Gender Dysphoria, Sexuality and Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Systematic Map Review.

Burrows et al. (2018) read every paper on autism and gender dysphoria written between 1946 and 2018.

They did not run new tests. They built a map you can search to see who studied what, when, and how.

The map shows the field is tiny but growing fast. Most work is small samples or chart reviews.

No one has yet run a big, long study that tracks kids over time.

Heylens et al. (2018), George et al. (2018), and Cohen et al. (2018) are three 2018 studies that A et al. placed on the map. All three found more autism traits in people with gender dysphoria.

Costa et al. (2020) extends the map past 2018. They show that LGBTQ+ adults with autism face worse health care and more mental-health problems.

van Timmeren et al. (2016) looked at sexuality, not gender identity, in autism. Their focus on high-functioning teens adds another corner to the same puzzle: autistic people need sex-ed and gender-affirming care that fits their profile.

You now have one stop to find every paper on autism and gender diversity. Use it before you write a treatment plan or train staff. If a teen client mentions gender questions, you can quickly pull the best evidence instead of guessing.