Why Autistic People are More Likely to Identify as Trans

Some thoughts on the subject from my experience and research

It is no secret that there are a lot of autistic individuals among those who identify as transgender or nonbinary. Around 5.5-26% of those visiting gender clinics have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, which is a much higher rate of autism than in the general population.¹ Many online autistic influencers see this as a cause for celebration because of how “accepting” and “affirming” of trans identities the online autism community is. However, these influencers are almost entirely silent about the growing rise of young autistic detransitioners.

For many people, this is a puzzling trend. They may fail to understand why a significant portion of trans and detrans people happen to be autistic. As such, this crucial topic with increasing relevance is not given as much attention as I believe it should. Is it not concerning that numerous vulnerable autistic kids, teens, and young adults are struggling so much that they decide to take desperate measures and permanently change their bodies?

As an autistic woman from Gen Z, this issue is one I care deeply about. The truth is, I could have ended up going down the road of transition if I had been raised by more liberal parents. When I read Irreversible Damage by Abigail Shrier in 2022, I could not help but notice multiple similarities between myself and the trans-identifying teenage girls described. Things like being an academically high-performing student, coming from a financially well-off background, being white, having a sexuality other than straight, and being socially anxious and autistic are all common factors between many of these girls and myself. That book made me realize just how fortunate I am not to have fallen into online trans communities or been pushed to transition by some crazy therapist.

All of this brings up the question of why this is happening. Why are more and more autistic people, especially females from younger generations, choosing to change their names and pronouns to those of the opposite gender? This is not something I have studied in depth but I have personal experiences and insights about it as an autistic person. I have put together a list of five reasons why I think that autistic people are more likely to seek a gender transition.

1. Autistic people often feel different from most other people

It makes perfect sense why those with autism, even before being diagnosed, so often sense that they are different from others - because we are. This can be an especially isolating experience when one does not understand why this is the case. For me, I struggled for many years knowing that I was different but not why. Such feelings of being different are often talked about by online trans people, which could contribute to some autistic people believing that they are also trans and taking steps to transition.

2. Autistic people tend to struggle with accepting themselves

Many autistic people also find it hard to accept themselves and can struggle with certain mental health conditions as a result. Studies show that autistic individuals are four times more likely to have depression at some point in their lives than neurotypical people.² This is likely due to frequently being misunderstood and not having proper support for their needs. Late-diagnosed autistic people tend to be more perfectionistic than those diagnosed earlier in life and can end up measuring themselves by neurotypical standards. When these people inevitably fail to live up to their goals, they will tend to feel extremely dissatisfied with themselves. Offering someone in this position the chance to change their identity and become someone else will no doubt be appealing.

3. Autistic people are searching for a sense of belonging

Given points one and two, searching for belonging is an expected outcome. Autistic people often do not have many friends because understanding nonverbal communication can be difficult for us. It is then not surprising that those with autism look for people who will accept them, sometimes in the wrong places. One thing that appears attractive to some autistic people, especially those lacking social connections is getting a gender transition. Becoming trans is an easy way to gain popularity in certain communities, whether online or in person. When members of a group get more attention and are granted special privileges that are not afforded to everyone else, it makes sense that more people will want to join such a group.

4. Autistic people may not align with gender stereotypes

Finally, autistic women are more likely to have behaviours and ways of thinking associated with maleness than non-autistic women. Research has demonstrated this, as in the quote below that I found in an informative article.

Ecker et al. (2017) found that natal females whose brain anatomy was more similar to typical natal males, based on measures of cortical thickness, were three times more likely to have autism than natal females with more typically female brain anatomy. Therefore autism has been described as a case of the extreme male brain. It is possible that receiving a diagnosis of autism, with traits perceived to be male, has implications for how autistic natal females feel about their biological sex and gender. There is some research evidence to suggest that autistic natal females may not identify as readily with conventional female gender norms. Qualitative research findings suggest that autistic girls and women prefer socialising with boys and men rather than women (Bargiela et al. 2016; Cridland et al. 2014), and do not readily identify with the construct of femininity (Kanfiszer et al. 2017).³

There is also a very interesting graph in the paper comparing the rates of masculinity and femininity between autistic and non-autistic people. The difference between autistic women and typically developing (TD) women is quite significant.

As someone whose personality and interests are generally associated more with men than women, I can relate to the experiences of these autistic females. However, the fact that autistic women tend to show more male-like characteristics does not mean that their lives would be better if they tried to live as men.

5. Autistic people are often in trans-affirming online spaces

One of the main autistic traits is having special interests - things that they are extremely passionate about and obsess over. Special interests can vary greatly, but one thing that many of them have in common is having an online community where people can chat about their interests. Given the intensity of autistic special interests, it is likely that a higher percentage of autistic people participate in such online groups. Certain communities have a high rate of trans-identifying members and being trans is seen as a status symbol. These are generally humanities-related subjects like art, history, literature, and music. I have noticed that many fandoms for fantasy book series I have read are especially trans-affirming. The abundance of colourful flags in the usernames, bios, and profile pictures can be tempting for those new to such communities and looking to grow a following.

So what?

If a significant portion of trans people happen to be autistic, what does that mean? Knowing what drives these people to distance themselves from their birth sex can give some insights into what can be done to minimize the occurrence of this from happening. It has been noted that autistic people with gender dysphoria have lower overall mental well-being and higher rates of stress, depression, and anxiety.⁴ Thus, lowering rates of debilitating mental health conditions among the autistic population would probably contribute to a lessening in the prevalence of transgender identification.

According to research, autistic people who have a sense of social affiliation with other autistic people have better psychological well-being.⁵ The fact is, the more an autistic person is isolated from other autistic people, the worse their mental health is expected to be, and the more likely they are to feel uncomfortable themself and want to change their identity. When one goes through life constantly feeling as though they are different from everyone else and lacks a community of people they can relate to, it is only logical that person will want to change themself to better fit in with the people around them.

Examining these reasons shows that gender transitioning for autistic people is more common in those without a good social support network and interactions with other autistic people. When autistic people are provided with the accommodations and support they require, they are much happier, healthier, and less likely to have a desire to change their gender. Many who go down the road of transition will probably come to regret it if they later come to realize that their experiences are better explained by being autistic than being trans.

I am not saying that autistic people are unable to make life-changing decisions for themselves. Infantilizing autistic people does not help anyone and can cause great harm to those affected. What I am saying is that desperate people do desperate things that they would not otherwise do. It is not the fault of autistic people for choosing to transition; the blame lies on society for allowing and even encouraging this to happen. Being trans needs to stop being cool, fun, trendy, and glamorous because this ideology has a way of ensnaring those living in a world that was not designed with their needs in mind.

Autism awareness and acceptance need to increase. I only began thinking I may be autistic two and a half years ago. During that time, I tried to get a diagnosis twice only to be informed that the place I was referred to does not diagnose autism. As for relationships with other autistic people, I do not have any. Some young autistic people are undiagnosed or do not know other autistic people and are in very vulnerable situations, leaving them struggling to get through life. These people are desperate for acceptance, belonging, and understanding, yet we offer them experimental drugs and a surgical knife. Anyone who cares about disability rights, or human rights in general, should see a clear problem with the way things are currently run.

I cannot help but wonder if there is a darker motive behind all of this. Countless people who go through a medical transition, especially those who do so at a young age, lose the ability to have biological children. Whether doctors fail to inform patients that their fertility will be affected or those looking to transition are too young to fully understand the implications of what they are about to undergo, many of them will reach a point in life where having children is something they desire but is no longer an option. Autism has a genetic link, and autistic parents are much more likely to have autistic children than non-autistic parents.

If increasing numbers of autistic people are being sterilized, fewer autistic children will probably be born, given the previous facts. Is this a form of ableist eugenics, specifically intended to inconspicuously reduce the number of people with autism? Of course, I have no evidence to believe such is the case, and it seems unlikely, but intentional or not, the results are the same. However, given the high rates of abortion among babies with Down syndrome, we know that ableist eugenics are very much alive, so perhaps this is not that much of a stretch.

My hope is that one day, autistic people will no longer feel a need to change their immutable characteristics to fit in. Autistic people should not have to force ourselves to assimilate into the world; the world should have to expand to include us. Transition should be reserved for the most extreme cases, and not be used as a way to obtain the validation of others. We are human, just like everyone else, and should be encouraged to live authentically instead of being forced into a neurotypical mould.

1. Cooper K, Smith LGE, Russell AJ. Gender Identity in Autism: Sex Differences in Social Affiliation with Gender Groups. J Autism Dev Disord. 2018 Dec;48(12):3995-4006. doi: 10.1007/s10803-018-3590-1. PMID: 29705922; PMCID: PMC6223803.

2. Hudson, C.C., Hall, L. & Harkness, K.L. Prevalence of Depressive Disorders in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder: a Meta-Analysis. J Abnorm Child Psychol 47, 165–175 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-018-0402-1

3. Cooper K, Smith LGE, Russell AJ. Gender Identity in Autism: Sex Differences in Social Affiliation with Gender Groups. J Autism Dev Disord. 2018 Dec;48(12):3995-4006. doi: 10.1007/s10803-018-3590-1. PMID: 29705922; PMCID: PMC6223803.

4. Ibid.

5. Ibid.