Abstract
Research points to an association between gender diversity and the clinical characteristics of autism spectrum disorder (ASD)/neurodiversity, and it has been suggested that gender dysphoria (GD) and ASD intersect more frequently than would be estimated by chance. Several hypotheses have been forwarded to explain this potential co-occurrence, but empirical evidence for these hypotheses is lacking. Co-occurring ASD might come with specific challenges in assessment of individuals with gender identity questions. However, there is a clinical consensus that GD and ASD can co-occur independently, and that an ASD diagnosis should not be an exclusion criterion for a GD diagnosis in children and adolescents, nor for gender-affirming medical treatment in adolescents. While exploring gender identity in youth with ASD, it is important to take ASD-specific challenges into account and to adjust the assessment process to their needs. With respect to gender affirmative interventions, a carefully evaluated stepwise approach that takes into account specific ASD characteristics is indicated.
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The authors thank A. Natisha Nabbijohn for the helpful contribution during the draft of the manuscript.
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van Vlerken, R.H.T., Fuchs, C.E., van der Miesen, A.I.R. (2020). Caring for Transgender and Gender Diverse Youth with Co-occurring Neurodiversity. In: Forcier, M., Van Schalkwyk, G., Turban, J. (eds) Pediatric Gender Identity. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-38909-3_10
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