**9. Conclusion**

In conclusion, taking into account latest research findings and vast body of information generated and shared by specialists and researchers in both fields, autism and gender identity, the evidence is supportive of higher rates of clinical diagnoses of ASD among gender diverse samples, including social deficit and various degree of restricted and repetitive behaviours, thus confirming a link between autism and gender incongruence. The scientific community is concerned that dismissing gender variance as another manifestation of autism may place affected individuals at risk and delay people with ASD accessing gender diversity services.

With regard to diagnostic process and increased recognition of heterogeneity that exists within transgender youth populations, there is a growing concern that the current diagnostic categories do not adequately differentiate the children with true forms of GD from those who show merely gender nonconforming behaviour. Clinically, the intensity of early GD is an important predictor of persistence of GD and may help clinicians to accurately discriminate between persisters and desisters before the start of puberty. Some experts believe that the clinical recommendations should be separated between natal boys and girls, as their presentation of GD is distinct with different predictive factors for the persistence of GD.

The international commitment to rigorous clinical research in the area of gender diversity and running more naturalistic studies that are unaffected by a clinical context, will hopefully provide us with reliable and safe treatment options for children and adolescents experiencing gender dysphoria. Until that time we will be exploring all available options with young people and their families before undergoing invasive interventions with unknown long-term implications. For now, the enormous, growing body of knowledge on gender dysphoria requires synthesis, integration, and generation of sound clinical recommendations. There is a call for more systematic and adequately powered multi-centre studies that are expected to move beyond a confirmation of the existing overlap between ASD and GD and towards a translational research into the underlying causes of the overlap between these two spectrums of autism and gender diversity, as well as offering insight on how autism presents in gender-diverse people. I would like to end with a notion that a gender curiosity, "fantasy that one can change one's gender on demand" [75] sometimes is just that; and at least for some, this fantasy is better than reality of gender reassignment. Knowing that may open our minds to more sensitive and exploratory approach that informed by therapeutic listening, mentalisation, non-judgmental positive regard with empathy, respect and ability to tolerate uncertainty.

**53**

**Author details**

Yulia Furlong1,2

Perth, Western Australia, Australia

Perth, Western Australia, Australia

provided the original work is properly cited.

1 Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Head of Service—Paediatric

\*Address all correspondence to: yulia.furlong@health.wa.gov.au

Consultation Liaison and Gender Diversity Service, Perth's Children Hospital,

2 Clinical Senior Lecturer, Medical School, University of Western Australia,

© 2021 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium,

*Autism and Gender Identity*

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.97517*

*Autism and Gender Identity DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.97517*

*Autism Spectrum Disorder - Profile, Heterogeneity, Neurobiology and Intervention*

distinct with different predictive factors for the persistence of GD.

positive regard with empathy, respect and ability to tolerate uncertainty.

I would like to thank my colleague Julia K. Moore at Perth Children's Hospital Gender Diversity Service for her inspiring research interest and clinical excellence

The international commitment to rigorous clinical research in the area of gender diversity and running more naturalistic studies that are unaffected by a clinical context, will hopefully provide us with reliable and safe treatment options for children and adolescents experiencing gender dysphoria. Until that time we will be exploring all available options with young people and their families before undergoing invasive interventions with unknown long-term implications. For now, the enormous, growing body of knowledge on gender dysphoria requires synthesis, integration, and generation of sound clinical recommendations. There is a call for more systematic and adequately powered multi-centre studies that are expected to move beyond a confirmation of the existing overlap between ASD and GD and towards a translational research into the underlying causes of the overlap between these two spectrums of autism and gender diversity, as well as offering insight on how autism presents in gender-diverse people. I would like to end with a notion that a gender curiosity, "fantasy that one can change one's gender on demand" [75] sometimes is just that; and at least for some, this fantasy is better than reality of gender reassignment. Knowing that may open our minds to more sensitive and exploratory approach that informed by therapeutic listening, mentalisation, non-judgmental

In conclusion, taking into account latest research findings and vast body of information generated and shared by specialists and researchers in both fields, autism and gender identity, the evidence is supportive of higher rates of clinical diagnoses of ASD among gender diverse samples, including social deficit and various degree of restricted and repetitive behaviours, thus confirming a link between autism and gender incongruence. The scientific community is concerned that dismissing gender variance as another manifestation of autism may place affected individuals at risk and delay people with ASD accessing gender diversity services. With regard to diagnostic process and increased recognition of heterogeneity that exists within transgender youth populations, there is a growing concern that the current diagnostic categories do not adequately differentiate the children with true forms of GD from those who show merely gender nonconforming behaviour. Clinically, the intensity of early GD is an important predictor of persistence of GD and may help clinicians to accurately discriminate between persisters and desisters before the start of puberty. Some experts believe that the clinical recommendations should be separated between natal boys and girls, as their presentation of GD is

**9. Conclusion**

**52**

**Thanks**

in the field of transgender youth.
