title: Gender Dysphoria and Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review of the Literature.
abstract: There is a growing clinical recognition that a significant proportion of patients with gender dysphoria have concurrent autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
  
  
  
  The purpose of this review is to systematically appraise the current literature regarding the co-occurrence of gender dysphoria and ASD.
  
  
  
  A systematic literature search using Medline and PubMed, PsycINFO, and Embase was conducted from 1966 to July 2015.
  
  
  
  Fifty-eight articles were generated from the search. Nineteen of these publications met the inclusion criteria.
  
  
  
  The literature investigating ASD in children and adolescents with gender dysphoria showed a higher prevalence rate of ASD compared with the general population. There is a limited amount of research in adults. Only one study showed that adults attending services for gender dysphoria had increased ASD scores. Another study showed a larger proportion of adults with atypical gender identity and ASD.
  
  
  
  Although the research is limited, especially for adults, there is an increasing amount of evidence that suggests a co-occurrence between gender dysphoria and ASD. Further research is vital for educational and clinical purposes.
authors.affiliation: Nottingham Centre for Gender Dysphoria, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Derek
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Glidden
authors.affiliation: Nottingham Centre for Gender Dysphoria, Nottingham, United Kingdom. Electronic address: walterbouman@doctors.org.uk.
authors.forename: Walter Pierre
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Bouman
authors.affiliation: Nottingham Centre for Gender Dysphoria, Nottingham, United Kingdom; School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Bethany A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: Nottingham Centre for Gender Dysphoria, Nottingham, United Kingdom; Division of Psychiatry and Applied Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Jon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Arcelus
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D000068116:Gender Dysphoria / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012196:Review Literature as Topic
keywords: Autism; Autism Spectrum Disorder; Gender Dysphoria; Systematic Review; Transgender; Transsexualism