Female-to-male transsexual people have more autistic traits

Domenico Di Ceglie, Director of Training and Research at the Gender Identity Development Service at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust in London, commented: "These are important findings in the field of gender incongruence, which need to be replicated. The awareness of the presence of autistic features may help these young people to explore the reasons behind their perceptions, and help them make more informed decisions about treatment."

Emma Martin, who runs a Gender Identity Support and research group in Little Downham, UK, welcomed the new findings, and added two important caveats: "This new research reminds us that gender incongruence is incredibly complex. Every possibility should be discussed with new clients, but should not delay what can be a painfully slow process for those affected."



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Notes to editors:

1. Authors: Rebecca M. Jones, Sally Wheelwright, Krista Farrell, Emma Martin, Richard Green, Domenico Di Ceglie, and Simon Baron-Cohen (2011) Brief Report: Female-To-Male Transsexual People and Autistic Traits. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders DOI 10.1007/s10803-011-1227-8

2. Author affiliations: Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge University, Cambridge CB2 8AH, UK, (www.autismresearchcentre.com); Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK; Gender Identity Support and Research Division, Lima House Group, Little Downham, UK; Imperial College, London, UK; Gender Identity Development Service, Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK; Department of Neuroscience, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, NY, USA.

3. Funding sources: Research grants from the Medical Research Council (UK); Gates Cambridge Trust; and the Nancy Lurie Marks Family Foundation; NIHR CLAHRC for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust.

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