Research methods at the intersection of gender diversity and autism: A scoping review.
Em Je Mittertreiner, Elise Ng-Cordell, Alana J McVey and 1 others
PMID 38661070WHAT IT FOUND
Research on autism and gender diversity has grown but remains methodologically flawed.
Most studies lacked validated diagnostic tools, used inconsistent definitions, and failed to account for confounding factors like clinic-seeking behaviour. Clinicians should interpret prevalence rates with caution.
Key findings
01No studies measuring the prevalence of autism among gender-diverse samples used a validated diagnostic tool.
02Nine quantitative studies compared gender-diverse and cisgender groups without accounting for the confounding effect of seeking clinical services.
03Qualitative studies frequently lacked reflexivity and verification procedures, with only half verifying data through participant feedback.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The review only included English-language peer-reviewed articles. Quality assessment relied on predefined criteria that may not have captured all methodological nuances. The review focuses on methodological quality, not the clinical outcomes or validity of the findings within the included studies.
Declared interests
Dr. Kerns reports royalties for an edited book and honoraria/consulting fees for training on the Autism Spectrum Addendum to the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule-Parent. Funding was provided by the Canadian Foundation for Innovation, Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research, and UBC Quinn Fellowship.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the high volume of recent research as evidence of robust, clinically actionable findings. The review shows that most studies lack validated diagnostic measures and fail to control for confounding factors like clinic-seeking behaviour, meaning reported associations between autism and gender diversity may reflect measurement error or selection bias rather than true comorbidity.