Autism and Transgender

Co-Morbidity of Gender Dysphoria and Autism Spectrum

More studies show that there is a higher than expected by random chance of co-morbidity of gender dysphoria and autism spectrum disorders.  It’s seems to be true for both MTF and FtM.  There are hints that it may be more likely in “nonhomosexual” individuals.  The question not yet answered is whether this is an independent path to gender dysphoria in adults or is co-morbid with autogynephilia and autoandrophilia, though we have seen adolescents with and without autogynephilia in earlier studies.

From the Shumer study abstract:

“There is evolving evidence that children and adolescents with gender dysphoria have higher-than-expected rates of autism spectrum disorder (ASD)… We conducted a retrospective review of patient chart data from 39 consecutive youth ages 8 to 20 years (mean age 15.8 years, natal male: n = 22, natal female: n = 17) presenting for evaluation at a multidisciplinary gender clinic in a large U.S. pediatric hospital from 2007 to 2011 to evaluate the prevalence of ASD in this patient population. … Overall, 23.1% of patients (9/39) presenting with gender dysphoria had possible, likely, or very likely Asperger syndrome as measured by the Asperger Syndrome Diagnostic Scale.”

From the Pasterski study abstract:

“The current study examined this co-occurrence of GD and autistic traits in an adult population, to see whether this heightened prevalence persisted from childhood as well as to provide further comparison of MtF versus FtM transsexuals and homosexual versus nonhomosexual individuals. Using the Autistic Spectrum Quotient (AQ), 91 GD adults (63 male-to-female [MtF] and 28 female-to-male [FtM]) undertaking treatment at a gender clinic completed the AQ. The prevalence of autistic traits consistent with a clinical diagnosis for an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was 5.5 % (n = 3 MtF and n = 2 FtM) compared to reports of clinical diagnoses of 0.5–2.0 % in the general population. In contrast to the single previous report in adults, there was no significant difference between MtF and FtM on AQ scores; however, all of those who scored above the clinical cut-off were classified as nonhomosexual with respect to natal sex. Results were considered in the context of emerging theories for the observed co-occurrence of GD and autistic traits.”

This was not a very large enough sample size given the small number of individuals found on the spectrum, but note that all five were nonhomosexual.

Further Reading:

Autistic Sky

Further External Reading:

Why we need to respect sexual orientation, gender diversity in autism by John Strang

Large study finds significant overlap between “transgender” identity and autism

References:

Pasterski, et al., “Traits of Autism Spectrum Disorders in Adults with Gender Dysphoria”, Archives of Sexual Behavior (2013)
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-013-0154-5

Shumer et al., “Evaluation of Asperger Syndrome in Youth Presenting to a Gender Dysphoria Clinic”, LGBT Health (2016)
https://doi.org/10.1089/lgbt.2015.0070

van der Meisen, et al., “Prevalence of the Wish to be the Opposite Gender in Adolescents and Adults with Autism Sprectrum Disorder”, Archives of Sexual Behavior (2018)
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-018-1218-3

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