Autism and Gender: Where divergences meet
CW/TW gender dysphoria, functioning labels, ableism, stereotypes, sexism.
Hello everyone.
It is still Autism acceptance month and will be my last entry for that month.
In this blog, I will discuss these the findings from the articles and then give my personal opinions connecting both of my personal and anecdotal experiences as ways to ignite a conversation about both transgender and autistic people.
I want to explore why some people are both autistic and transgender. I myself am both. In my previous blog about autism fashion, I stated that I was diagnosed at age 4 with the outdated diagnosis label of Asperger's Syndrome. Instead, I call my condition autism, coming from the current standards of diagnosis.
Despite a lot of research taking gender into account, the coincidences of autism and gender dysphoria and transgender identity are among the new frontiers of autism and trans research. As I said before being transgender does not require gender dysphoria. This is very fascinating because of what questions does it pose. Is it there a link? Like I said, many other studies seem to support a higher rate of being trans or gender-nonconforming among autistic people, though some dissent. This could also be important in understanding medical bias in both of the autistic and transgender communities, especially when individuals have both identities. And many articles have expressed some doubts about the studies I have read in their sources and on my own between the links of transgender identity and autism. One critique has brought up gendered stereotyping in diagnoses of autism, even both children and adults. A lot of people seem to treat autism as if it is mostly male, and while yes AMAB children tend to have an easier time getting diagnosed than AFAB children, it is not a boy's thing. I am autistic and not a boy, despite an early diagnosis. The gender differences are cultural, and a consequence of medical bias, in both diagnosis and treatment. As I mentioned in my previous blog, the criteria are slightly different in detecting autism.
Some context of the connections. When researchers of either autism or transgender people try to understand how and why people are autistic and/or trans, they try to look at biological reasons and especially neurological reasons as well. In the case of autism, there gendered stereotypes and biases. The Atlantic article I reported that a lot of research like Simon Cohen in 2006 hypothesized that autism was a result of an "extremely male brain" and the article added further context around this by talking about the history of autism portral among laypeople and researches and scientists alike. Autism has the stereotype of being for boys and that of a savant man. This in turn has downplayed autistic people who are not men, cis women, trans women, non-binary people, and afab children regardless if they are men, women, or non-binary before they transition. One source the Atlantic article uses is called Lost Girls, and it is about how for a lot of girls, usually afab or cis girls, their autism gets ignored, erased, or misdiagnosed as something else, thus denying and neglecting them with proper support and care. Though I am not a man, but a non-binary woman, I at least was glad I had my diagnosis taken seriously and grew up. Though some said girls were more likely to be high-functioning or have Asperger's Syndrome, that is just conjecture I remember growing up as an autistic child who had unrealized issues about her own gender identity. And, often a lot of autistic trans people worry they might be denied transition care because of their autism or even autism support because they are transgender.
Lastly, I would like to explore one more facet of the intersections between autism and gender: Autigender. What is that? Autigender is a neologism meaning that one's gender can only be understood through one's own autism or that it greatly affects their identity. So, with this identity, there is a small community of people who see their experiences of autism and gender as inseperable and even mutually dependent. While gender has more sociological components, there is some overlap with one's own neurological condition with these especially since both are expressed through self identification, having taken some influence from clinical psychology. So with the exploration of neologisms to explore concepts of gender and neurodivergence, especially with things like transsexuality, non-binary identities, and autism, it is no wonder why something with autigender exists in contemporary currency among a lot of trans and non-binary autistics.
There is something about gender that resonates with most people, it is socialized in everyone, albeit in a limited binary capacity, and autistic people often see themselves differently or have many different perspective, while a generalization, it is mostly true for me, as an autistic and transgender person. Overall, I think that these can be a start of a much greater conversation about more specific themes. Let me know what you want in the comments and be share to like and share this article. Thank you so much for being an avid reader!
-BDunicorn
Hello everyone.
It is still Autism acceptance month and will be my last entry for that month.
In this blog, I will discuss these the findings from the articles and then give my personal opinions connecting both of my personal and anecdotal experiences as ways to ignite a conversation about both transgender and autistic people.
I want to explore why some people are both autistic and transgender. I myself am both. In my previous blog about autism fashion, I stated that I was diagnosed at age 4 with the outdated diagnosis label of Asperger's Syndrome. Instead, I call my condition autism, coming from the current standards of diagnosis.
Autism spectrum disorder and being transgender are two different things, though they are misunderstood, they have seen massively more awareness and even some acceptance, albeit to lesser degrees. However, being trans is not a mental disorder. The only thing in the DSM-V related to being trans is Gender Dysphoria, which exists independently and is not a prerequisite for one's validity as a transgender individual, you do not need dysphoria to be transgender, though that's a story for another time. Anyway, I have official diagnoses for both autism and gender dysphoria, that being said self-diagnosis is real and valid. Disclaimers aside, I considered both dysphoria and autism to be neurodivergence for me, along with my depression, ADHD, and anxiety disorders.
A lot of people I know are both autistic and trans, like me, friends, partners, and even some public figures online, have come out as both at varying times in their lives. The articles collectively discuss and answer questions on if autism and gender variance or being transgender are connected, they each cite various articles that suggest a strong co-occurrence between autism and trans or gender-variance.
Despite a lot of research taking gender into account, the coincidences of autism and gender dysphoria and transgender identity are among the new frontiers of autism and trans research. As I said before being transgender does not require gender dysphoria. This is very fascinating because of what questions does it pose. Is it there a link? Like I said, many other studies seem to support a higher rate of being trans or gender-nonconforming among autistic people, though some dissent. This could also be important in understanding medical bias in both of the autistic and transgender communities, especially when individuals have both identities. And many articles have expressed some doubts about the studies I have read in their sources and on my own between the links of transgender identity and autism. One critique has brought up gendered stereotyping in diagnoses of autism, even both children and adults. A lot of people seem to treat autism as if it is mostly male, and while yes AMAB children tend to have an easier time getting diagnosed than AFAB children, it is not a boy's thing. I am autistic and not a boy, despite an early diagnosis. The gender differences are cultural, and a consequence of medical bias, in both diagnosis and treatment. As I mentioned in my previous blog, the criteria are slightly different in detecting autism.
Some context of the connections. When researchers of either autism or transgender people try to understand how and why people are autistic and/or trans, they try to look at biological reasons and especially neurological reasons as well. In the case of autism, there gendered stereotypes and biases. The Atlantic article I reported that a lot of research like Simon Cohen in 2006 hypothesized that autism was a result of an "extremely male brain" and the article added further context around this by talking about the history of autism portral among laypeople and researches and scientists alike. Autism has the stereotype of being for boys and that of a savant man. This in turn has downplayed autistic people who are not men, cis women, trans women, non-binary people, and afab children regardless if they are men, women, or non-binary before they transition. One source the Atlantic article uses is called Lost Girls, and it is about how for a lot of girls, usually afab or cis girls, their autism gets ignored, erased, or misdiagnosed as something else, thus denying and neglecting them with proper support and care. Though I am not a man, but a non-binary woman, I at least was glad I had my diagnosis taken seriously and grew up. Though some said girls were more likely to be high-functioning or have Asperger's Syndrome, that is just conjecture I remember growing up as an autistic child who had unrealized issues about her own gender identity. And, often a lot of autistic trans people worry they might be denied transition care because of their autism or even autism support because they are transgender.
Mind you, as my partner said to me once in conversation. The baseline is assigned gender roles are an artificial social construct, which, by definition, many autistic people struggle with grasping or behaving within. In the slate article, there is a soundbite that says that
It's possible that autism is overrepresented among trans youth because autistic people are less likely to bow to social pressures that keep other trans people from coming out.
This quote reminds me of masking as an autistic phenomenon. Masking is something I have done. It has been considered both a female and high functioning trait to some. The articles mention it as a high functioning characteristic. Though I must interject a standard disclaimer on functioning labels because a lot of autistic people can be considered either high or low functioning at varying points and moods. Often, classifying one as one or the other is a basis for either denying support or agency.
Masking and gender roles work together in a way; because what is conforming for transgender and gender non-conforming youth but another form of social masking. A lot of autistic trans people said that they have down a lot of social masking and felt that loosening enforcement of gender roles and even screening autistic kids for juvenile gender dysphoria would be beneficial for them. I wonder what would have happened to me if that were the case.
Masking and gender roles work together in a way; because what is conforming for transgender and gender non-conforming youth but another form of social masking. A lot of autistic trans people said that they have down a lot of social masking and felt that loosening enforcement of gender roles and even screening autistic kids for juvenile gender dysphoria would be beneficial for them. I wonder what would have happened to me if that were the case.
Lastly, I would like to explore one more facet of the intersections between autism and gender: Autigender. What is that? Autigender is a neologism meaning that one's gender can only be understood through one's own autism or that it greatly affects their identity. So, with this identity, there is a small community of people who see their experiences of autism and gender as inseperable and even mutually dependent. While gender has more sociological components, there is some overlap with one's own neurological condition with these especially since both are expressed through self identification, having taken some influence from clinical psychology. So with the exploration of neologisms to explore concepts of gender and neurodivergence, especially with things like transsexuality, non-binary identities, and autism, it is no wonder why something with autigender exists in contemporary currency among a lot of trans and non-binary autistics.
There is something about gender that resonates with most people, it is socialized in everyone, albeit in a limited binary capacity, and autistic people often see themselves differently or have many different perspective, while a generalization, it is mostly true for me, as an autistic and transgender person. Overall, I think that these can be a start of a much greater conversation about more specific themes. Let me know what you want in the comments and be share to like and share this article. Thank you so much for being an avid reader!
-BDunicorn
Bibliography
Autigender
Evaluation of Asperger Syndrome in Youth Presenting to a Gender Dysphoria Clinic
Gender Dysphoria and Autism Spectrum Disorder: Is the link real?
Evaluation of Asperger Syndrome in Youth Presenting to a Gender Dysphoria Clinic
Gender Dysphoria and Autism Spectrum Disorder: Is the link real?
Gender variance and autism link?
Increased Gender Variance in ASD and ADHD
Initial Clinical Guidelines for Co-Occurring Autism Spectrum Disorder and Gender Dysphoria or Incongruence in Adolescents
Extremely Male Brain of Autism
The link between autism and trans-identity
The Lost Girls
Why are a disproportionate number of autistic youth transgender?
Increased Gender Variance in ASD and ADHD
Initial Clinical Guidelines for Co-Occurring Autism Spectrum Disorder and Gender Dysphoria or Incongruence in Adolescents
Extremely Male Brain of Autism
The link between autism and trans-identity
The Lost Girls
Why are a disproportionate number of autistic youth transgender?
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