In a mental health crisis? Call or text 988.
Get help:
(Medi-Cal)
In a mental health crisis? Call or text 988.

CHC Resource Library

Survey data from Autism Parenting Magazine reveals almost 6% of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have some form of gender dysphoria.

Autism Parenting Magazine (APM) sent a survey to more than 160,000 email subscribers around the world, gathering exclusive insight into gender and autism.

When asked “Is your child struggling with their gender identity?” 5.7% of respondents answered “Yes.”

These respondents were then posed further questions. 50% stated their child’s gender confusion started at age 10 or older, 33.3% said signs appeared under five years old, and the remaining 16.7% selected age five to 10 years.

APM asked what pronouns these children prefer to use. A significant 17.6% selected the gender neutral pronoun “They.” Meanwhile, 59.6% stated “He” or “She,” but only 17.6% of these use the pronoun they were assigned at birth. The remaining 5.4% gave other responses (with many of these stating their child is nonverbal).

Only 4.5% of those surveyed administer puberty blocker medication, but 20% stated they would consider using puberty blockers in the future.

APM’s final question was: “Do you know other families with autistic children experiencing gender dysphoria?” A significant 34.8% replied “Yes.”

“When our survey results are compared to DSM-5 data stating gender dysphoria is present in 0.005–0.014% of biological males and 0.002–0.003% of biological females globally, it seems gender is a significant topic in the autism community​​,” said Emily Ansell Elfer, Editor of Autism Parenting Magazine.

“The reasons for this are a matter for debate. Some experts believe people on the spectrum are naturally more nuanced, while others say it’s a result of gender fluidity gaining increasing coverage in the media.”

Read the full article on the Autism Parenting Magazine website for more information on these findings.

Source: Autism Parenting Magazine | Autism and Gender Dysphoria: 5.7% of Autistic Children Struggle With Gender Identity, https://www.autismparentingmagazine.com/autistic-children-gender-identity/?msID=0d75ad97-a720-4b5b-83ca-f10238144df4 | copyright 2022 Autism Parenting Magazine Limited
CHC is here for you. Sign up for the CHC Virtual Village to receive weekly email updates about upcoming news, events and resources related to your interests.

Do you need someone to talk to? To schedule an evaluation or to get advice about your child’s or teen’s challenges, call or email a CHC Care Coordinator at 650.688.3625 or careteam@chconline.org CHC teletherapy services are available now.


This resource is filed under:

Back to Top