Autism and Gender Identity: What does the research say?
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- čas přidán 26. 07. 2024
- Are there links between autism and differences in gender identity or expression? What does the research say?
NOTE: Since the filming of this video, controversy related to this issue has been raised about autism and other diagnoses as reasons to deny gender affirming care. Stay tuned for a future video on autism, autonomy, and consent.
Further Reading:
Kinnaird, E., Stewart, C., & Tchanturia, K. (2019). Investigating alexithymia in autism: A systematic review and meta-analysis. European Psychiatry, 55, 80-89. doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpsy.2018...
Kourti, M., & MacLeod, A. (2019). “I don't feel like a gender, I feel like myself”: Autistic individuals raised as girls exploring gender identity. Autism in Adulthood, 1(1), 52-59.www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10...
Yafai, A. F., Verrier, D., & Reidy, L. (2014). Social conformity and autism spectrum disorder: A child-friendly take on a classic study. Autism, 18(8), 1007-1013. doi.org/10.1177/1362361313508023
Fortunato, A., Giovanardi, G., Innocenzi, E., Mirabella, M., Caviglia, G., Lingiardi, V., & Speranza, A. M. (2022). Is it autism? A critical commentary on the co-occurrence of gender dysphoria and autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Homosexuality, 69(7), 1204-1221. doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2021...
Kallitsounaki, A., & Williams, D. M. (2022). Autism spectrum disorder and gender dysphoria/incongruence. A systematic literature review and meta-analysis. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 1-15. doi.org/10.1007/s10803-022-05...
Brown, A. (2022). About 5% of young adults in the US say their gender is different from their sex assigned at birth. Pew Research Center: Washington, DC, USA. www.pewresearch.org/short-rea...
I love your videos, and really appreciate that you're always willing to talk on touchy subjects like these. As an AuDHD trans woman this felt both thorough and respectful. Looking forward to the followup on autism, autonomy and consent; since tbh, my psychiatrist within the NHS that diagnosed me with autism seemed to be subtly trying to hint me towards making additional conclusions about my gender despite me already being medically, legally and socially transitioned at the time of diagnosis, which I navigated politely, but still found bizarre and a bit scary.
This was helpful because it’s become a trend to use autism in reference to gender identity to treat trans people as misguided autistic people that were simply “led astray” by “gender ideology”. It feels dehumanizing and the language makes it seem like we have no agency.
I'm an autistic person who came out recently to a lot of people as demigirl (I use she/her and they/them pronouns), and I watched this video to try and understand better why I am who I am. Thanks for making this!
wow. just found your videos and it has been huge for me in questioning whether i am ASD or not. either way, i have learned so much and i love your reliance on empirical science, the autistic perspective, and your sense of humor :) thanks y’all ! keep doing what u do :)
thank you for introducing me to "autigender" (haven't heard before) i like it, makes sense to me
YT randomly suggested this to me and this is such a cute channel! You should be getting more views.
I suspected this may be the case but I hadn’t looked at any research about it. Thanks for the info, I’m looking forward to seeing more extensive research on this topic.
As someone who is autistic and gender-fluid Tysm
My chromosomes are xx. But when you look deeper into my genes, my esr1 receptor genes, that should be there given that im xx are...absent. so while the outside of my body looked female i do not have the primary estrogen receptors. That classifies me as endocrine intersex. I didnt learn that until I was in my 30s. Long before knowing that i started identifying as i currently do. Ive continued my transition and have found it overall helpful. Im also autistic, which i suspected but wasnt diagnosed with until in my 30s.
Very informative, thank you!
As an autistic man, I see it, I always felt that I am more feminine than other men.
Intersex conditions are mutually exclusive from gender incongruence. I've found that those with intersex conditions feel that this lack of understanding, dilutes their much less known about challenges. And some of the unnecessary medical procedures they were put through as children. Put some other ways: intersex does not mean you are trans*; trans does not mean you are intersex; most people that are trans are not intersex, but some trans are intersex as well; some intersex people are trans, some intersex people aren't. Replace trans* with your favourite gender incongruent terminology. You get the idea. Anyway, keep learning, great topic.
I really enjoy your videos!!!
Well Said.
Thanks for the video
I've found performing gender (3:50) burdening through all my life. Recently that I have come to be avare of my autism it goes as a part of masking overall.
Great video!!
Such a great video! Thanks!
Heavily relate to the autigender term. Biologically I am male but I always found this gender distinctions so artificial. I mean, yes, there are biological differences but then again they are more statistical than defining. Like there are strong females and weak males, for example. And these gender stereotypes are just “let’s take, say, median, or 70% or whatever of some metric and ignore everything else”. Those who fit these categories don’t care about their artificial nature, because it doesn’t not interfere with day to day life. But those outside - do!
The number of intersex (ambiguous biological sex) people is estimated to be up to 1.7% of the population (depending on the methodology, but as I understand 1.7% is the upper bound, including all variants). To put into perspective, the number of redheads is 1-2% on average (some countries have more, some less).
So seeing intersex people as “invalid” as akin seeing redheads as witches.
Almost every other neurodivergent person I’ve met was either gay, nonbinary, or trans. A handful were heterosexual and cisgender but not many tbh. I myself am gay, trans, and autistic along with having issues expressing feelings because words often can’t quantify my emotions. Thank you for supporting and sharing information about the relationship between neurodivergence and identity
How can I contact you directly?
You treated this topic well. I was concerned due to the polarizing nature of this topic. I am diagnosed ASD and with Gender Dysphoria. I wanted to mention that while I am more (or less) binary, I still feel more gender-experience-similarity between myself and other autistics of any gender than between myself and NTs of any gender. That is to say, autistic women are more similar to me than neurotypical men even though I am also a man. I think the idea of autigender has value (I additionally identify as autigender), but I haven't seen much conversation about it put forward in good faith.
Quality content 💯
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I wIsh I could talk to some of these researchers and share my experience... I've had a long complicated history with depression, never seriously thought of myself as being in the wrong body... but after getting my depression treated successfully with TMS, I still has unaliving interojects a couple times a week... until I started taking cross sex hormones... after doing some introspection and inventory, it made sense that I was trans and never new it because of the Alexithymia.... and the Biochemical dysphoria was the most serious and unavoidable indication that I had but didn't know it until I heard that for nonbinary folkx, it's possible that HRT can help the brain... One of the best and most life changing decisions I've made... TMS and taking NAC being at the top of the list for the rest of those choices.
Is everyone in the comments happy now that you've transitioned?