"Just Listen to Me. Help Me Explore it." An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Exploring Experiences of Gender Dysphoria, Identity And Resilience in Autistic Adolescents Assigned Female at Birth.
Michelle Oliver, Zoe Poysden, Eimear Crowe and 5 others
PMID 39777592WHAT IT FOUND
Autistic adolescents assigned female at birth described gender distress as both physical and social.
They found social transition helpful for social distress but not body mismatch. Clinicians should listen for repeated words as signs of distress, as patients often struggle to articulate it.
Key findings
01Participants described distress from a mismatch between body and mind, which persisted even after socially transitioning to male.
02Four participants struggled to express the complexity of their distress, often using repetition of words like 'hate' to convey intensity.
03Sensory issues with clothing textures, such as chest binders, created a conflict between wanting to pass as male and physical discomfort.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
Very small sample size (5 participants) limits generalisability. All participants identified as male; findings may not apply to non-binary individuals. All participants were white Scottish or white British. Inter-rater reliability for coding was 65%, which is moderate. Participants were recruited from specific health boards, potentially biasing the sample toward those already engaged with services.
Declared interests
The researcher had no prior relationship with participants. A lived experience mentor was funded by the University of Edinburgh. No other financial conflicts were declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat these findings as evidence that gender dysphoria is caused by or a symptom of autism. The participants described their experiences as distinct, with autism having both positive and negative impacts on how they navigated gender identity.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →