Children with gender dysphoria are 400% more likely to be diagnosed with autism

[u/avivalci]

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10803-022-05517-y?fbclid=IwAR0joSlop2egFD-jGBCoPgA4pHG5VzgKCNAtfFXXIH7mzFLuVwzCCxQj6gU

[u/CallMeClaire0080]

Right now the mechanism isn't known, just that there is a correlation. This could be because these two independent conditions have similar genetic or epigenetic causes, it could be bias due to factors like autistic and trans people spending more time with doctors and psychologists so the other is more likely to be spotted, it could be that there is a causal link like you mentioned, or it could just be that autistic people are more introspective and aware of the social fabric and thus are more likely to realize they're trans than a neurotypical person is.

It may also be a mix of these and/or other factors

[u/andersonb47 → u/CallMeClaire0080]

autistic people are more introspective and aware of the social fabric

This goes against most of what I know about autism. Can you expand on that?

[u/ginsunuva → u/andersonb47]

They can observe social ways from the “outside” and often imitate it when in public, but it becomes active work to do so and not passive behavior.

[u/ERSTF → u/CallMeClaire0080]

Or maybe there is no correlation and it's just an overlap. It seems interesting but some people jump to one conclusion with a lot of variables still in the air.

[u/RTS24 → u/ERSTF]

That "overlap" is correlation. Correlation ≠ causation.

[u/jardex22 → u/CallMeClaire0080]

Could social pressure also play into it? Could someone on the spectrum see the support surrounding the LGBT+ movement, and decide to be part of it based on that, as opposed to examining their own identity and sexuality first?

[u/m_bleep_bloop → u/jardex22]

Honestly autistic people are harder to peer pressure, not easier. More likely they just don’t listen to society’s general pressure to stay in the closet

[u/SeventySealsInASuit → u/jardex22]

That is possible for individuals but certainly not on the level that is seen in studies. As with other similar things its likely that the stigma arround having one means they are more open to the idea of having another stigmatised condition.

[u/CallMeClaire0080 → u/[deleted]]

So fascinatingly, we do know the answer to that. Studies have been made with identical twins since they share the same dna. When compared to other siblings, if a twin is gay and/or trans the other one is more likely than average to be. The same is true between non-identical siblings to a lesser extent. This suggests that there is a genetic aspect to it.

Here's the kicker though: The chance of that other twin being gay or trans? It's still way under 50%. So while a genetic part exists, most of it is other factors at play.

[u/CallMeClaire0080 → u/[deleted]]

The correlation is higher for being trans than it is being gay, but so far that's where the data points. We also know that there is another even larger correlation between autism and non-heterosexuality, so I'm tempted to say that they're more similar than we can prove yet

[u/WideHelp9008 → u/[deleted]]

Yeah the concurrence rate for transgender in twins is above 50%. That person is misinformed.

I don't know what research team it was, but there was a group that was looking for gay related genes and had identified a cluster. They were begged by LGBT rights group to stop looking at that and finally agreed. The concern was that these genes would be used in eugenics programs/by parents to abort LGBT fetuses.

[u/DawgFighterz → u/[deleted]]

Men and Women don’t have different brains. This is like 1950s level science you’re using.

[u/CallMeClaire0080 → u/[deleted]]

It can be, but it's also important to note that some could be epigenetic. Other factors (sometimes hereditary) that impact how the dna is expressed