Elevated rates of autism, other neurodevelopmental and psychiatric diagnoses, and autistic traits in transgender and gender-diverse individuals

It is unclear whether transgender and gender-diverse individuals have elevated rates of autism diagnosis or traits related to autism compared to cisgender individuals in large non-clinic-based cohorts. To investigate this, we use five independently recruited cross-sectional datasets consisting of 641,860 individuals who completed information on gender, neurodevelopmental and psychiatric diagnoses including autism, and measures of traits related to autism (self-report measures of autistic traits, empathy, systemizing, and sensory sensitivity). Compared to cisgender individuals, transgender and gender-diverse individuals have, on average, higher rates of autism, other neurodevelopmental and psychiatric…

• AS
  Autism Speaks
• OB
  Ontario Brain Institute

  Award: IDS-I l-02
• WT
  Wellcome Trust

  Award: 214322/Z/18/Z
• EF
  European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations

  Award: 777394
• SF
  Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative
• CF
  Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Foundation
• NI
  National Institute for Health and Care Research
• EC
  European Commission

  Award: 777394
• RT
  Rosetrees Trust
• UO
  University of Toronto
• IM
  Innovative Medicines Initiative

  Award: 777394
• TW
  Templeton World Charity Foundation
• DO
  Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto
• CI
  Canadian Institutes of Health Research
• MR
  Medical Research Council

  Award: 777394