-questioning youth are autistic, then understanding autism is no longer optional – it’s essential. Identity, rigidity, and the yearning for clarity are part of the autistic experience. When these traits intersect with the cultural prominence of gender identity, the results can be profound, and sometimes troubling.
As always, our goal was not to close the book on this subject but to open it wider. The overlap between ASD and gender dysphoria may turn out to be one of the most important – and least understood – dynamics shaping the current generation.
If you’d like to explore further, here are some of the resources we discussed:
Far From the Tree by Andrew Solomon
NeuroTribes by Steve Silberman
Autism: It’s Different in Girls – Scientific American: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/autism-it-s-different-in-girls/
Thrower, E., Bretherton, I., Pang, K. C., Zajac, J. D., & Cheung, A. S. (2019). Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Amongst Individuals with Gender Dysphoria: A Systematic Review. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 50(3), 695–706.
Hisle-Gorman, E., Landis, C. A., Susi, A., Schvey, N. A., Gorman, G. H., Nylund, C. M., & Klein, D. A. (2019). Gender Dysphoria in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. LGBT Health, 6(3), 95-100. doi:10.1089/lgbt.2018.0252
Listen here:
Let us know your thoughts! Have you thoughts on how to manage gender dysphoria?👇 Leave a comment or share with someone who might enjoy the episode.