Phenomenology of gender dysphoria in autism: a multiperspective qualitative analysis.

This study interviewed 68 people including autistic individuals with gender dysphoria, their parents, and healthcare workers to understand their experiences. The research found that autism traits like being sensitive to sounds or textures can make gender dysphoria more challenging. Most agreed that gender clinics need to adapt their services for autistic people. Autistic people said their autism doesn't affect their understanding of their gender, though some parents and doctors had concerns about this.

This qualitative study explored the experience of gender dysphoria in autistic individuals through interviews with 68 participants across five perspectives: autistic young people and adults with gender dysphoria, parents, and clinicians. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis, researchers identified two main themes: 'discovering gender identity' and 'the complexities of moving towards gender comfort'. Participants agreed that autism features like sensory sensitivities often interact with gender dysphoria experiences. There was consensus about needing autism-specific adaptations in gender clinics.

Notably, autistic adults and young people maintained that autism did not impair their gender understanding, while some parents and clinicians expressed concerns about autism's impact on self-knowledge.

Gender clinics should implement autism-specific adaptations and consider how sensory sensitivities may compound gender dysphoria. Clinical training should address potential biases about autistic people's capacity for gender self-understanding. Multi-perspectival approaches involving autistic individuals, families, and clinicians are needed for comprehensive care planning.

This qualitative study provides rich experiential data but cannot establish causation or prevalence. The sample composition and recruitment methods are not detailed in the abstract. Findings may not generalize beyond the specific populations studied.

Autistic people are overrepresented in gender clinic settings, but limited evidence is available to guide clinical decision making for this patient group. We aimed to generate a comprehensive understanding of the phenomenology of gender dysphoria in autistic people. We conducted a multi-perspectival interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), from five different perspectives; autistic young people and adults with experience of gender dysphoria, parents of young people, and clinicians working with autistic people with gender dysphoria in both adult and young person settings (n = 68). IPA analysis resulted in two themes, 'discovering gender identity' and 'the complexities of moving towards gender comfort'.

Participants agreed that there was often an interaction between gender dysphoria and features of autism such as sensory sensitivities. There was relative consensus across groups about the need for autism adaptations to be made in gender clinics. Autistic adults were more likely to see autism as an important identity than young people, but both groups were clear that autism did not impair their understanding of gender. In contrast, some parents and clinicians working with young people expressed concern that autism did impact self-understanding.

While the groups tended to agree on the ways in which particular features of autism can compound gender dysphoria, there were a range of perspectives on the ways in which autism impacted on self-knowledge. Recommendations for adaptations when working with autistic people with gender dysphoria are presented.