Autistic kids are at the mercy of trans activism

In the past few years, the number of teenage girls identifying as trans has risen dramatically. In fact, at the now defunct NHS Tavistock gender-identity clinic, patients were predominantly girls in early adolescence.

There is a long list of complicated reasons as to why this might be the case. Firstly, identifying as trans may simply be a way of coping with feelings of same-sex attraction. After all, we know that the vast majority of both male and female patients at the Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) will turn out to be gay, lesbian or bisexual.

This sudden rise in trans-identifying girls may also be driven by mental illness. Feelings of ‘gender dysphoria’ are easily confused with or are a symptom of other conditions, such as depression, anxiety or eating disorders. Crucially, GIDS data showed that autistic children were massively overrepresented among those seeking to transition. Around 35 per cent of GIDS referrals presented ‘moderate to severe autistic traits’, compared with less than two per cent of children nationwide.

Again, there are a number of complex explanations for this. But it is well-established by now that autism manifests differently in girls than it does in boys. Often, it can present as other mental illnesses, like the aforementioned depression, anxiety or eating disorders. Combine this with the fact that women tend to be better at ‘masking’ their autistic traits than men are, it is likely that many autistic females go through life without ever being diagnosed. Or they might have their autism misdiagnosed as gender dysphoria.

Even for those on the high-functioning end of the autistic spectrum, the teenage years in particular are difficult. Social interaction is confusing. How people interact is almost impossible to understand. Some people on the spectrum feel they are on the wrong planet, where nothing makes sense. Identifying as trans can be a way to cope with this, and gender dysphoria can act as an explanation for why an autistic teen may feel out of place or unusual.

To make matters worse, a psychologist who has dedicated years of his life to studying these conditions can now be overruled by a confused teenager who wrongly self-diagnoses as trans. Already, we have seen psychiatrists get in trouble for suggesting that minors should think twice before pursuing a path of medical transition. More worrying still, the Labour Party’s manifesto promises to introduce a ban on ‘trans conversion therapy’. This would essentially criminalise medical professionals who push back against a patient’s wish to transition.

Even some of the organisations that are supposed to help autistic people navigate life with their condition have also jumped on the trans bandwagon. The National Autistic Society (NAS) was founded 60 years ago as a support system for those on the spectrum. Now, however, it has added trans ideology to its remit. One page on its website states that ‘gender identity and biological sex are different things’ and ‘some people identify as the sex they were assigned with at birth, others don’t’. It goes on to say that ‘there is some evidence to show a link between gender dysphoria and autism, and that autistic people may be more likely than other people to have gender dysphoria’.

Similarly, Ambitious About Autism, a charity meant to support autistic children and young people, has a page dedicated to explaining what it means to be trans to young autistic people. It includes stories about ‘transitioning as an autistic young person’ and claims that ‘trans and gender-diverse people are up to six times more likely to be autistic than cis people’.

Like many other organisations, NAS and Ambitious About Autism have either been infiltrated by trans activists or have decided to promote fashionable causes. Perhaps both. Either way, this means that autistic individuals seeking advice and support are fed this arrant nonsense. Instead of receiving much-needed help, they risk being sent down a path of hormones and surgery, which will only create more problems than they solve.

Injecting trans ideology into autism advocacy has had real, dire consequences. In her book, Time to Think, journalist Hannah Barnes reveals that staff at the Tavistock clinic were concerned about the disproportionate number of children with autism being funnelled through the GIDS system and unnecessarily medicated. Even now that the Tavistock is closed, autistic children are still at risk. A court recently ruled in favour of a father fighting to stop his teenage daughter being medically transitioned. The girl suffered with autism, anorexia and other mental illnesses, and yet was prescribed cross-sex hormones by a Singapore-registered private clinic called Gender GP. She was 15 years old at the time and had received just one online appointment with a counsellor before being prescribed high doses of testosterone.

There is a basic principle in psychotherapy that you do not enter into the patient’s fantasy. If a patient claims to be Napoleon, the psychotherapist must work to bring them back into the real world. You’re not supposed to give him a uniform and put him in charge of the French Army. We shouldn’t be telling young autistic girls that they are really boys, just because they say so. Instead, we need to impress upon them that they, like millions of others with high-functioning autism, will go on to lead fulfilling lives without unnecessary medical intervention.

Struggling children and young people need genuine support. Uncritical affirmation of their ‘gender identities’ and rushed transitions driven by ideological trends serve no one but the trans activists pushing these dangerous ideas. All children, autistic or not, deserve better care than this.

Ian Stewart is a musician and writer based in England.