Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2020 Aug;50(8):2643-2657.
doi: 10.1007/s10803-019-04296-3.

'Conflict versus Congruence': A Qualitative Study Exploring the Experience of Gender Dysphoria for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Rachel S Coleman-Smith  1   2 , Richard Smith  3 , Elizabeth Milne  4 , Andrew R Thompson  4
Affiliations

'Conflict versus Congruence': A Qualitative Study Exploring the Experience of Gender Dysphoria for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Rachel S Coleman-Smith et al. J Autism Dev Disord. 2020 Aug.

Abstract

An emergent evidence base indicates a higher prevalence of autism exists amongst people attending gender identity clinics. This qualitative study explored adults' with autism experiences of coming to understand and address their gender dysphoria (GD). Data were collected and analysed using Grounded Theory. Ten adults with autism and GD undertook semi-structured interviews. A tentative theoretical framework of common processes involved in understanding and addressing GD for individuals with autism was developed. The experience is captured in the core category-Conflict versus Congruence. A key finding was the impact of autism as a barrier but sometimes a protective factor in participants' understanding and addressing GD. Participants appeared to achieve greater personal congruence and wellbeing upon transition. Nevertheless, conflicts remained as they navigated the social world with a continuing fear of hostility and sense of difference due to having two stigmatised identities.

Keywords: Autism; Gender dysphoria; Grounded theory; Qualitative.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The GT process adapted from Charmaz (, p. 11)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. American Psychological Association . Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental health disorders: DSM-5. 5. Washington, DC: Author; 2013.
    1. Balfe M, Tantam D. A descriptive social and health profile of a community sample of adults and adolescents with Asperger syndrome. BMC Research Notes. 2010 doi: 10.1186/1756-0500-3-300. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Brugha, T. S., McManus, S., Bankart, J., Scott, F., Purdon, S., Smith, J., … Meltzer, H. (2011). Epidemiology of autism spectrum disorders in adults in the community in England. Archives of General Psychiatry. 10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2011.38. - PubMed
    1. Burns J, Davies D. Same-sex relationships and women with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities. 2011 doi: 10.1111/j.1468-3148.2010.00609.x. - DOI
    1. Charmaz K. Constructing grounded theory. 2. London, England: Sage; 2006.