Advocating For Autistic Gender Affirming Care

Understanding the barriers faced by transgender and gender-diverse autistic people.

Intersectionality exists in all communities. In fact, society as a whole recognizes the individuality of a person and how intersections can influence the quality of life. With all the intersecting lines joining together, the quality of care, support, and accessibility become a staple of importance.

The gender spectrum

Researchers have found that autistic and neurodivergent people are more likely to be transgender or nonbinary. The study was conducted on individuals that were diagnosed with things like autism, schizophrenia, and other neurodevelopmental and psychiatric diagnoses. Some of the participants reported they believed they are autistic but had not received the official medical diagnosis.

Transgender and gender-diverse individuals were 3.03 to 6.36 times as likely to be autistic than cisgender individuals and Individuals with neurodevelopmental and psychiatric diagnoses are also more likely to be gender-diverse- Warrier, Greenberg, Weir, (2020).

The data collected by researchers matter if society wants to improve medical access for individuals that are autistic. Transgender and gender-diverse people will face different obstacles to access than their cisgender counterparts. Being autistic and nonbinary or trans, means you have more walls in front of you.

Barriers to access

Getting proper medical care is a challenge for gender-diverse people. Sometimes it is impossible. Add on top of that being autistic and you may need different support than a person that is gender diverse and not autistic.

It is important that medical professionals see the intersection of autism and gender…and respect it.

Quality medical care is lacking for gender-diverse people. Gender-affirming care can be impossible to locate and once you do, be expensive. Discrimination from medical professionals means you will not get quality care.

As an autistic person, you are more vulnerable. Autism has a stigma of competency. People assume that you do not know yourself and cannot communicate your needs. Sometimes, they will ignore your pleas for gender-affirming care. Self-advocacy is a vital component of getting care in this case.

Advocating for care

There is no “one size fits all” for advocacy. Self-exploration will help you narrow down the most useful options.

• Writing down the information in advance. Before you see your medical team make a script or list this will help you state your needs clearly.
• Provide information on gender-affirming care to your medical team. If your medical team has not worked with folks that are gender diverse or transgender, give them an education. Good doctors will be willing to learn and listen.
• Connect with other autistic people in your community. Learning from others’ experiences can help you with your search for gender-affirming care.

The autistic community has a multitude of intersections that impact life. It is up to the allies to educate themselves and it is up to the individual to self-advocate. The first step to progress is the awareness that transgender and gender-diverse people are in the autistic community. The medical support they receive must encompass both identities.

Read the study

Warrier, V., Greenberg, D.M., Weir, E. et al. Elevated rates of autism, other neurodevelopmental and psychiatric diagnoses, and autistic traits in transgender and gender-diverse individuals. Nat Commun 11, 3959 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-17794-1