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Chapter 7 - Autistic Spectrum Conditions and Intellectual Disability

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 August 2020

Christina Richards
Affiliation:
Nottingham Centre for Transgender Health
James Barrett
Affiliation:
Charing Cross Gender Identity Clinic
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Summary

The autistic spectrum conditions, disorders, or diversity (ASC), which used to be known as Asperger’s syndrome and autism, are in this chapter considered in tandem with intellectual disability (ID). While there are, of course, notable differences between the groups, we decided that for ease of reading, it was reasonable to consider all these conditions here. While we would not wish to elide them altogether, there has been some practical cross-over in some instances. It is notable that as the frequency of ASC diagnosis has risen, a proportionate decrease in diagnoses of mild ID has occurred. It’s notable also that until quite recently, ASC was a purely paediatric diagnosis, with the assumption on the part of statutory care and other services that when children with Asperger’s syndrome or autism passed the age of majority, they experienced an abrupt and overnight resolution. In fact, and totally unsurprisingly, children with ASC simply turn into adults with ASC, formally diagnosed or not. The only caveat is that trans boys – that is, those who are assigned female at birth but with a male identity – often like playing with mechanical toys, are less pro-social than their [cisgender] female peers, and can be socially isolated (because they seem like an ‘odd’ girl). They can look very much like a girl with ASC but are, in fact, typical of a [neurotypical, trans] boy.

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References

Further Reading

Glidden, D., Bouman, W. P., Jones, B. A., & Arcelus, J. (2016). Gender dysphoria and autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review of the literature. Sexual Medicine Reviews, 4(1), 314.Google Scholar
Richards, C. (2015). Further sexualities. In Richards, C. & Barker, M. J. (eds.). The Palgrave handbook of the psychology of sexuality and gender (pp. 6076). London: Palgrave-Macmillan.Google Scholar
Richards, C., & Barker, M. (eds.) (2013). Sexuality and gender for mental health professionals: A practical guide. London: Sage.Google Scholar

References

Richards, C., & Barker, M. (eds.) (2013). Sexuality and gender for mental health professionals: A practical guide. London: Sage.Google Scholar

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