“They Thought It Was an Obsession”: Trajectories and Perspectives of Autistic Transgender and Gender-Diverse Adolescents

Strang, J. F., Powers, M. D., Knauss, M., Sibarium, E., Leibowitz, S., Kenworthy, L., Sadikova, E., Wyss, S. E., Willing, L., Caplan, R., Pervez, N., Nowak, J., Gohari, D., Gomez‐Lobo, V., Call, D., & Anthony, L. G. (2018). “They Thought It Was an Obsession”: Trajectories and Perspectives of Autistic Transgender and Gender-Diverse Adolescents. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 48(12), 4039-4055. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-018-3723-6

Publication date: 23 Aug 2018 Added to AutiHub: 5 Jul 2026 Type: Article Article language: English

This publication is integrated into AutiHub through:

Authors

Publication authors
16
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 16 (6.2%)

Abstract

Despite research exploring autism in gender-diverse adolescents, no studies have elicited these individuals' perspectives. In-depth interviews with 22 well-characterized autistic gender-diverse adolescents revealed critical themes, including: recollections of pre-pubertal gender nonconformity; vivid experiences of gender dysphoria; a fear of social gender expression due to perceived animosity toward transgender people; and specific challenges that result from the interplay of gender diversity and neurodiversity. During the ~ 22 month study social gender affirmation increased in six participants and gender dysphoria attenuated in four participants. Given the ethical imperative to understand and prioritize the voiced perspectives and needs of autistic gender minority adolescents as well as the discovery of shared themes and experiences in this population, results should inform clinical research approaches and priorities.

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Cited references
65
Total cited references integrated for this publication.
Cited references with an identified autistic author
4 / 65 (6.2%)
Cited author occurrences identified as autistic
6 / 314 (1.9%)
Among occurrences linked to AutiHub author records: 6 / 67 (9.0%). Distinct cited authors identified as autistic: 6 / 282 (2.1%).
Cited author occurrences linked to AutiHub author records
67 / 314 (21.3%)
Distinct linked cited authors: 48 / 282 (17.0%)
Linked cited-author occurrences not identified as autistic
61 / 67 (91.0%)
Among linked cited-author occurrences only. Across all cited-author occurrences: 61 / 314 (19.4%). Distinct linked cited authors not identified as autistic: 42 / 48 (87.5%).
4 cited bibliography entries could not be fully enriched from DOI metadata.
Crossref: not found (2) · DataCite: not found (2)
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