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The Intersection of Autism and Transgender & Non-Binary Identities

Pink, blue, and white ribbon with text "Transgender awareness week 13-19 November." Below, people holding hands encircled by stars.

Transgender Awareness Week is a time to raise visibility and celebrate the resilience, diversity, and strength of trans, gender-diverse, and non-binary people. We can all make a difference by:

  • Using affirming language and respecting pronouns.

  • Advocating for accessible, inclusive services.

  • Listening to and amplifying trans, gender-diverse, and non-binary voices.


Everyone deserves to be seen, respected, and supported — exactly as they are!


At Very Helpful Chats, we recognise that there’s often overlap between Autism and gender diversity — with Autistic people more likely to identify as transgender or non-binary than non-Autistic peers. Our goal in this post is to build understanding, reduce stigma, and highlight the importance of affirming, inclusive, and safe care for everyone.


For more on supporting trans and gender-diverse people, check out Minus18’s Trans Awareness Week resources — they’re incredible advocates for LGBTQIA+ youth.



Shared Experiences at the Intersection


Research exploring the intersection of Autism and gender diversity remains limited — with even less exploring the experiences of non-binary Autistic people. This gap means many lived experiences are still underrepresented, making it essential to amplify community voices to build understanding and shape truly inclusive, affirming care.


What we do know from the existing research is:

  • Trans individuals show higher rates of autistic traits, with elevated anxiety and depression driven largely by social stress rather than identity itself (Murphy et al., 2020).

  • Transgender and gender-diverse people are significantly more likely to identify as Autistic compared to cisgender peers (Varun Warrier et al., 2020).

  • Non-binary Autistic adults describe their identities as deeply interconnected, with both shaped by community, politics, and social context — highlighting the importance of exploring these underrepresented experiences further (Voltaire et al., 2024).

  • Transgender and gender-diverse Autistic adults are 10.9x more likely to report a mental health condition, and are 5.8x more likely to report self-harm than cisgender, non-Autistic adults (Green et al., 2025) 



The Reality of Barriers for Autistic Trans and Non-Binary People


Despite growing awareness, barriers still exist for many people in our community:

  • Access to gender-affirming healthcare remains limited for Autistic people.

  • Australian research indicates that autistic trans people have greater difficulty accessing gender-affirming healthcare than trans people who do not have an autism diagnosis (Strauss et al., 2021)

  • Research has also found that autistic trans people experience poorer general and mental health, and face greater health disparities than trans people who are not autistic (Adams et al., 2025)

  • Autistic gender-diverse adolescents often emphasise the importance of living as their affirmed gender but face barriers such as healthcare gatekeeping and fears of bias or harassment (Strang et al., 2018).


These findings highlight the urgent need for affirming, accessible, and neuro-inclusive mental health care.



Mental Health and Support


The National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement (2022) recognises LGBTQIA+ communities as priority populations due to higher rates of mental health concerns and suicide compared with the general population. Recent Australian Bureau of Statistics data (2024) tells us that -

  • One in three trans people experienced a mental disorder in the past year, compared to one in five cisgender people.

  • Over four in five non-binary people have experienced a mental disorder in their lifetime.

These numbers reflect the impact of stigma, exclusion, and barriers to safe care. Creating accessible, affirming mental health support is key to changing those statistics.



How Therapy and Support Can Help


At Very Helpful Chats, we offer neuroaffirming, gender-affirming therapy and occupational support. Our team, many of whom are neurodivergent and/or part of the LGBTQIA+ community, are passionate about creating spaces that feel safe, validating, and empowering.


We can help by:

  • Providing safe, sensory-aware, and affirming spaces to explore identity.

  • Supporting emotion regulation, executive functioning, and sensory needs.

  • Collaborating with gender-affirming healthcare teams.

  • Building confidence, communication, and advocacy skills.


Our clinicians are experienced in supporting both neurodivergent and gender-diverse clients — helping you explore identity, build coping tools, and feel understood every step of the way.


As therapists, allies, and community members, our role is simple but powerful: listen, affirm, and make space for every kind of voice.


Very Helpful Chats
References

Adams, N., Jacobsen, K., Li, L., Francino, M., Rutherford, L., Tei, C., Scheim, A., & Bauer, G. (2025). Health and health care access of autistic transgender and nonbinary people in Canada: A cross-sectional study. Autism in adulthood, 7(1), 66-80. https://doi.org/10.1089/aut.2023.0024


Green, K., Weir, E., Wright, L., Allison, C., & Baron-Cohen, S. (2025). Autistic and transgender/gender diverse people’s experiences of health and healthcare. Molecular Autism, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13229-024-00634-0


Hill, A., Bourne, A., McNair, R., Carman, M., & Lyons, A. (2020). Private Lives 3: The health and wellbeing of LGBTIQ people in Australia.


Murphy, J., Prentice, F., Walsh, R., Catmur, C., & Bird, G. (2020). Autism and transgender identity: Implications for depression and anxiety. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2019.101466


Samuelle Voltaire, Hillary Steinberg, Tamara Garfield, Kyle Chvasta, Katherine Ardeleanu, Maci Brown, & Lindsay Shea. (2024). Inextricably Tied: Nonbinary Autistic Individuals’ Views on How Their Gender Identity and Autism Are Connected. Autism: The International Journal of Research and Practice, 28(12), 3156–3166. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613241257600


Strauss, P., Cook, A., Watson, V., Winter, S., Whitehouse, A., Albrecht, N., Wright Toussaint, D., & Lin, A. (2021). Mental health difficulties among trans and gender diverse young people with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD): Findings from Trans Pathways. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 137, 360–367. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.03.005


Strang, J. F., Powers, M. D., Knauss, M., Sibarium, E., Leibowitz, S. F., Kenworthy, L., Sadikova, E., Wyss, S., Willing, L., Caplan, R., Pervez, N., Nowak, J., Gohari, D., Gomez-Lobo, V., Call, D., & Anthony, L. G. (2018). “They Thought It Was an Obsession”: Trajectories and Perspectives of Autistic Transgender and Gender-Diverse Adolescents. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 48(12), 4039–4055. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-018-3723-6


Varun Warrier, David M. Greenberg, Elizabeth Weir, Clara Buckingham, Paula Smith, Meng-Chuan Lai, Carrie Allison, & Simon Baron-Cohen. (2020). Elevated rates of autism, other neurodevelopmental and psychiatric diagnoses, and autistic traits in transgender and gender-diverse individuals. Nature Communications, 11(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-17794-1


 
 
 

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