Gender and Autism Program

Gender and Autism Care 

The Gender and Autism (and Related Neurodiversity) Program team at Children’s National supports gender-diverse and gender-exploring autistic youth—or youth with suspected autism—through evaluation, consultation and a specialized ongoing support program for youth and their families. We approach gender and autism care from the following perspectives:

• Each young person’s gender journey is individual
• There are many possible outcomes that can unfold over time
• Understanding a young person’s neurodiversity may be important for supporting their gender discernment and self-advocacy 
• Although autistic gender-diverse and gender-exploring youth may face specific challenges, attention to strengths and resilience, as well as neurodiversity-affirming care, is key

We focus on helping young people with autism-related neurodiversity, such as with executive function and self-advocacy needs, while also supporting their gender discernment and support needs. Although all of the young people referred to our program are either seeking clarification around whether they are autistic or they are already diagnosed autistic, through our careful assessment process, some young people are not found to be autistic. Importantly, these young people may be neurodivergent in other ways, and we work to help youth and families get connected with appropriate supports and care based on their personalized profile (e.g., ADHD, obsessive-compulsive disorder, prodromal schizophrenia).

We are a neurodiversity-affirming program. We understand autism and related neurodivergence as important parts of the broad spectrum of human neurodiversity. We also recognize that being autistic in today’s world can be challenging. Among the resources on this website, we celebrate the contributions of autistic gender-diverse individuals, including through their artistic expressions and life stories. Some young people who come to our clinic have a well-characterized autism diagnosis, while other families come to see us for both autism diagnostic clarification and gender-related consultation.

The Gender and Autism Program works with young people who are: 

• Between the ages of 3–25 years old
• Suspected of being autistic, or already diagnosed autistic 
• Gender-diverse, gender-expansive, or gender-exploring and who have specific gender-related needs and/or questions

We see neurodivergent young people who identify as transgender, nonbinary, questioning, etc. We also see neurodivergent young people who have gender-related needs, but who do not use such identity terms.

Gender-diverse autistic people may be more likely to receive a late autism diagnosis (e.g., in the teen years). We do not yet understand why autism is often diagnosed later among gender-diverse individuals. There may be special considerations needed to tailor supports for late-diagnosed autistic individuals, such as in the areas of school programming and transition to adulthood.

What to Expect from Your Visits with Our Team

Typically, your visits with us will begin with an evaluation. This evaluation will address factors related to autism/neurodivergence, gender development, and the intersection of the two. Our process includes interviews, questionnaires and other measures. The assessment is usually completed over 2-3 visits. Our autism-related assessment employs gold-standard measures with the young person, as well as comprehensive developmental interviewing with parent(s), caregiver(s), and/or other key informants. We work to match our evaluations to the specific needs of each young person and their family, and we aim for the process to be affirming and uplifting for everyone involved.

Based on what we learn from our work with you, we will then work together to develop a plan for next steps and supports. If helpful, we will include your other providers in this process. Gender- and autism-related needs may develop and evolve over time. Working with young people and families over time may provide greater clarity around support approaches that are best attuned to a young person’s needs. Therefore, we typically recommend ongoing connection to our program over time. A key aspect of this ongoing connection may be participation in our youth, and separate parent/caregiver, support programs. When appropriate, consultation with providers within our larger gender services program may be discussed.